Chris, Essex
A: I think you might be the only Patriots fan willing to broach this topic, Chris. Many don’t even want the thought to cross their minds that Brady might not be able to finish the game for any reason. But since you’ve asked, it would almost certainly be Hoyer who replaces Brady. I’ve been told that the Patriots coaching staff is very impressed with the progress that Hoyer has made in terms of his passing and mobility, and at this point he could be a starter in the NFL. As a side note, Hoyer is a restricted free agent at the end of this season, and it will be interesting to see if the Patriots do a sign-and-trade deal with him. There are more than a couple quarterback-starved teams in the league. As for Mallet, I’ve heard he’s progressing well; at this point, given the potential of Hoyer being elsewhere, I could see him being Brady’s backup next year.
Q: Who called the ill-fated long pass after the Brandon Spikes interception in the AFC Championship game? If it was offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, then as far as I am concerned he can skip Indy and go straight to State College. Whoever made the call must have been channeling 30 years ago when a turnover led to a disorganized defense. Now, a turnover is followed by 10-20 commercials so the defense can stay organized.
Dan, Los Angeles
A: My guess would be that O’Brien did make that call, Dan. I think the biggest issue with calling that play was because it was the first time Matthew Slater was in the game, and it immediately tipped the Ravens off to the idea that the Patriots might try a deep ball. Baltimore safety Bernard Pollard said on Houston radio earlier this week that when he and cornerback Jimmy Smith saw Slater on the field, they figured he was on for the Pats to take a shot deep. They did, Smith and Pollard played the pass attempt well, and it ended up as an interception. Personally I can’t fault O’Brien for trying a home run ball, it just wasn’t well-disguised. That one play was the only offensive snap for Slater.
