Brady Back To Business...

This will be the first full season of football played by Tom Brady without his longtime coach and mentor Tom Martinez, who passed away in February at age 66. Tom's mechanics are still practiced with Martinez's voice in his head.

I thank Mike Reiss of ESPNboston.com for his interview that reveals this great quote from Brady:

"I've got to rely on what he's taught me over the years," Brady said of Martinez. "I've got a lot of stuff written down, of things that we talked about and things that I've learned. I have a great understanding mechanically of what I need to be able to do. It's just a matter of seeing it and being able to correct it.

Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe/Getty Images


"Hopefully you can correct it between series because you don't always have the fortune to wait until Monday to figure things out. Sometimes you have to figure them out in the middle of the third quarter. That's something where I'll have to rely on everything he's taught me over the years."

Brady also wrote some notes on his wristband to help him ease back into his old accurate habits:

Head straight -- drag back foot.
Close.
Bent left knee (no vault).
Chest @ target.
Short stride.
Opposite & equal.

They seem to be the 6 steps to NFL H.O.F. but maybe they are personal mechanical battles that Brady has with himself.  After all these years, you would think the guy knows how to throw the ball.  Nevertheless, his constant passion and physical/mental preparation is his greatest advantage over everyone.  Cue the music for Patriots vs Broncos...