Tom Brady has attempted 16 passes over 20 yards this season. He has completed only one.
The New England Patriots’ offensive issues are well known at this point, and according to that passing stat (via Pro Football Focus), the cure won’t involve Brady throwing downfield.
An AFC scout believes those numbers don’t lie.
“Brady has the best arm under 15 yards but the worst deep arm,” the scout said via text.
The same scout also brought up Brady’s issues throwing deep over the offseason, so he’s not overreacting to early poor play from the Patriots quarterback.
Brady has attempted the 10th-most deep passes in the NFL this season, and 11.6 percent of his attempts have traveled over 20 yards, so it might be time for the Patriots to reel back the deep routes.
Brady completed 20 of 66 deep passes last season, and his 39.4 accuracy percentage (PFF’s rating that accounts for drops) ranked 25th in the league. Brady’s deep-passing accuracy has dropped nearly every year since 2007, when he completed 31 of 73 passes (50.7 accuracy percentage) that traveled over 20 yards.
2014: 1 of 16 (6.3 percent)
2013: 20 of 66 (39.4 percent)
2012: 20 of 84 (40.5 percent)
2011: 20 of 60 (41.7 percent)
2010: 17 of 45 (44.4 percent)
2009: 19 of 68 (32.4 percent)
2007: 31 of 73 (50.7 percent)
Brady’s lone deep completion this season came on a 44-yard gain by wide receiver Julian Edelman in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins. Edelman had to halt his route because Brady’s pass came up short.
Deep passing isn’t Brady’s only issue this season, according to a talent evaluator who spoke with NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
“He doesn’t move as well,” the talent evaluator told Rapoport, who noted that it “leads to rushed throws.”
Brady has shown elite accuracy at times this season on shallow to intermediate throws, and he has proven that he still can thread a needle with a well-timed throw.
