Tim Hasselbeck: Failed two-point conversion was ‘100 percent error’ by Tom Brady
And a costly error at that
Tom Brady’s final play of the postseason was a mistake, according to ESPN analyst Tim Hasselbeck.
Brady led the Patriots down the field with two minutes left in the AFC Championship Game, and cut the Broncos’ lead to two points. But on the two-point conversion, Brady threw toward Julian Edelman, who was covered by two defenders. The ball was tipped and intercepted, and after a Peyton Manning kneel-down, the Patriots lost, 20-18.
“Gronk is the No. 2 guy in the progression,’’ Hasselbeck said Monday on WEEI’s “The Dennis and Callahan Morning Show.’’ “It goes flat [James White], corner [Rob Gronkowski], spot [Julian Edelman]. For whatever reason, Brady just skips him [Gronk]. He skips him. It’s an easy throw to Gronkowski and the game is tied. It’s inexcusable at that point.
“Now, listen, I don’t think he choked. I just think that if it were Peyton Manning who had the type of game that Brady had, you guys would be talking about him choking.’’
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The photo above shows the progression of the play, as Hasselbeck describes it. The No.1 option, White, is doubled in the flat, and the second-option, Gronkowski, has single-coverage in the corner of the end zone. Edelman stopped on a spot route, only to move back toward the middle of the field as Brady begins to roll out. Edelman’s movement across the formation allows right defensive end Malik Jackson to join cornerback Aqib Talib in coverage.
“It’s a spot route. It’s a 100 percent error by the quarterback on the 2-point play. Not even debatable,’’ Hasselbeck said. “You flash the corner to the spot. You’re trying to run some traffic to out-leverage the defense. Denver, I think, [messed up], because they end up doubling the flat. That’s the last thing you want to do, is double the flat. But they’re afraid to get out-leveraged so they both run after him. You then have inside leverage, with [Shiloh] Keo on Rob Gronkowski.’’
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Brady finished with 310 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions (the interception on the two-point conversion doesn’t appear on his final tally). The Broncos’ pressure was relentless, finishing with four sacks. They also set a NFL season-high with 20 quarterback hits in the game, according to The Boston Globe.
Brady said he had “bumps and bruises’’ after the loss. Still, he made no excuses, and shouldered some of the blame.
“There were definitely times where I had opportunities to hold the ball and didn’t really have great awareness of where people were around me,’’ Brady said, via the Boston Herald. “Maybe sometimes I had more time.’’
Perhaps time enough to see Gronkowski in the corner of the end zone.
Tom Brady Career Timeline
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