Has Tom Brady, after 19 stellar seasons, finally hit the cliff?
Probably not, but the numbers might say otherwise.
The New England Patriots quarterback completed 29 of 45 passes for 324 yards but zero touchdowns Monday against the Buffalo Bills, the latest performance in what’s been a somewhat underwhelming season for the 41-year-old. Brady’s numbers this season are OK — 67.5 percent completion percentage, 16 TDs and seven interceptions — but the eye test suggests that something is off with the future Hall of Famer.
And, thanks to NFL writer Scott Kacsmar, we have some numbers that might back that theory up.
Check out this stat:
Highest rate of off-target throws, 2018 (source: ESPN)
1. Mitchell Trubisky 21.4%
2. Tom Brady 21.3%
3. Sam Darnold 20.8%
4. Josh Rosen 20.1%
5. Josh Allen 19.5%(Trubisky was 2nd highest in 2017, only trailing Kizer)
— Scott Kacsmar (@ScottKacsmar) October 31, 2018
That’s right: Mitchell Trubisky is the only NFL quarterback with more off-target throws this season than Brady.
Now, there are many possible explanations for this. Sometimes receivers are in the wrong spots, sometimes Brady has to throw the ball away and sometimes he gets pressured into making bad throws. Furthermore, the entire Patriots offense has been in flux this season, and Brady has yet to look comfortable as a result.
Still, it’s never good when you appear on the same list as Trubisky and three rookie signal-callers.
