Tom Brady doesn’t understand the 2007 comparisons
Slow down, folks.
Tom Brady reminded listeners on The Dennis and Callahan Morning Show the season isn’t a quarter finished. His prolific start to the 2015 season doesn’t yet warrant comparison to the Patriots’ 2007 regular season, where they finished 16-0.
“I can’t understand that one quite yet,’’ Brady said. “It’s three games into the year. There’s so much football left.’’
Those three games have been historic. Tom Brady has a 72.2 percent completion rate, 1,112 yards, nine touchdowns, and zero interceptions. In his first three games of the 2007 season, Brady had a 79.5 percent completion rate, 887 yards, 10 touchdowns, and one interception.
Brady’s smooth operation has helped the Patriots’ offense score 119 points, five more points than in 2007 and the most in Patriots’ history through three games. The raw numbers are similar, and in some statistical categories, he’s surpassing his 2007 pace. But the sample size is too small, according to Brady.
“You never know — look at the teams that are 3-0 at this point, like Atlanta, Carolina, Arizona. There are some teams that, ‘OK, you wouldn’t really expect that,’ ’’ he said. “As things shake out in late-November and December, you’re going to see what teams are made of.
“It feels good to get off to a 3-0 start and to play well early in the season. I always think we get better as the season goes, so that’s why it’s important to get off to a good start … You prepare all offseason for 16 individual games and we’re only in the third one, going into the fourth.’’
The difference between the 38-year-old Brady and the 2007 version, he said, comes down to experience and chemistry with Josh McDaniels, who has spent 12 years with the team and served seven as the offensive coordinator.
“We see things so much the same way now,’’ Brady said. “We’re able to make adjustments so quickly. We try to find answers or solutions for any problems the defense may present … It really takes 11 guys to make those adjustments [for a defense]. Offensive football, it’s usually just the quarterback and the offensive coordinator.’’
With an upcoming bye, the Patriots will be 3-0 heading into Week 5. After four weeks last year, a reporter asked Bill Belichick whether the 2-2 Patriots would consider a change at quarterback. The sky was falling in New England and the roster looked untalented. A few months later, they won the Super Bowl. A lot can change in a week, let alone a season.
The comparisons will have to wait — for now.
Where the Patriots called home before Gillette
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