My breakdown of my Week One NFL picks (which were as inconsistent as wardrobe changes at an Elton John concert in Vegas) will be coming later on this evening, but for now, here's a great(and I mean great) take on the harsh reality the New England Patriots now face without their franchise, quarterback Tom Brady, for the rest of the 2008 season. Jeffri Chadiha of ESPN.com makes a substantial and tangible argument in the case of Patriots coach Bill Belichick: Without Tom Brady as his quarterback, Belichick historically, is a loser (cue my laughing out loud like a crazed buffoon).
Chadiha analyzes Belichick's coaching record with the Cleveland Browns and the Patriots before Mr. MVP came along. 42-58. That's right; his horrendous tenure in Cleveland, followed by a 5-10 first season with the Patriots in 2000, and the starting of the 2001 season at 0-2. Then, enter Tom Brady, part savior, part magician, and now, depending on how the season goes, Belichick might end up looking like the great and powerful Oz when Toto gnawed at his curtain to reveal a weak, sad, and pitiful little man. The Patriots won the Super Bowl in 2001 with Tom Brady and the same team that went 0-2 before he started running the ship. Now, we will see how skilled Belichick is since his golden boy is done for the season. The weakened Patriots O-line, and weathered, aged defense won't have 40+ points per game to rely on when Matt Cassell is screaming for the refs to "Blow the whistle!" like Papke, the backup quarterback in "Necessary Roughness."
Cheers to Jeffri for saying what everyone else is afraid to say; that it is possible that while Belichick is no doubt a legendary coach, he hasn't been tested without his star quarterback in the post-Super Bowl phase of his career. If Belichick fails miserably, it will be redemption for him abandoning the Jets when Bill Parcells handpicked him to be his successor in 1999. If he doesn't, it is what all the sports pundits will attribute to his genius game planning and talent management. I still think 18-1 is a much more stunning and widely known number than 42-58, regardless of how this turns out.
To check out Jeffri Chadiha's no holds barred column that gets my vote for the "what everyone is thinking, but no one has the brass tactics to say" article of the month, click here:If this guy is accurate, he'll probably end up taking Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback column by season's end.
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