We should not put all blame on Brady for Patriots’ lackluster 3-2 start

With quarterback Tom Brady returning from knee surgery and wearing back his No.12 Patriots jersey, the New England Patriots still failed to become one of the unbeaten teams, and after the 20-17 loss to the Denver Broncos, it seemed that Brady became the 2009 poster boy for the team’s lackluster 3-2 start. He has been blamed for not playing at pre-surgery level.


But what the Patriots are lacking is more than a perfect Brady. The defense lacks a vocal leader after the retirements of Rodney Harrison and Tedy Bruschi, and the offense lacks a reliable third receiver. What is more, the play-calling has become more predictable to the Broncos, whose head coach Josh McDaniels was formerly Patriots offensive coordinator. As everyone counted on Brady to perform his best, the quarterback is also counting on everyone to do their job at certain level.

Brady, the 2007 NFL MVP, simply has not regained his form after the knee injury, which ended his 2008 season in the first game. Although he is healthy enough to play after surgery, it just takes time for him to reach the pre-surgery level. It takes time for the body to react in the same way before it got hit.