New Challenges, Same Tom Brady
October 15th, 2022
Click on through to shop at BillCurrieFord.com. Bill Currie Ford GM Sean Sullivan is ready to help you PERSONALLY and give you the Ira Kaufman discount. Just ask!
BY IRA KAUFMAN
Where would the Bucs be without him? Fuhgeddaboudit.
They have yet to play a complete game, but the Bucs lead the NFC South and should be sitting nicely at 5-2 before the Ravens come to Tampa Oct. 27 for a Thursday night matchup.
Despite daily reports about a splintering marriage, Tom Brady has held this franchise together through some turbulent times. He does it the way he has always done it — by protecting the football and making smart decisions.
What have the Bucs done well all season? They don’t turn the ball over. Brady has thrown 207 passes … with one interception. That’s crazy. That’s winning football, the primary reason why Tampa Bay is plus-3 in turnover ratio.
He’s working behind three new starters on the interior offensive line and you still can’t sack him. Donovan Smith has missed 2 1/2 games and you still can’t get Brady on the ground.
The Bucs have registered 19 sacks and allowed only 7 for a nifty plus-12 mark in another key metric. And while pass protection has been solid, Brady’s awareness in the pocket has made him very difficult to take down throughout his incomparable career.
“What hasn’t been said about Tom Brady?” asks Mike Tomlin as the 1-4 Steelers prepare for Sunday’s game. “I don’t see any limits in his play from a schematic standpoint. The same things that made him special at 35 I see at 45. Nothing much has changed.”
Elsewhere at One Buc Place, much has changed.
Rob Gronkowski is gone. Say goodbye to a dynamic red-zone target and a stout blocker for the run game. Ali Marpet and Ryan Jensen have been replaced by inexperienced players struggling to open holes for Leonard Fournette.
In their past four games, the Bucs are averaging 44.5 yards on the ground. That’s a good quarter for Nick Chubb.
Major challenges for Byron Leftwich.
For the season, Tampa Bay averages 3.1 yards per carry. That’s last in the league and well below the NFL standard of 4.5 yards.
Saddled with an ineffective ground attack, Brady looks toward his flanks for support.
What does he see? He sees one wide receiver (Mike Evans) with more than one TD catch. He sees Kyle Rudolph with one reception all season.
He sees the indomitable will of Chris Godwin, still far from 100 percent, and he sees a Julio Jones who has basically gone AWOL since the season opener.
No matter. Brady’s response is to throw 52 passes in each of the past two games. He keeps grinding, relying on the reliable right leg of Ryan Succop more than he would like.
The Bucs are averaging only 20.6 points, 19th in the league. They rank 21st in total yards. Those aren’t the numbers usually associated with a Tom Brady team, but Tampa Bay stands today at 3-2, despite playing opponents with a cumulative 15-10 record.
“When we have a game with all three phases clicking, it’s going to be awesome,” says Tristan Wirfs. “Tom’s a freak. He’s still doing all of this at 100 years old.
“There’s nobody in this locker room who knows what it’s like to be in Tom’s shoes or to live that life. I go home and nobody’s tweeting about what I’m doing. I love him to death. He’s locked in all the time. It’s insane.”
Ira loves that lifetime warranty on new and used vehicles!
Ira Kaufman Has A High-Octane Brady 2023 Debate And A Fiesty Receivers Discussion, Talks Defensive Mindset, Running Game Perspective, Steelers Game Predictions, NFC South Changes & More
October 15th, 2022 at 11:16 am
Joe–no comments on jenna laine and her ridiculous questions to Todd Bowles?–big news now–all over every website on internet. A normal head coach! sorry he has to deal with this stupid line of questioning from left wing jenna.
October 15th, 2022 at 11:23 am
Yet Ira said on the podcast yesterday that the Bucs should move on from Brady if they have a down year. Joe was right to shout that down!
October 15th, 2022 at 11:27 am
we have not yet won the Steelers game how about we do that before talking about playoffs and future games at 5-2 too much assumption
October 15th, 2022 at 11:28 am
There’s no excuse for Bucs not getting 100 yds rushing against Steelers. If they can’t run against the 3rd worst D in NFL, this will be an unnecessarily close game.
October 15th, 2022 at 11:39 am
Once again, Ira…..you hit the nail right on the head…….we should hang on to Brady as long as we can…..
I look to see a breakout game from him Sunday. Let’s establish the run after we have hopefully jumped out to a 21 point lead…….This week….let’s not let them back into the game.
October 15th, 2022 at 12:08 pm
Joe has no interest in that subject and doesn’t believe most of his readers do either. It’s 2022, not 1962. Besides, Joe feels bad for the way folks heckle Jenna. She works for a company. She has editors. They want certain subjects discussed and specific questions asked whether Jenna wants to ask them or not. Jenna has to follow orders from her bosses just like most of us. Joe’s been in that situation before. Thankfully those days are over.
October 15th, 2022 at 12:18 pm
If they struggle again against a bad Steelers team, I’ll be surprised.
October 15th, 2022 at 12:48 pm
Seems to me that they are using the short passing game more which helps the young offensive line, and subverts part of our running game into short passes to Lenny in the flat
October 15th, 2022 at 12:54 pm
If Irv doesn’t quit straddling that fence he’s going to get castrated.
October 15th, 2022 at 1:26 pm
Just don’t let Casey Hayward ruin the game. The Steelers move him around a lot. BTW they have Brian Flores who is very familiar with Brady. I’m sure they’ll have something cooked up.
October 15th, 2022 at 1:30 pm
Derek I agree.. I love reading the Ira articles but sometimes he says some of the dumbest crap I’ve ever heard… Why would you get rid of Tom Brady.. He brought us a super bowl and he has made us relevant again
October 15th, 2022 at 3:32 pm
Wirfs is another splendid human in addition to being the best at his job in the NFL. Of course Bymron runs Lenny left all the time, it’s what offensive geniuses do.
October 15th, 2022 at 9:07 pm
Thanks for the perspective. If this is what is happening, then she is not actually a journalist. She is a messenger. If she is willing to hold water for forces with which she disagrees, just for the paycheck, then she must be willing to accept what comes with that, or be willing to forge a new path, as you have done.
October 15th, 2022 at 9:12 pm
Jenna is great. firethecannons is a shirtstain.
October 15th, 2022 at 9:19 pm
Not suggesting everything Jenna asks in interviews are ordered. Some are. That’s the business. Same goes for most reporters in sports and news. Joe’s seen reporters/editors argue tooth and nail for/against stories. Part of the business.
Again, Joe’s been there before.
If you work for MSM you have editors and sometimes they want certain stories written. That’s the job of editors as well.
October 16th, 2022 at 12:36 am
Jenna Laime…perhaps getting a bit out over her skis. Irv appears to forgive TB12 a bit here for the roughing the passer call that upset him, Rich McKay and The 2 Arthur’s.