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Old Timers - How did you talk about Tom Brady in the 2nd round of the playoffs in 2001 season? (1 Viewer)

I'm fascinated by the people who think the most Brock Purdy should be given is just the chance to compete for the job next year.

No, I don't think Purdy is Tom Brady.

And we remember Brady differently as he went on to win the Super Bowl once he took over. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brady

But was everyone acting in the 2nd round of the playoffs like he was still a scrub?
My wheel house Joe and I wish we had the old boards and threads from back then; I was a Brady guy from virtually the moment he stepped on the field.

FTR, 2001 was magical for me; how did I feel about Brady by the 2nd rd of playoffs? After the San Diego game I made a small wager on NE winning the sb and with my business struggling (like many did back then) I can't really put into words what it all meant.

Lets start at the beginning of the 2001 yr and the car ride to tc with a couple of buddies where I told them I was ready for someone new at QB. They had lost 17 out of their last 24 games, and while I initially loved Bledsoe, he plateaued over time and it was obvious he was a good qb who would never be a "great" qb. Always looking for the big play down the field and that same stupid look of surprise when he was blitzed and sacked again and again. It was obvious to me the moment Brady took over he was head and shoulders better at the 100 little things that lead to winning; moving the chains, his mental preparation\determination and leading by example were off the charts in comparison to Drew. Drew was\is a great guy and if you want a son in law, Drew is a great choice; if you want to win in the NFL, you take Brady and it WAS NEVER CLOSE. Some people took it personally when I declared early on what seemed obvious and I have been at the tip of the spear ever since (Brady>Bledsoe, Brady>Manning, Brady>Montana, Brady v Garoppolo(LOL!), Brady>Anybody). A lot of people don't realize Brady v Bledsoe was a REAL thing that went on for a long, long time amongst fans and the media.

Brady & Purdy, are kind of Apples and Oranges; one took over a perennial losing team early and lead it to the playoffs and the other is taking over a perennial winner late in the season. Not a Trey Lance guy and I don't think I have seen enough of Purdy to say definitely one way or the other. However, winning is all that matters and if they win again today it would seem to me to be his job to lose.
 
No one who is plugged in is saying that. Tim Kawakami (who is) had a couple of columns to the contrary in the Athletic this week.

Sure. There are lots of people (like me and not "plugged in") saying the contrary. But I hear a good bit of talk from fellow not plugged in people I respect who think Lance should be the guy. At least today. A huge next few games from Purdy could change all that.
I consume far too much Niners content and I literally don't think I've heard anyone suggest Lance should start next year. Maybe that changes if Purdy has a huge stinker of a game today, but this feels like a bit of a straw man you are arguing against.
 
Mike Silver just wrote a pretty good column about Purdy, and his contention was that Purdy has already done enough to earn the starter’s job.

I believe Shanny will make it a competition in camp, because that’s how Shanny rolls.

I also believe barring some magical growth by Lance, Purdy will handily win such a competition. That said, I’m not sure what Purdy’s ceiling is vs Lance’s - there remains the outside chance that Lance could eventually grow into the superior talent.

But there’s no doubt that Purdy is in command of his game at the moment, and Lance isn’t anywhere close. So it sure looks like Purdy will enter 2023 as the starting QB.

Lance could still develop. It’s not the worst problem to have.
 
Lance could still develop. It’s not the worst problem to have.
Exactly. Everyone says you need a good backup plan and for the time being at least they have one.
That, and if they are eventually going to trade one, it would seem foolish to do so before that development happens.

As I understand it the Niners take a $20M cap hit if Lance isn’t on the roster, and only a $9M hit if he is.

If that’s accurate it’s pretty easy math.
 
Mike Silver just wrote a pretty good column about Purdy, and his contention was that Purdy has already done enough to earn the starter’s job.

I believe Shanny will make it a competition in camp, because that’s how Shanny rolls.

I also believe barring some magical growth by Lance, Purdy will handily win such a competition. That said, I’m not sure what Purdy’s ceiling is vs Lance’s - there remains the outside chance that Lance could eventually grow into the superior talent.

But there’s no doubt that Purdy is in command of his game at the moment, and Lance isn’t anywhere close. So it sure looks like Purdy will enter 2023 as the starting QB.

Lance could still develop. It’s not the worst problem to have.

I think this is how it plays out.

Purdy doesn't strike me as the kind of guy that will pout if he isn't declared the Week 1 starter for next season. And from a strategic angle, it makes sense to keep the cards close to the vest as they manage the roster.
 
No one who is plugged in is saying that. Tim Kawakami (who is) had a couple of columns to the contrary in the Athletic this week.

Sure. There are lots of people (like me and not "plugged in") saying the contrary. But I hear a good bit of talk from fellow not plugged in people I respect who think Lance should be the guy. At least today. A huge next few games from Purdy could change all that.
Let’s see how the season ends and how he looks in training camp. IMO, we are a long way from then. If the Niners were so into Purdy, why did they say Jimmy G might be ready next week and if not then by the SB? I am not sure they think he is there guy right now, let alone next year. The Niners have had faced very little resistance or adversity at all with Purdy. Not sure if that is because of Purdy or if he has been along for the ride. If he throws 4 picks and loses a fumble and DAL wins 38-10, then what? I am not suggesting that will happen, but until we get that far it’s tough to project what might happen next year.
 
No one who is plugged in is saying that. Tim Kawakami (who is) had a couple of columns to the contrary in the Athletic this week.

Sure. There are lots of people (like me and not "plugged in") saying the contrary. But I hear a good bit of talk from fellow not plugged in people I respect who think Lance should be the guy. At least today. A huge next few games from Purdy could change all that.
Let’s see how the season ends and how he looks in training camp. IMO, we are a long way from then. If the Niners were so into Purdy, why did they say Jimmy G might be ready next week and if not then by the SB?
You should check out who they are suiting up as the backup QB today.
 
The Niners have had faced very little resistance or adversity at all with Purdy. Not
Seattle gave him some resistance & adversity - and he responded well in the 2nd half.
SEA didn’t show up in the second half. They got outscored 25-0 before getting a garbage time TD. The Seahawks coughed up the ball twice and allowed 500+ yards over the course of the game (including 180+ on the ground).

So, sure, if the defense is going to keep forcing turnovers, not allow many points, and SF can score 40+ every game, then yes, Purdy will have a very successful career in the NFL.
 
The Tuck rule was the beginning of the end of the NFL for me. I have never looked at the NFL the same and doubt all games are officiated fairly. Feels like officials are trying to determine the outcome of many games. I used to live for the NFL watching every game possible on TV and attending at least 2 games every season. I have been to one live game in the last 20 years and will never go to another game. I watch a few minutes of the NFL most weeks and really don’t care about it. I know there are playoff games going on now but when I’m finished with my workout on the bike I will play guitar. Watching the NFL is doubtful today.

Really? Wow. The officiating is far from perfect. But I love the game now more than ever.
Yeah, I still really like the game. The tuck rule is still an abomination though, and it was the beginning of the league getting big things (non revenue generating) wrong over and over. It isn’t worth going into the details, because frankly it’s like debating religion. It’s hard to love this league the same way I did as a kid……concussions, inability to solve the officiating problem, a corrupt leader (Goodell) who can’t see the big picture, skyrocketing ticket prices, etc etc etc. My family has had GB Packer season tickets since 1959. Same seats. I’ve been on the fence for 5 years now as to whether or not to give up my season tickets.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand, it’s really fun to see Purdy come out of nowhere and do what he’s doing. I’m rooting hard for the Niners today, and hope that Purdy gets a shot at being the man next year.
 
The Tuck rule was the beginning of the end of the NFL for me. I have never looked at the NFL the same and doubt all games are officiated fairly. Feels like officials are trying to determine the outcome of many games. I used to live for the NFL watching every game possible on TV and attending at least 2 games every season. I have been to one live game in the last 20 years and will never go to another game. I watch a few minutes of the NFL most weeks and really don’t care about it. I know there are playoff games going on now but when I’m finished with my workout on the bike I will play guitar. Watching the NFL is doubtful today.

Really? Wow. The officiating is far from perfect. But I love the game now more than ever.
Yeah, I still really like the game. The tuck rule is still an abomination though, and it was the beginning of the league getting big things (non revenue generating) wrong over and over. It isn’t worth going into the details, because frankly it’s like debating religion. It’s hard to love this league the same way I did as a kid……concussions, inability to solve the officiating problem, a corrupt leader (Goodell) who can’t see the big picture, skyrocketing ticket prices, etc etc etc. My family has had GB Packer season tickets since 1959. Same seats. I’ve been on the fence for 5 years now as to whether or not to give up my season tickets.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand, it’s really fun to see Purdy come out of nowhere and do what he’s doing. I’m rooting hard for the Niners today, and hope that Purdy gets a shot at being the man next year.

FF is the only thing that's saved the NFL. I definitely care WAY less if my team wins or loses than I used to, and would probably rarely watch if it weren't for FF.
 
Can he avoid getting hit? Even when OL doesn’t hold up? That’s one big aspect of Brady’s early years.
Is Purdy as big as Brady?
 
In Miami, we saw Brady twice a year. I saw him as a very good game manager type QB until he beat Miami with an 82 yard bomb to Troy Brown in OT in 2003. Maybe I wasn't playing close enough attention, but then I realized that he threw a very good deep ball ... almost 60 air yards.

 
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FF is the only thing that's saved the NFL. I definitely care WAY less if my team wins or loses than I used to, and would probably rarely watch if it weren't for FF.

Interesting. Obviously, I'm a fan of fantasy football and clearly it helps with attention but I seem to find myself every year being more and more intrigued with the compelling storylines for the regular NFL. Today's games for instance are set up to be incredible.

I've long said the NFL is a television show. And it's incredibly entertaining in my opinion.
 
Can he avoid getting hit? Even when OL doesn’t hold up? That’s one big aspect of Brady’s early years.
Is Purdy as big as Brady?
Yes, in fact he’s been a surprisingly mobile QB.

He’s been excellent at evasion in the pocked when the pressure gets there, and he’s been successful scrambling to both buy time or get a needed 1st down.

He’s been a decisive upgrade over JommyG in that aspect.

Against the Seahawks he had a scramble that lasted ~12 seconds and should have resulted in a TD to Aiyuk (dropped it) - JimmyG doesn’t do that on the best day of his life.
 
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I'm fascinated by the people who think the most Brock Purdy should be given is just the chance to compete for the job next year.

No, I don't think Purdy is Tom Brady.

And we remember Brady differently as he went on to win the Super Bowl once he took over. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brady

But was everyone acting in the 2nd round of the playoffs like he was still a scrub?

I distinctly remember we used to joke "the guy who struggled to beat out Drew Henson?"

Brady's name would come occasionally before he was drafted as I had a couple female colleagues who had classes with him at U of M. He was dreamy. None of the football guys on my work team thought he'd amount to much in the pros, we figured he'd be a starter on the Jim Harbaugh level. Had the size and arm strength to play in the league for a long time.

But IIRC Brady and the Pats weren't the focal point, at all. The powerhouse of the league was the St Louis Rams and nobody was going to beat them. Most of the power in the league was in the NFC. Steelers seemed the likely AFC representative. Pats had a nice year and all, Brady was a nice story, but when had New England ever won anything?
I remember Henson at Michigan, believe he was a 5-star recruit.
 
I'm fascinated by the people who think the most Brock Purdy should be given is just the chance to compete for the job next year.

No, I don't think Purdy is Tom Brady.

And we remember Brady differently as he went on to win the Super Bowl once he took over. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brady

But was everyone acting in the 2nd round of the playoffs like he was still a scrub?

I distinctly remember we used to joke "the guy who struggled to beat out Drew Henson?"

Brady's name would come occasionally before he was drafted as I had a couple female colleagues who had classes with him at U of M. He was dreamy. None of the football guys on my work team thought he'd amount to much in the pros, we figured he'd be a starter on the Jim Harbaugh level. Had the size and arm strength to play in the league for a long time.

But IIRC Brady and the Pats weren't the focal point, at all. The powerhouse of the league was the St Louis Rams and nobody was going to beat them. Most of the power in the league was in the NFC. Steelers seemed the likely AFC representative. Pats had a nice year and all, Brady was a nice story, but when had New England ever won anything?
I remember Henson at Michigan, believe he was a 5-star recruit.

Did they even have 5-star rankings then? Henson was a Parade All-American in football, 4-time all state & USA Today national player of the year in baseball.

Brady was a decent ball player himself (LH power hitting catcher), git drafted in the 18th round by the Expos. His Wikipedia page says he sent out his own football highlights to schools he was considering.

The process of recruiting was much different during Brady's time, when athletes' rankings were not as prominent. In terms of recruiting in the 2000s, Brady would have been considered a four-star recruit. In essence, he was a highly rated prospect.
 
The other difference in the Brady Bledsoe situations was Bledsoe was peeved when he was not inserted as the starter when he got better. He demanded a trade. It’s rumored Kraft was the one that gave him a $100M extension.

Not sure how the Niners feel about Lance or Purdy, but they may say they will have a competition in camp and both guys could win the job.
 
Brady & Purdy, are kind of Apples and Oranges; one took over a perennial losing team early and lead it to the playoffs and the other is taking over a perennial winner late in the season
This was a good post and I'll just add that during that season the big phrase about Brady on sports radio was "he's got IT".

Purdy led 5 scoring drives tonight and had that first down pass to kittle that got them to the 2 minute warning. He made some difficult decisions like throwing the ball away to avoid a sack on third down. We haven't seen him make that big game winning comeback but we've seen him make good decisions under pressure.

Do you think he has "IT"? Is it too early to tell?
 
I'm fascinated by the people who think the most Brock Purdy should be given is just the chance to compete for the job next year.

No, I don't think Purdy is Tom Brady.

And we remember Brady differently as he went on to win the Super Bowl once he took over. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brady

But was everyone acting in the 2nd round of the playoffs like he was still a scrub?

He's had it pretty easy with respect to game script. Ever since he became the starter it feels like they've been leading or close (within one score) the entire time. That means he's been able to play loose with a #1 defense having his back.

Let's see how it goes if they're down big and he has to throw it 50 times to bring his team back.

If he stinks it up against the Eagles next week then they have some things to consider. If he brings home the trophy and continues to look good doing it, how can you not make him the #1 guy?
 
I'm fascinated by the people who think the most Brock Purdy should be given is just the chance to compete for the job next year.

No, I don't think Purdy is Tom Brady.

And we remember Brady differently as he went on to win the Super Bowl that first year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brady

But was everyone acting in the 2nd round of the playoffs like he was still a scrub?
All I talked about leading into his 2nd round game was that he didn’t really win the 1st game, and that the refs / NFL were crooked. That’s still my only reaction to that season.
The Tuck rule was the beginning of the end of the NFL for me. I have never looked at the NFL the same and doubt all games are officiated fairly. Feels like officials are trying to determine the outcome of many games. I used to live for the NFL watching every game possible on TV and attending at least 2 games every season. I have been to one live game in the last 20 years and will never go to another game. I watch a few minutes of the NFL most weeks and really don’t care about it. I know there are playoff games going on now but when I’m finished with my workout on the bike I will play guitar. Watching the NFL is doubtful today.
I can see this. No doubt the tuck rule call feels as wrong today as it did when it occurred... and things have gotten progressively worse IMO.

I said this many times in the Shark Pool that I think replay and camera technology have not only sucked the life out of the game, but made me realize that nobody knows what a catch is anymore and the ball probably ALWAYS MOVED when players fell to the ground.

I saw something weird in that DAL vs TBB game last weekend. It was one of the TD catches by Dallas (I think)... the WR was walking the tight rope along the backline and catch, 2-feet down, TD called on the field. Of course, they review every scoring play and soon we all realized that they were looking to see if he stepped out of bounds prior to the catch. To me, that should have been a call on the field and the refs missed it... but now they were going back earlier in the play, prior to the catch, to review his feet and whether he stepped out prior to the catch. He did, and they followed with an elaborate explanation of how he re-established position on the field and the catch was good. It got me thinking - should we review all scoring plays for potential penalties that would have affected the ruling on the field. Slippery slope for the No Fun League.
 
Brady & Purdy, are kind of Apples and Oranges; one took over a perennial losing team early and lead it to the playoffs and the other is taking over a perennial winner late in the season
This was a good post and I'll just add that during that season the big phrase about Brady on sports radio was "he's got IT".

Purdy led 5 scoring drives tonight and had that first down pass to kittle that got them to the 2 minute warning. He made some difficult decisions like throwing the ball away to avoid a sack on third down. We haven't seen him make that big game winning comeback but we've seen him make good decisions under pressure.

Do you think he has "IT"? Is it too early to tell?
I think it is a bit too early to tell, and unlike the Pats he is not turning around a losing team, but from what I have seen of him, yea, he has "it" and it is his job to lose for sure.
 
Interesting discussion. Growing up in Michigan in 80s/90s but not a Michigan fan, I remember Brady in college. I thought they were nuts for splitting snaps with Henson at the time, and I remember him getting pretty heavy boos at home one game because fans wanted the 5 star. But I also didn't really take Brady seriously as an NFL starter until probably his 3rd year as a starter.
Maybe I am making the same mistake, but put me in the camp that sees Brock Purdy as rookie Nick Mullens with better OL and weapons. They will probably have a QB competition between him and Lance, but I expect they will ultimately continue to chase the upside with Lance.
I might change my tune if they win the super bowl, but I don't see this team beating the Chiefs with Purdy.
 
I want Purdy to succeed. The question I ask is whether he would be the starting QB for any other NFL team besides the 49ers or even any other team in their division. I would say no. If you threw him on the Cards, Rams or Seahawks, he would be the backup.

He did a great job. He also has a loaded team that might make any QB look good for a time.
 
I want Purdy to succeed. The question I ask is whether he would be the starting QB for any other NFL team besides the 49ers or even any other team in their division. I would say no. If you threw him on the Cards, Rams or Seahawks, he would be the backup.

He did a great job. He also has a loaded team that might make any QB look good for a time.

One thing we know for sure: that team couldn't make Josh Johnson look good.
 
I was biased because I was a Michigan fan and saw Brady play many times in college (though I was rooting for Woodson and that was a fumble). Brady played in probably twice as many games as Purdy. I think NE was 0-2 or 0-3 before Brady took so it was almost a full season as starter.
 
I want Purdy to succeed. The question I ask is whether he would be the starting QB for any other NFL team besides the 49ers or even any other team in their division. I would say no. If you threw him on the Cards, Rams or Seahawks, he would be the backup.

He did a great job. He also has a loaded team that might make any QB look good for a time.

One thing we know for sure: that team couldn't make Josh Johnson look good.
Josh Johnson was the 7th Lions backup QB to play this year. Apparently my Lions are a QB producing machine.
 
I'm fascinated by the people who think the most Brock Purdy should be given is just the chance to compete for the job next year.

No, I don't think Purdy is Tom Brady.

And we remember Brady differently as he went on to win the Super Bowl once he took over. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brady

But was everyone acting in the 2nd round of the playoffs like he was still a scrub?
I wanted Bledsoe. Didn't see any reason to replace him
 
While I was only in my teens at the time (so not really an "old-timer"), this was probably the time period where I was most invested into fantasy football. I wrote for a website and looked at stuff every day.

I remember clearly thinking that Bledsoe was superior to Brady and being shocked when Brady got the nod. I concede that my thoughts were often fantasy-focused and I'm sure I was biased to the notion that Brady couldn't put up Bledsoe's stats. My thoughts on Brady were very much similar to Purdy now, which is that the guy doesn't have any great attribute other than he seems unafraid and is an obvious winner. And, frankly, since Purdy's stats are superior to Brady's I believe his first year playing a bunch, I think I'm higher on Purdy right now (my take on Purdy is, in short, and assuming elbow gets repaired, he should walk into camp as 1A with the understanding that Lance could beat him out).

The key point though to remember about Brady is that he is probably the greatest athlete to ever improve on his own physical attributes as his career went on. Brady embraced dieting, fitness, flexibility, mental health, etc. I mean the guy was in better shape at 40 than he was at 20 (which is amazing to me as I type this as an out of shape almost 40 year old who looks nothing like I did was I was in my 20s). Brady also got really, really good at the intangible aspects of the game like reading defenses, figuring out how to successfully QB sneak, taking clock management on himself, etc. To me, what truly makes Brady so great (ugh I shudder just typing that as I have always rooted against him and his teams) is that he's arguably the greatest athlete ever to get the absolute most of out limited talent and genetic makeup.

So, I do think if Purdy is going to have any realistic shot at being a longtime starter, he needs to embrace taking care of his body like Brady did as well as identifying an improving points of his game that don't require top-end physical attributes like speed, arm strength.

But, comparing their first year, I do think they're similar and are talked about close to the same with maybe even Purdy getting more accolades.
 
While I was only in my teens at the time (so not really an "old-timer"), this was probably the time period where I was most invested into fantasy football. I wrote for a website and looked at stuff every day.

I remember clearly thinking that Bledsoe was superior to Brady and being shocked when Brady got the nod. I concede that my thoughts were often fantasy-focused and I'm sure I was biased to the notion that Brady couldn't put up Bledsoe's stats. My thoughts on Brady were very much similar to Purdy now, which is that the guy doesn't have any great attribute other than he seems unafraid and is an obvious winner. And, frankly, since Purdy's stats are superior to Brady's I believe his first year playing a bunch, I think I'm higher on Purdy right now (my take on Purdy is, in short, and assuming elbow gets repaired, he should walk into camp as 1A with the understanding that Lance could beat him out).

The key point though to remember about Brady is that he is probably the greatest athlete to ever improve on his own physical attributes as his career went on. Brady embraced dieting, fitness, flexibility, mental health, etc. I mean the guy was in better shape at 40 than he was at 20 (which is amazing to me as I type this as an out of shape almost 40 year old who looks nothing like I did was I was in my 20s). Brady also got really, really good at the intangible aspects of the game like reading defenses, figuring out how to successfully QB sneak, taking clock management on himself, etc. To me, what truly makes Brady so great (ugh I shudder just typing that as I have always rooted against him and his teams) is that he's arguably the greatest athlete ever to get the absolute most of out limited talent and genetic makeup.

So, I do think if Purdy is going to have any realistic shot at being a longtime starter, he needs to embrace taking care of his body like Brady did as well as identifying an improving points of his game that don't require top-end physical attributes like speed, arm strength.

But, comparing their first year, I do think they're similar and are talked about close to the same with maybe even Purdy getting more accolades.
A couple of things on this . . .

Brady took over an offense that didn't have a ton of talent. Troy Brown ended up having a career year in 2001, but the only other player on NE that year with over 200 yards receiving was David Patten. The Patriots had no Pro Bowl players the season before. In their first SB winning season, Brady made the Pro Bowl after other QBs opted out and Troy Brown made it as a kick returner. Looking at the roster and the stats from 2001, it's a mystery how NW came away with a ring.

I don't think there will be much pushback from people if I suggest that the 2022 Niners had a better team and talent level than the 01 Pats did. Trent Williams, George Kittle, and Kyle Juszczyk were Pro Bowlers this year, while Deebo Samuel and CMC have been in the past (and Aiyuk had 1,000+ receiving yards this year). And SF had the #1 defense (both points and yardage allowed) . . . NE ranked 6th and 24th defensively) in 2001.

Brady got the Patriots to win with very little help on offense and a good but not world beating defense in 2001. There's no doubt that Purdy played well down the stretch, but as someone else mentioned earlier, if he wasn't on the 49ers, he may had had a lot tougher sledding if he was a late season starter for CAR, HOU, LV, CHI, etc..

As for Bledsoe, in the time BB was there, Bledsoe threw 15 INT and fumbled 10 times (in 18 games played). He had a knack for giving the ball away at the worst possible times. The main reason Bledsoe had decent fantasy numbers was because NE was always losing and had to air it out. He got a lot of garbage time production and TD that were essentially empty calories. It's been rumored that Kraft on his own signed Bledsoe to his $100M contract (and didn't consult his new head coach BB first). Bill liked Brady more, as he did what he was told and took care of the football. Drew would try to play hero ball, and that often led to dumb decisions.

It's unfortunate Purdy got hurt, and maybe he can be back for the regular season and earn the starting gig in SF. If he needs Tommy John surgery, he could see someone step up (Lance or a mystery QB), and Purdy could end up like Foles did.
 
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While I was only in my teens at the time (so not really an "old-timer"), this was probably the time period where I was most invested into fantasy football. I wrote for a website and looked at stuff every day.

I remember clearly thinking that Bledsoe was superior to Brady and being shocked when Brady got the nod. I concede that my thoughts were often fantasy-focused and I'm sure I was biased to the notion that Brady couldn't put up Bledsoe's stats. My thoughts on Brady were very much similar to Purdy now, which is that the guy doesn't have any great attribute other than he seems unafraid and is an obvious winner. And, frankly, since Purdy's stats are superior to Brady's I believe his first year playing a bunch, I think I'm higher on Purdy right now (my take on Purdy is, in short, and assuming elbow gets repaired, he should walk into camp as 1A with the understanding that Lance could beat him out).

The key point though to remember about Brady is that he is probably the greatest athlete to ever improve on his own physical attributes as his career went on. Brady embraced dieting, fitness, flexibility, mental health, etc. I mean the guy was in better shape at 40 than he was at 20 (which is amazing to me as I type this as an out of shape almost 40 year old who looks nothing like I did was I was in my 20s). Brady also got really, really good at the intangible aspects of the game like reading defenses, figuring out how to successfully QB sneak, taking clock management on himself, etc. To me, what truly makes Brady so great (ugh I shudder just typing that as I have always rooted against him and his teams) is that he's arguably the greatest athlete ever to get the absolute most of out limited talent and genetic makeup.

So, I do think if Purdy is going to have any realistic shot at being a longtime starter, he needs to embrace taking care of his body like Brady did as well as identifying an improving points of his game that don't require top-end physical attributes like speed, arm strength.

But, comparing their first year, I do think they're similar and are talked about close to the same with maybe even Purdy getting more accolades.
A couple of things on this . . .

Brady took over an offense that didn't have a ton of talent. Troy Brown ended up having a career year in 2001, but the only other player on NE that year with over 200 yards receiving was David Patten. The Patriots had no Pro Bowl players the season before. In their first SB winning season, Brady made the Pro Bowl after other QBs opted out and Troy Brown made it as a kick returner. Looking at the roster and the stats from 2001, it's a mystery how NW came away with a ring.

I don't think there will be much pushback from people if I suggest that the 2022 Niners had a better team and talent level than the 01 Pats did. Trent Williams, George Kittle, and Kyle Juszczyk were Pro Bowlers this year, while Deebo Samuel and CMC have been in the past (and Aiyuk had 1,000+ receiving yards this year). And SF had the #1 defense (both points and yardage allowed) . . . NE ranked 6th and 24th defensively) in 2001.

Brady got the Patriots to win with very little help on offense and a good but not world beating defense in 2001. There's no doubt that Purdy played well down the stretch, but as someone else mentioned earlier, if he wasn't on the 49ers, he may had had a lot tougher sledding if he was a late season starter for CAR, HOU, LV, CHI, etc..

As for Bledsoe, in the time BB was there, Bledsoe threw 15 INT and fumbled 10 times (in 18 games played). He had a knack for giving the ball away at the worst possible times. The main reason Bledsoe had decent fantasy numbers was because NE was always losing and had to air it out. He got a lot of garbage time production and TD that were essentially empty calories. It's been rumored that Kraft on his own signed Bledsoe to his $100M contract (and didn't consult his new head coach BB first). Bill liked Brady more, as he did what he was told and took care of the football. Drew would try to play hero ball, and that often led to dumb decisions.

It's unfortunate Purdy got hurt, and maybe he can be back for the regular season and earn the starting gig in SF. If he needs Tommy John surgery, he could see someone step up (Lance or a mystery QB), and Purdy could end up like Foles did.
A Super Bowl champ with a relatively successful NFL career? I think Purdy signs up for that...

I do agree though with your point that Purdy's inherited situation was much better than Brady's.
 
While I was only in my teens at the time (so not really an "old-timer"), this was probably the time period where I was most invested into fantasy football. I wrote for a website and looked at stuff every day.

I remember clearly thinking that Bledsoe was superior to Brady and being shocked when Brady got the nod. I concede that my thoughts were often fantasy-focused and I'm sure I was biased to the notion that Brady couldn't put up Bledsoe's stats. My thoughts on Brady were very much similar to Purdy now, which is that the guy doesn't have any great attribute other than he seems unafraid and is an obvious winner. And, frankly, since Purdy's stats are superior to Brady's I believe his first year playing a bunch, I think I'm higher on Purdy right now (my take on Purdy is, in short, and assuming elbow gets repaired, he should walk into camp as 1A with the understanding that Lance could beat him out).

The key point though to remember about Brady is that he is probably the greatest athlete to ever improve on his own physical attributes as his career went on. Brady embraced dieting, fitness, flexibility, mental health, etc. I mean the guy was in better shape at 40 than he was at 20 (which is amazing to me as I type this as an out of shape almost 40 year old who looks nothing like I did was I was in my 20s). Brady also got really, really good at the intangible aspects of the game like reading defenses, figuring out how to successfully QB sneak, taking clock management on himself, etc. To me, what truly makes Brady so great (ugh I shudder just typing that as I have always rooted against him and his teams) is that he's arguably the greatest athlete ever to get the absolute most of out limited talent and genetic makeup.

So, I do think if Purdy is going to have any realistic shot at being a longtime starter, he needs to embrace taking care of his body like Brady did as well as identifying an improving points of his game that don't require top-end physical attributes like speed, arm strength.

But, comparing their first year, I do think they're similar and are talked about close to the same with maybe even Purdy getting more accolades.
A couple of things on this . . .

Brady took over an offense that didn't have a ton of talent. Troy Brown ended up having a career year in 2001, but the only other player on NE that year with over 200 yards receiving was David Patten. The Patriots had no Pro Bowl players the season before. In their first SB winning season, Brady made the Pro Bowl after other QBs opted out and Troy Brown made it as a kick returner. Looking at the roster and the stats from 2001, it's a mystery how NW came away with a ring.

I don't think there will be much pushback from people if I suggest that the 2022 Niners had a better team and talent level than the 01 Pats did. Trent Williams, George Kittle, and Kyle Juszczyk were Pro Bowlers this year, while Deebo Samuel and CMC have been in the past (and Aiyuk had 1,000+ receiving yards this year). And SF had the #1 defense (both points and yardage allowed) . . . NE ranked 6th and 24th defensively) in 2001.

Brady got the Patriots to win with very little help on offense and a good but not world beating defense in 2001. There's no doubt that Purdy played well down the stretch, but as someone else mentioned earlier, if he wasn't on the 49ers, he may had had a lot tougher sledding if he was a late season starter for CAR, HOU, LV, CHI, etc..

As for Bledsoe, in the time BB was there, Bledsoe threw 15 INT and fumbled 10 times (in 18 games played). He had a knack for giving the ball away at the worst possible times. The main reason Bledsoe had decent fantasy numbers was because NE was always losing and had to air it out. He got a lot of garbage time production and TD that were essentially empty calories. It's been rumored that Kraft on his own signed Bledsoe to his $100M contract (and didn't consult his new head coach BB first). Bill liked Brady more, as he did what he was told and took care of the football. Drew would try to play hero ball, and that often led to dumb decisions.

It's unfortunate Purdy got hurt, and maybe he can be back for the regular season and earn the starting gig in SF. If he needs Tommy John surgery, he could see someone step up (Lance or a mystery QB), and Purdy could end up like Foles did.
A Super Bowl champ with a relatively successful NFL career? I think Purdy signs up for that...

I do agree though with your point that Purdy's inherited situation was much better than Brady's.
I meant Purdy could end up like Foles post his SB victory. Since beating NE in the SB, Foles has played for 6 teams and has gone 14-20 as a starter across 8 seasons. No team has ever fully committed to Foles as their every week starter, and Purdy could always end up being in a training camp competition to start.

That part Purdy would probably be disappointed in, but he certainly would not mind the $84 million Foles has collected since winning the SB.
 
I meant Purdy could end up like Foles post his SB victory. Since beating NE in the SB, Foles has played for 6 teams and has gone 14-20 as a starter across 8 seasons. No team has ever fully committed to Foles as their every week starter, and Purdy could always end up being in a training camp competition to start.

That part Purdy would probably be disappointed in, but he certainly would not mind the $84 million Foles has collected since winning the SB.
I messed that up. I was looking at Foles' info from his first stint in PHI. He played on 4 teams since the SB win, going 7-12 (and another 1-1 in the post-season). And he made $66 million over the past 5 years. Still a good haul to mostly not play.
 
While I was only in my teens at the time (so not really an "old-timer"), this was probably the time period where I was most invested into fantasy football. I wrote for a website and looked at stuff every day.

I remember clearly thinking that Bledsoe was superior to Brady and being shocked when Brady got the nod. I concede that my thoughts were often fantasy-focused and I'm sure I was biased to the notion that Brady couldn't put up Bledsoe's stats. My thoughts on Brady were very much similar to Purdy now, which is that the guy doesn't have any great attribute other than he seems unafraid and is an obvious winner. And, frankly, since Purdy's stats are superior to Brady's I believe his first year playing a bunch, I think I'm higher on Purdy right now (my take on Purdy is, in short, and assuming elbow gets repaired, he should walk into camp as 1A with the understanding that Lance could beat him out).

The key point though to remember about Brady is that he is probably the greatest athlete to ever improve on his own physical attributes as his career went on. Brady embraced dieting, fitness, flexibility, mental health, etc. I mean the guy was in better shape at 40 than he was at 20 (which is amazing to me as I type this as an out of shape almost 40 year old who looks nothing like I did was I was in my 20s). Brady also got really, really good at the intangible aspects of the game like reading defenses, figuring out how to successfully QB sneak, taking clock management on himself, etc. To me, what truly makes Brady so great (ugh I shudder just typing that as I have always rooted against him and his teams) is that he's arguably the greatest athlete ever to get the absolute most of out limited talent and genetic makeup.

So, I do think if Purdy is going to have any realistic shot at being a longtime starter, he needs to embrace taking care of his body like Brady did as well as identifying an improving points of his game that don't require top-end physical attributes like speed, arm strength.

But, comparing their first year, I do think they're similar and are talked about close to the same with maybe even Purdy getting more accolades.
A couple of things on this . . .

Brady took over an offense that didn't have a ton of talent. Troy Brown ended up having a career year in 2001, but the only other player on NE that year with over 200 yards receiving was David Patten. The Patriots had no Pro Bowl players the season before. In their first SB winning season, Brady made the Pro Bowl after other QBs opted out and Troy Brown made it as a kick returner. Looking at the roster and the stats from 2001, it's a mystery how NW came away with a ring.

I don't think there will be much pushback from people if I suggest that the 2022 Niners had a better team and talent level than the 01 Pats did. Trent Williams, George Kittle, and Kyle Juszczyk were Pro Bowlers this year, while Deebo Samuel and CMC have been in the past (and Aiyuk had 1,000+ receiving yards this year). And SF had the #1 defense (both points and yardage allowed) . . . NE ranked 6th and 24th defensively) in 2001.

Brady got the Patriots to win with very little help on offense and a good but not world beating defense in 2001. There's no doubt that Purdy played well down the stretch, but as someone else mentioned earlier, if he wasn't on the 49ers, he may had had a lot tougher sledding if he was a late season starter for CAR, HOU, LV, CHI, etc..

As for Bledsoe, in the time BB was there, Bledsoe threw 15 INT and fumbled 10 times (in 18 games played). He had a knack for giving the ball away at the worst possible times. The main reason Bledsoe had decent fantasy numbers was because NE was always losing and had to air it out. He got a lot of garbage time production and TD that were essentially empty calories. It's been rumored that Kraft on his own signed Bledsoe to his $100M contract (and didn't consult his new head coach BB first). Bill liked Brady more, as he did what he was told and took care of the football. Drew would try to play hero ball, and that often led to dumb decisions.

It's unfortunate Purdy got hurt, and maybe he can be back for the regular season and earn the starting gig in SF. If he needs Tommy John surgery, he could see someone step up (Lance or a mystery QB), and Purdy could end up like Foles did.
A Super Bowl champ with a relatively successful NFL career? I think Purdy signs up for that...

I do agree though with your point that Purdy's inherited situation was much better than Brady's.
I meant Purdy could end up like Foles post his SB victory. Since beating NE in the SB, Foles has played for 6 teams and has gone 14-20 as a starter across 8 seasons. No team has ever fully committed to Foles as their every week starter, and Purdy could always end up being in a training camp competition to start.

That part Purdy would probably be disappointed in, but he certainly would not mind the $84 million Foles has collected since winning the SB.
I know I was mostly kidding with you. I understood your point.
 
I'm fascinated by the people who think the most Brock Purdy should be given is just the chance to compete for the job next year.

No, I don't think Purdy is Tom Brady.

And we remember Brady differently as he went on to win the Super Bowl once he took over. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brady

But was everyone acting in the 2nd round of the playoffs like he was still a scrub?

Thought he was good for where he was picked. After deflate gate and SPygate I', questioning how good him and NE really were. They've struggled since Tom left. I think Brady is a good player. I won't call him a scrub but all the cheating IMHO should taint his career and have people questioning him. Also as a teammate Brady is a-hole and guys only put up with him back then because they knew they could get close or win a title with him. Now that he's struggling in TB and calling guys out throwing people under the bus I think people are tired of the guys act. He doesn't look as good as he did even in 17 and I think he should retire but his ego won't let him
 
I'm fascinated by the people who think the most Brock Purdy should be given is just the chance to compete for the job next year.

No, I don't think Purdy is Tom Brady.

And we remember Brady differently as he went on to win the Super Bowl that first year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brady

But was everyone acting in the 2nd round of the playoffs like he was still a scrub?
All I talked about leading into his 2nd round game was that he didn’t really win the 1st game, and that the refs / NFL were crooked. That’s still my only reaction to that season.
The Tuck rule was the beginning of the end of the NFL for me. I have never looked at the NFL the same and doubt all games are officiated fairly. Feels like officials are trying to determine the outcome of many games. I used to live for the NFL watching every game possible on TV and attending at least 2 games every season. I have been to one live game in the last 20 years and will never go to another game. I watch a few minutes of the NFL most weeks and really don’t care about it. I know there are playoff games going on now but when I’m finished with my workout on the bike I will play guitar. Watching the NFL is doubtful today.

I'm like this with the NBA. Ever since the Lakers/Kings conference finals when Philly and LAL had the NBA finals that year. After the Donaghey incident and the fact he literally lived 5 mins from me and I knew friends and family I never looked at the NBA the same again. I'll go to a Bulls game when they are in town but I don't go out of my way unless I'm going for free. I hardly watch basketball anymore. Can't take the newer generations antics and the constant flopping and all about me personalities.
 

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