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Tom Martinez might've known in the summer what kind of season Tom Brady was about to have.

Martinez is the man who taught Brady how to pass. They've been together for about half of Brady's life, since before his first junior varsity start.

As usual, they got together during the offseason in Southern California to hone Brady's mechanics. Martinez identified a few areas to tweak.

"By the end of it all, I'd never seen him better," Martinez said from his home in Menlo Park, Calif.

"It was hard to stand there and watch it. You've got to shake your head that you're really looking at what you think you are. He was so precise. You go, 'Holy mackerel. He's got to throw some balls away.' It was unbelievably impressive."

Even with that knowledge, Martinez was surprised to see Brady's remarkable season unfold the way it has. The numbers Brady has posted in his MVP-worthy season can't be chalked up merely to refined mechanics.

With a diminished supporting cast that features rookies, castoffs and injury replacements, Brady posted the fifth-highest passer rating in NFL history, led the league in touchdown passes, threw the fewest interceptions and broke records for turnover efficiency.

"To watch him play is like watching Pavarotti," Martinez said. "He's in total command."

The big man who coaches the New York Jets sounds like he's trying to disrupt Brady's virtuosity. Rex Ryan has been belting out news-conference arias in advance of Sunday's playoff game against the Patriots. Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie took a less subtle approach to insulting Brady.

Brady's response: "We're just going to do our talking on the field."

The Patriots have performed impeccably all season. This year's production is more remarkable than what they accomplished in 2007, when they set the NFL record with 589 points and went 18-0 before losing in the Super Bowl.

The Patriots scored 518 points this season, seventh most in league history.

But the season becomes more incredible when you consider New England traded receiver Randy Moss, didn't have Wes Welker at full speed, relied on rookie tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, didn't have Pro Bowl left guard Logan Mankins for half the season, lost right guard Stephen Neal after eight games and lost right tackle Nick Kaczur in training camp.

"Those two running backs," Martinez said of BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead, "might not make some of the teams in the league."

And yet Brady made it all work, guiding the Patriots to 14 victories despite a transitional defense that used four rookies in the starting lineup some weeks.

Brady has worked with Martinez since he was 15 years old. Brady's father took him to see Martinez, then head coach at the College of San Mateo, for pointers. Brady became Martinez's star pupil.

Much like a highly sought session musician, Martinez has worked with players on an individual basis but never joined a team. His pre-draft tutelage famously helped JaMarcus Russell turn into the No. 1 overall draft pick. This year, he will work with Iowa's Ricky Stanzi and Mississippi's Jeremiah Masoli.

Most amazing about Brady's stat line are his four interceptions, the fewest from any quarterback with at least 300 attempts in NFL history. He hasn't thrown an interception since Week 6, a streak of 335 consecutive attempts.

Martinez chalks up that number to happenstance more than anything else. He claimed it's not necessarily indicative of Brady's excellence.

"That's like Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak," Martinez said. "He couldn't do that again if he lived to be 580 years old. There's a series of things that have to happen to keep that kind of a string going. When they all go together, you break the records.

"He could go back and play the season over again and throw 15 interceptions."

From Martinez's perspective, Brady's dominance can't be found in any box score.

"The key to me is that he's in total command both physically and mentally of what he's doing," Martinez said. "If you really study their offense, he's going to the open guy probably 85 percent of the time.

"If you go to the right guy, chances are you're not going to throw interceptions because that's the guy that's got single coverage, or that's the guy that gets open in the zone. He's not throwing into double coverage. He's not forcing balls. He knows who to go to, and he has the mechanics to make the throw."

Martinez also said Brady is thriving with the aggressive offense called by quarterbacks coach Bill O'Brien. The Patriots are no longer running what Martinez calls "dead plays," conservative calls that do little more than burn time off the clock.

The Patriots have scored at least 31 points in eight straight games, tying the NFL record held by the 2007 Patriots and 2000 St. Louis Rams.

"What they're doing now is they're constantly attacking, and he's getting them into the correct play," Martinez said. "They don't run many dead plays where you ask: 'What are they running that for?' They're constantly attacking."

Deion Branch was a Patriots receiver from 2002 through 2005 and was traded back Oct. 12. Branch was asked Tuesday what has been the biggest difference he has noticed in Brady and specifically mentioned Brady's deep ball.

"Early in his career, that was a weakness," Martinez said. "But that was such a part of Randy's game that [Brady] had to step his part of it up because Randy was outrunning the throws. That was one of his goals. Because he didn't throw them that often, mechanically they weren't thrown well."

That's one way Moss made Brady a more complete quarterback. When the Patriots traded Moss three games into the season, Martinez figured they would suffer.

"When Randy was gone, I don't think anybody predicted this," Martinez said. "I thought that Randy stretched the defense, which allowed all the other guys to run underneath stuff. With Welker doubled and Moss gone, it was hard to see them throwing it all over the yard."

Any yet Brady has compiled his most extraordinary season.

He'll be the consensus MVP. He'll almost certainly be voted first-team All-Pro for only the second time of his career. His name dots the record books even more.

And none of that will count if Brady doesn't remain in command like he has up until now and win the Super Bowl.

"The funny thing is, no matter what has happened to this point, this is one and done," Martinez said. "Somebody blocks a punt or picks one off and runs it back and all of a sudden you lose and didn't have that good a year.

"You're walking a fine line between being awesome and not getting it done."

The Miami Dolphins didn't show much faith in Tyler Thigpen.

One play after the Tennessee Titans cut the Dolphins' lead to 20-17, quarterback Chad Henne went down with a knee injury. Henne went into the game as the backup. Chad Pennington started, but left the game with a shoulder injury after just two snaps.

That left Thigpen, the third-string quarterback, to lock down the victory.

But one play after Henne got hurt, running back Ronnie Brown took the snap and pitched to Brandon Marshall, who threw it deep.

Yes, there were third-QB rules in place, but the Dolphins snapped to Brown five straight plays, including first- and second-down plays to start the fourth quarter, before yielding to Thigpen.

Thigpen was OK. He completed four of his six attempts for 64 yards and a touchdown to help the Dolphins win 29-17.

But can he carry the Dolphins for seven weeks?

Multiple reports state Henne and Pennington are done for the season. That leaves the job to Thigpen. The Dolphins can't bring back Pat White either. He's under contract to the Kansas City Royals.

Josina Anderson of Denver's Fox affiliate tweeted the Dolphins have reached out to JaMarcus Russell to bring him in for a tryout. Russell might be the greatest draft bust in NFL history, but the Dolphins still are in the playoff hunt and desperate.

I contacted Tom Martinez, Tom Brady's personal throwing coach, who worked with Russell before the Oakland Raiders drafted the Louisiana State star first overall in 2007. I wanted to see if Martinez has been working with Russell. Martinez hasn't, but has been in touch with Russell's representatives.

"All the info I've heard is very good," Martinez said. "I understand he's in great shape and running a lot. He's always going to be a big man, but I hear he's in really, really great shape and has turned the corner."

Russell would be a great reclamation story if he has gotten his act together.

"He obviously has a lot more talent than a lot of guys who are seconds or thirds in the NFL but cannot play," Martinez said. "He can play."

We know New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick doesn't think much of CBS Sports insider Charley Casserly's reportage.

Belichick belittled Casserly in January over a report Tom Brady was playing with broken ribs, asking rhetorically "Who's been more wrong than Charley Casserly?" Belichick added Casserly was "100 percent wrong."

Brady's personal throwing coach, Tom Martinez, told me in July that Brady played with three broken ribs and a broken finger.

This week, Belichick dismissed reports about Randy Moss being a problem behind the scenes. Belichick insisted the trade had nothing to do with discipline issues or contractual issues, but the coach declined to provide the supposed reason.

On Sunday, Casserly delivered another report Belichick won't like. Casserly said a heated argument between Brady and Moss added to tensions that precipitated Wednesday's trade to the Minnesota Vikings.

Their squabble reportedly was over -- get this -- hair.

"The week before Moss was traded, Tom Brady and Randy Moss went toe-to-toe and had to be separated when it happened," Casserly said on "The NFL Today" pregame show.

"One of Brady's problems with Moss was his behavior as a Patriot. Then one of the things that was overheard was Brady telling Moss he needed to cut his beard. Moss countered 'You need to get your haircut. You look like a girl.' Obviously. Brady had problems with Moss' behavior."

ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss reported quarterbacks coach Bill O'Brien and Moss got into verbal altercation at halftime of Monday night's victory over the Miami Dolphins.

Boston Herald reporter Karen Guregian and former Patriots receiver Troy Brown both passed along a story Belichick tried to approach Moss on the team's flight after the game, but Moss turned him away. Belichick called those reports "a total fabrication."

Much like tuning up a well-maintained Lexus or recovering a rusted-out muscle car from the boneyard, there's a difference between working with Tom Brady and JaMarcus Russell.

Personal throwing coach Tom Martinez has worked with both quarterbacks and might take on Russell as a client again in hopes of salvaging a once-promising career.

"JaMarcus is a different kind of a challenge," Martinez told me last week. I interviewed Martinez for a piece about his relationship with Brady. Toward the end of our conversation, we spoke for a few minutes about Russell's uncertain future.

The Oakland Raiders made Russell the first pick of the 2007 draft but cut him this spring. The New York Jets have shown interest, but New York Daily News beat writer Manish Mehta reports any fascination has completely evaporated.

Russell's attempt to avoid being known as the biggest bust in NFL history experienced a hiccup Monday. Russell was charged with possession of a controlled substance. Russell had codeine cough syrup without a prescription and was arrested as part of an undercover narcotics investigation.

ESPN's "Outside the Lines" recently produced a story on the popularity of "purple drank," a concoction of prescription-strength cough syrup, soda or juice and Jolly Ranchers candy. Green Bay Packers defensive end Johnny Jolly was arrested for illegal possession of codeine syrup last year.

Martinez, who has been Brady's passing-mechanics guru since he was a teenager in San Mateo, Calif., worked with Russell prior to the 2007 draft.

"It's unbelievably sad from a lot of perspectives, and it's a 50-50 issue," Martinez said. "I think he's 50 percent responsible, and I think the Raiders are 50 percent responsible.

"They both got an F. They got an F because they took a guy No. 1 in the draft and it didn't work out. And it's an F for him to be drafted No. 1 and not perform. He left them no choice but to let him go."

Martinez wasn't willing to write him off and claimed a team like the Jets could find a terrific bargain by brining Russell onto the team as a backup for Mark Sanchez.

A charismatic psychologist such as Jets head coach Rex Ryan might be able to get Russell's attention. But a team has to be willing to take on the risk of introducing Russell to its roster first.

"He's just unbelievably, unbelievably talented," Martinez said. "He's just very young and very immature. He's got it all. He's better than anybody that was drafted this year.

"If you can steal him for minimal pay and get him in an environment where he respected the people and did what they told him, it might be one of the greatest deals of all-time, getting the first guy taken in a draft for such little investment.

"But he could already be done."

Tom Brady rarely had been more surgical. To the Jacksonville Jaguars he looked like Kevorkian.

With the AFC East championship there for the clinching, Brady completed 23 of 26 passes for 267 yards and four touchdowns in a runaway New England Patriots victory in Week 16 last year.

One of Brady's three incompletions was dropped, another purposely thrown out of bounds. His 149.0 passer rating was the third-highest of his 147-game career behind two games from his record-setting 2007 campaign.

A face in the crowd that chilly, late December afternoon was Tom Martinez. He might not have been grinning as widely as those around him, but nobody could come close to matching his feeling of satisfaction.

"Other than maybe his parents, people don't know what I do," Martinez said of his relationship with Brady. "But he knows."

A week before Brady scalpeled the Jaguars, he summoned Martinez cross-continent from Northern California to Foxborough, Mass. Brady felt battered and a little insecure. His delivery wasn't right. Injuries, sloppy mechanics, whatever it was ... He needed help.

Martinez has been Brady's personal throwing coach since before the three-time Super Bowl champion made his first junior varsity start. They spent the Christmas holiday tinkering in the Dana-Farber Field House. Brady was in a four-week funk that produced three passer ratings below 75.0 and a defeat in the exception.

"He had a broken finger and three broken ribs," Martinez said, ostensibly confirming reports Patriots coach Bill Belichick and Brady himself denied during the season. "He wasn't throwing well.

"It's one of those things where I can see right away what he's doing. He trusts me, so when I tweak him, it's right back to where he wants to be. Then, at that point, it probably is psychological."

Martinez has been working with Brady since 1992, when Tom Brady Sr. brought his 15-year-old son to the College of San Mateo coach for some pointers.

Martinez has been Brady's throwing whisperer ever since.

"What I feel good about is when guys trust me enough to do it, and it actually works," Martinez said. "There's a special relationship that's kind of unsaid between them and me.

"Guys don't say a lot to each other. It's just a masculine thing. On the other hand, you know what you did for them, and they know what you did for them. There's a respect."

Despite having groomed such a star pupil, Martinez hasn't pursued jobs as a quarterbacks coach in the NFL or at a major college. He interviewed for the Oakland Raiders opening a few years back but declined the opportunity because of health concerns.

Martinez still resides in Brady's hometown of San Mateo. He conducts youth camps like the one being staged by JuniorRank Aug. 6 in San Diego for elite sixth- to ninth-graders and works with NFL quarterbacks who seek him out.

He worked with JaMarcus Russell before the Raiders drafted the Louisiana State rocket-launcher first overall in 2007. The Raiders released Russell this spring. Russell has requested Martinez coach him up again in hopes of getting another shot.

He's tutoring Brady this weekend in the Los Angeles area. They've been meeting once a month throughout the offseason. They're often joined by Patriots receiver Wes Welker, who is rehabilitating from major knee surgery with the same specialist who helped Brady come back from his.

The Patriots, of course, have their own quarterbacks coach. Bill O'Brien is a respected member of Belichick's staff. Josh McDaniels was their quarterbacks coach before O'Brien.

So why does Brady still need Martinez after all these years? Martinez explained discussing flaws with a future Hall of Famer's mechanics can be a dicey proposition.

"When a guy gets that good like Brady, the quarterback coach is intimidated because he's not as good as the player," Martinez said. "So they hesitate to say things. Therefore, the player gets sloppy.

"Mechanics should be coached on a daily basis, and I don't know that it is. It's like Tiger Woods' golf swing or Michael Jordan's free throws."

Martinez declines to render opinions on how much Brady's reattached knee impacted last season or whether its stability messed with his confidence. Martinez prefers to concentrate on mechanics alone. He reasoned it doesn't matter why they're off, only that they are.

He will remain on call as long as Brady remains a driven perfectionist.

"He understands what it takes to get to Super Bowls," Martinez said. "A lot of guys don't, so they'll minimize preparation because it might be inconvenient. Where with him, he knows if he's off, that's the difference of whether they keep going or not.

"If he's off a little bit, he's going to be way off. The margin of error is so slim at that level that if you miss by a foot, you're off. Most guys accept that. He doesn't."