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In my positional breakdown of the New England Patriots, I ranked the team’s units from worst to first as we head into training camp. The quarterback position earned the fourth spot, but Thursday’s signing of veteran Matt Flynn, along with the possible reduction or elimination of Tom Brady’s suspension, will have this position in the second spot.
Brady’s hearing for this made-for-television drama to keep the NFL in the news during the offseason is June 23. If the suspension holds up, Brady will have the option to take legal action against the league or accept commissioner’s Roger Goodell’s decision.
Brady and the Green Bay Packers‘ Aaron Rodgers are still the two best quarterbacks in the NFL. The four-time Super Bowl champion and three-time MVP of NFL’s biggest game showed his age on a few occasions in 2014, but overall he was incredibly impressive and resilient, especially when it mattered most.
I thought Brady, who is entering his 16th season, was starting to get a bit gun-shy over the past few seasons. He made a few more head-scratching decisions in 2014, and it led to a few horrible results. The most egregious were against the Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers during the regular season, where Brady, to avoid stepping into a throw and taking a hit, fell back and flung passes up for grabs that were intercepted. These decisions, however, were few and far between, and during the playoff run, Brady displayed the toughness that was a trademark of his game during the early-to-mid 2000s. During the playoffs, Brady showed the willingness to step into throws and take the big hits in order to make big plays. That determination and toughness led the Patriots to that elusive fourth title.
If Brady is to miss the first four games, New England will look to Jimmy Garoppolo, a promising second-year player, or eight-year veteran Flynn to win games — or at least keep the Patriots near the top of the AFC East standings. To open the season, the Patriots host the Pittsburgh Steelers, play at the Buffalo Bills, are home against the Jacksonville Jaguars and then after a bye, they play on the road against the Dallas Cowboys.
This looks like a pretty tough test for either Garoppolo or Flynn. Garoppolo has shown great promise and has seemed to gain the trust of the coaching staff. In his second season out of Eastern Illinois, Garoppolo has good movement skills and has shown enough arm strength to make all the throws in the playbook.
However, showing glimpses in practices and preseason is a far cry from competing against NFL defenses when it counts. If Brady is suspended, Garoppolo, if he wins the job, will have to face defenses that have prepared for him and studied his limited film. That is why I always wait to judge young quarterbacks until teams have enough film to break down their strengths, weaknesses and tendencies.
If Garoppolo is unable to gain enough trust to earn the start, Flynn has proven to be a capable reliever. He did a great job while backing up Rodgers in Green Bay and has the mental acuity to quickly pick up the intricacies of the playbook. When called upon, Flynn managed to play well enough to keep his team in the game. Flynn is 3-4 in his seven career starts, but he’s thrown more touchdowns than picks. He did have a memorable 480-yard, six-touchdown performance in the Packers’ 45-41 win over the Detroit Lions in 2011.
The Patriots haven’t had this much uncertainty at quarterback since Brady suffered a season-ending injury in the 2008 opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. We’ll find out soon if or how long New England will have to manage without its greatest player ever leading the way.
Other Positional Breakdowns
10. Cornerback
9. Defensive Tackle
8. Safety
7. Offensive Line
6. Running Back
5. Wide Receiver
Nick Sardina is an NFL writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksardina13, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
