New England Patriot quarterback Tom Brady has been on incredible run of winning. The game with the Broncos on January 24 in Denver is the fifth straight AFC Championship match for him and his team.
Consequently New England has been given chronically low draft slots, making the obvious freakish athletic talents mostly out of reach. Brady compensates with fanatical preparation for himself and with other players, such as wide receiver Julian Edelman.
Neither Edelman nor his slot receiver predecessors, such as Wes Welker, have the raw attributes of large size, strength, and speed of someone like Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson. In fact Edelman came into the league as an undersized seventh round draft pick from Kent State University where he was a three-year starting quarterback. He was not invited to the 2009 NFL Combine. But the Patriots had done their due diligence with private workouts finding that he was not the fastest straight-line runner but was the quickest. His short shuttle time of 3.91 seconds on his pro-day workout workout beat the fastest combine time of 3.96 seconds.
Around the league Brady’s year-round “play catch” sessions are known for their unique intensity and perfectionism. The Wall Street Journal’s Kevin Clark reported former New England wide receiver Donte Stallworth saying, “I’d never seen anything like it in my life. And I’ve seen nothing like it since.”
Tom Brady Number 12 of the New England Patriots warms up before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium on January 3, 2016 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Precise execution makes Brady the NFL’s “Superman.” So a factor that causes his imprecision is his “kryptonite.” It is Denver’s mile-high altitude, which is about 5,000 feet higher than the New England Patriots’ Gillette Stadium. Brady is only 2-6 playing in Denver.
According to ESPN’s Sport Science, altitude significantly impacts both ball and player performance. Denver’s air density is 18 percent lower than at sea level, causing lower air resistance for throws and kicks. All else equal long kicks go about 4 yards farther in Denver.
At high elevation oxygen is scarcer in the air. With less oxygen going to muscles during physical exertion, grip strength is reduced more than 16 percent in Denver. Reaction time can be reduced as much as 39 percent. Broncos defenders more easily eliminate separation from Patriots wide receivers. Yards after the catch become more difficult for New England as Denver defensive backs and linebackers have relatively stronger grasps for tackles.
In Denver the big men along the line of scrimmage for visiting teams become fatigued by the fourth quarter.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is sacked by defensive end Derek Wolfe Number 95 of the Denver Broncos in the first quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on November 29, 2015 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
This was a contributing factor in Denver’s fourth quarter comeback from a 21-7 deficit in the game against New England last November 29. The altitude will not be different at Sports Authority Field at Mile High for the championship game. Brady will face his kryptonite again.
The game starts at 1:05 PM MST and is televised on CBS.
