The man who is believed to be the Greatest Of All Time pulled a move that fans expect from JR Smith. Football revolves around downs, chances a team has to gain ten yards to continue to advance the ball down the field. Tom Brady lost track of what down he was on. That is an inexcusable mistake, especially in this chapter of his career.
We all know about the situation that I just described. Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were in prime position to make a late fourth-quarter comeback against Nick Foles and the Chicago Bears. Then, Brady made an inexcusable mistake; he forgot what down it was. Instead of trying to take a check down and move the chains, Brady went for a chunk play that would get the Buccaneers in range for a game-winning field goal. The ball fell incomplete, and the game was over after Foles took a knee. That type of mental mistake is inexcusable for Tom Brady, especially at this point in his career.
Brady’s career is established already. He’s a six-time Super Bowl Champion and is fighting with Drew Brees to retire as the all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns. He has made a name for himself as captain clutch, finding a way to come back against all odds and push his team to a victory, 28-3 anyone? Yet the past is the past. Brady is much older now and certainly on a decline. His arm is losing strength, but why does that make his mental error so inexcusable?
Brady’s major selling points at this point in his career are his experience and awareness. Forgetting the down is a sign of both inexperience and being oblivious to the situation at hand. That type of mistake is not acceptable for a player with over two decades of professional experience. If Brady underthrew a pass or missed, that’s more acceptable as his physical skills are declining.
I will not fault Brady for his body beginning to fail him; that’s part of life and his battle with father time. Yet being unaware of the situation at hand is inexcusable for someone of his stature and someone with his body of work.
