5 players who New England Patriots need to be great in 2019
1. Tom Brady, QB
No, this isn’t simply throwing in a big name to fill out a list. Without Tom Brady playing well, the Patriots season will probably go down the drain. Why? After trading away Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett, there is no one threatening being groomed behind Brady.
Brady threw for 29 touchdowns, 4,355 yards and 11 interceptions at age 41. However, from Week 8 to Week 10, he struggled. During that time, he threw for one touchdown, had a completion percentage of 59.5 and a rating of 84.5. In the playoffs, he threw for two scores and tossed three picks.
Of course, the team was still 2-1 from Week 8 to Week 10, and they ran the table in the playoffs. But we saw how pedestrian the team looked without Brady playing well during that time.
Brady will be 42 years old this upcoming season. While his total body of work doesn’t show drastic signs of decline, as mentioned above, he looked his age at times last season.
The team still finished eighth in the league in passing yards last year. Although, the rushing attack often helped establish the passing game last season, too.
Brady has fought off father time numerous times before, and his success dictates a lot for the Patriots. So, he is by far the most important player for the Patriots in 2019.