Ignoring The Slippage
April 4th, 2020
“Oh Tom, you haven’t slipped at all. Now what’s this place ‘The Undertow’ that you visited all about?”
Bucs brass will have you know that Bucs quarterback Tom Brady hasn’t slipped at the ripe age of 42.
Well, jet-flyin’, kiss–stealin‘, data-analyzin’, Bucs-film-studyin’, limousine-ridin’ Thomas Bassinger of the Tampa Bay Times is throwing a challenge flag.
While some may brush off Brady’s age, Bassinger is not ignoring what he believes are solid pieces of evidence Brady at 42 is not Brady at, say, 35.
And woe to those who ignore the signs, Bassinger Twittered.
But Brady hasn’t been the same quarterback, and that’s not a recent development.
Many ignored the flags with Jameis Winston, too.
The cycle repeats.
— Thomas Bassinger (@tometrics) April 4, 2020
Now Bassinger did not offer up any specifics. Joe, however, understands this is a win-now move by the Bucs that damn near smacks of desperation.
Will Brady be just good enough for the Bucs? Time will tell. Staying upright for 16 games will sure help.
April 4th, 2020 at 4:09 pm
TB12’s new motto ” Like taking candy from a baby”!!
April 4th, 2020 at 4:21 pm
Foolish discussion. Games tell all. Wait.
April 4th, 2020 at 4:23 pm
“Many ignored the flags with Jameis Winston, too.
The cycle repeats.”
Sounds like something a jbf commenter would say.
April 4th, 2020 at 4:30 pm
All you have to do is look at Tom Brady’s 2019 first/second half splits to see a decline.
His TD/int ratio stayed pretty firm but…………..
his comp % was 8% lower in the second half 64% to 56% and…………..
his pass yards per game were down significantly 281 to 224 even while losing 5 more games than the first half. Shouldn’t he have some garbage yards in there when you are losing?
April 4th, 2020 at 4:30 pm
Say what you want to..But Bellacheat has a history of knowin when..to let’em go. And he’s been pretty good at it too. Just sayin…
April 4th, 2020 at 4:34 pm
There’s a ridiculous perspective on this that we need spectacular QB play in order to make progress. We simply need above avg game manager and we’ll be a playoff team. Brady will be that…with exceptional leadership. That’s why Winston was THIRD on the list behind Bridgewater. Bridgewater isn’t deemed top tier….he’s simply a consistent game manager that wont give away games every week. Winston only made the list because he knew the system….which is why he’s not on any roster now. Brady will be fine….if he gets hurt, that’s football. Winston was much younger and got hurt as well as suspended.
April 4th, 2020 at 4:35 pm
😲
Realist?
April 4th, 2020 at 4:40 pm
I usually don’t value anything that Bassinger says, but he is probably right. Still, even if Brady is only 90% of his former self, he’s still better than 80% of the quarterbacks in the league.
April 4th, 2020 at 4:51 pm
I saw the other day a WW2 vet over one hundred who survived the Spanish flu, WW2, and now has survived Covid 19. It’s all in the genes. Tom seems to have good genes.Sure, there might be a drop off, But Tom slipping a bit is still better then most other QB’s. Being a surfer till this day, waiting on my Medicare card I marveled at Kelly Slater winning a world title at age 40. I’m not worried he can’t still do it at a high level. He’s one of those with good genes.
April 4th, 2020 at 4:56 pm
Belichick’s rep for getting rid of players before they turn to trash is a bit overblown. Richard Seymour was productive with the raiders after leaving. Jamie Collins was good enough with the Browns that Bill wanted him back and actually re-signed him. There are some other examples. Of course he also made the right call several times. Echoing others we just need TB to be more careful with the football which I think he will do with his eyes closed. He should be productive enough. We won the super bowl with a slightly above-average game manager at quarterback.
April 4th, 2020 at 5:03 pm
It’s like bassinger is becoming the new Tom Jones. It’s a shame a lot of quality reporters were fired but this dude likes to post about the PFF tribe on twitter all day and not much else.
April 4th, 2020 at 5:10 pm
“But Bellacheat has a history of knowin when”
Except without Brady eh? AGAIN…repeat…Bill Belichik was a defensive genius who was given a chance to be a head coach not once but twice and FAILED until Brady….BB won one year and lost FOUR years as HC of the Browns.
He was given another chance with New England and laid a huge egg his first year another LOSING SEASON…let’s recap…one winning FIVE losing seasons in his first six years…he lucks into Brady in the 6th round…starts him in year 7 and voila…now he’s a genius.
Let’s wait and see if BB puts up another 1-4 five year run. There is far more pressure on BB’s rep than Brady. If TB fails..it was his age..the Bucs..the Covid yadda yadda….If BB fails AGAIN…it will be clear that while he built the defenses for those SB teams he was nothing without Brady. Time will tell.
Steven……Thanks for the reality check.
April 4th, 2020 at 5:10 pm
He is correct about some things it’s just for gods sake. He is essentially the meme “well actually”.
April 4th, 2020 at 5:30 pm
We needed to sign a QB.
Jameis wanted 30 million, but we got Brady for 25 million.
Tell me, how is that “Desperation” ?
April 4th, 2020 at 5:31 pm
You can’t look at Brady’s stats in a vacuum….he doesn’t have the weapons he had previously……while I do think he has declined somewhat, I think he will be a vast improvement on what we had and you can’t really ask for more than that.
April 4th, 2020 at 5:32 pm
Ha!!!!!! Used to visit the Undertow back in the day!!!!!!! Even played in the volleyball league they used to have as everyone used that as an excuse to day drink down on the beach!!!!!!!! And if someone got too faded, would send them to Ted Peter’s for that cheesy cheese Burger!!!!!!!!!!!
As we all get older, “slippage” is much preferred than seepage!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 4th, 2020 at 5:36 pm
Jesus Joe you post a lot of downer articles to a down fan base
April 4th, 2020 at 5:45 pm
@SC Bucs Fan
Joe just prints the way he see’s it, right and wrong!!!!!!!!! But If YOU are just looking for sunshine blown up your @$$$ then, there are plenty of jock sn!effing, error I mean fan sites that you can go to!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!××
April 4th, 2020 at 5:51 pm
It’s silly to suggest otherwise that Brady hasn’t had some regression in his body, but what’s between his ears is what really counts. More than fantasy football stats. He finds a way to win with his intelligence and wisdom and understands his own limitations. He can still surgically carve up defenses. ..but he’s not infallible. There’s not one football fan who can confidently say the Bucs won’t be competitive at the end of most games this season where a weekly high percentage of games are within one score at the end giving Capt. Comeback a chance for the win. Mr. Clutch will do that this season.
April 4th, 2020 at 6:26 pm
Chris@Apple Roof Cleaning Tampa Says:
April 4th, 2020 at 5:30 pm
We needed to sign a QB.
Jameis wanted 30 million, but we got Brady for 25 million.
Tell me, how is that “Desperation” ?
Ding, ding, ding!!!
April 4th, 2020 at 6:28 pm
Brady at 85% still demands respect in the locker room and elevates the guys around him. It’s really hard to put a dollar figure on that leadership.
Brady has never been some big arm that everyone was afraid was going to beat them over the top. He’s also never been a guy that beat you with his legs. What Brady is is one of the most cerebral QB’s in the history of the game that beats you with preparation. He manipulates the pocket better than any QB in the game.
What Brady does great are things that father time has a harder time taking away from you.
April 4th, 2020 at 6:33 pm
I was looking at an earlier post today about a WW2 vet who survived both the Spanish Flu And Covid-19, you say the man is still alive and over 100 years old. Just how is it possible to suvive the 1919 Spanish Flu And be in WW2, they were like 20 plus years apart??
April 4th, 2020 at 6:35 pm
People love to say that Bill Bilachect couldn’t win without Brady they keep bringing up the Browns . The Patriots has a winning record without Brady . They went 14 and 6 when Brady was not on the field . 11 and 5 and then 3 and 1 . Think about this with those good to great defenses Brady has never blew out any team in the superbowl . The first superbowl they won because of a field goal kick at the end and it was a 45 yard kick I think . Then you had the Seahawks who gave the game up . But that’s the pass bro he’s 43 years old and the last 2 years he was not a good quarterback . And yall think he’s going to lead this team to a superbowl ? Ain’t no number one defense in Tampa are a running game to bail him out . This is not New England …
April 4th, 2020 at 7:12 pm
Thanks Buco!
April 4th, 2020 at 7:36 pm
Always felt like Tom Bassinger did one superb article on why not to draft a kicker in the 2nd round. It gave him some instant credibility with me.
However, since then – not as much. When the Bucs were 3-7, he was the guy suggesting that the Buc’s tank the rest of the season. His go to sources are Pro Football Focus and EdjSports.
I prefer Ira’s analysis over Tom’s personally.
Tom would tell you that Ira’s eyes of what he is seeing is lying. I will take Ira’s 40 years of viewing football over Tom’s reliance on two statistical sites.
April 4th, 2020 at 7:54 pm
He rains on every parade. Bassinger sucks and I think he actually hates the Bucs. The guy thinks he is the smartest person in football and likely the world. In his eyes he should be calling plays for An nfl team and determining how the country is run. Don’t listen to what he says. The guy is so petty. He lives a sad life
April 4th, 2020 at 8:58 pm
When we won the Super Bowl …we had strong special teams…one of the best defensive teams in league history and a above average running game…oh yea and a field goal kicker who could actually kick field goals!! We had what you called a TEAM!!
April 4th, 2020 at 9:11 pm
This is news? Sad face.
Of course TB12 is not 100% of his 35 year old self… maybe not even 99.9% physically. But he’s no where near washed up and is, in fact, multiples better as an overall QB and leader than the travesty of talent we had imitating a QB last year… both physically and mentally.
April 4th, 2020 at 10:21 pm
If only we’d kept the turnover machine, then we could look forward to a decade of titles!!!!
Omg. Please keep up your mindless nonsense Joe. It really is comic relief in this time of quarantine!!!
Has anyone signed your boy yet????
Hahahahaha!!!!
April 4th, 2020 at 11:28 pm
ONeill
I realize your still butt hurt over JW but the fact his team won a whopping 14 games out of 20 games in what historically has always been THE WEAKEST division in the league hardly changes the record.
The year BB “won” 11 games…Brady won one before his knee…oh and guess what O’Neill…BB DID NOT MAKE THE PLAYOFFS that year. Geez perhaps he will sign “Blameless” who has NEVER been to an NFL playoff game unless he went as a fan!!!
The year he was 3-1 without TB12…Brady went 11-1. Geez wonder when “Blameless” ever won 11 games in a FULL season much less a partial season.
April 5th, 2020 at 12:43 am
Slippage and still ended up in the playoffs with sanu as his primary weapon an In season trade. It’s not that hard to be better than 30 picks.
Guys play won’t drop off a cliff it is and will be a slow steady decline. No I don’t think he can throw it as much as Winston and still have a live arm. Still better than Winston and it’s not even close which is why we are finally being picked to make the playoffs but with these weapons we should take the lead and we surely won’t have to worry about the quarterback giving momentum to the other team by giving the ball away. Say what you want but we are better for the next two years than we have been the last 5
April 5th, 2020 at 10:18 am
Bassinger is a blow-hard tool that likes to ridicule servicemen who go to the child’s Great American Teach In. I guess the real stock market analysts who can’t get paid doing that, become NFL stat analysts. He doesn’t know football. He is right about Brady declining a little but, boy, can we not find better guys to quote on JoeBucsFan?
April 5th, 2020 at 10:54 am
Brady at 85% is still much better than Winston doing his best. Here made the playoffs with camp meat receivers so now what do you think he’ll do with one if the best wr tandems in the league? As long as he’s healthy we’ll do just fine!