New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady hasn't played at an elite level in 2019, but there are plenty of reasons for fans not to worry.
One of them is a stat dug up by NFL Research, which compares Brady's QB rating and team win/loss record to other players with similar numbers in the Super Bowl era.
In fairness to Brady, there are a few factors beyond his control negatively impacting his stats.
The primary one is injuries. Veteran wide receivers Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, Phillip Dorsett and even the recently departed Josh Gordon all have dealt with injuries in 2019, and most of them have missed at least one game as a result. Rookie wideout N'Keal Harry, who the Patriots used a 2019 first-round draft pick to acquire, missed most of the regular season on injured reserve and didn't make his debut until Week 11. And we haven't even mentioned the many injuries along the offensive line, including at left tackle and center. Oh, and Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski retired shortly after last season and hasn't been adequately replaced.
New England's run game also has been inconsistent and largely ineffective, although running back Sony Michel gave an encouraging performance in Week 12 against the Dallas Cowboys.
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Brady understands what the Patriots must do to win in 2019. This is a defense-first team that's allowed the fewest points and second-fewest yards per game. Brady just has to manage the game and not turn the ball over for the Patriots to be successful. Will there be times when the 42-year-old quarterback has to air it out and take some risks? Of course, but this team doesn't need to score 25-plus points every week because the defense is so dominant.
Brady, to his credit, has limited turnovers and other mistakes throughout the season. He's on pace to throw fewer than 10 interceptions for the ninth time in 20 seasons. The six-time Super Bowl champion has thrown only one interception over the last four games.
The Patriots will need Brady to raise his performance as the playoffs near, but there's no need to panic over what we've seen from him entering Week 13. He's fifth in the league in pass yards, he's thrown 15 touchdown passes with just five interceptions, and the Patriots lead the AFC at 10-1.
Updated NFL playoff picture entering Week 13>>>
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