No More Free Passes
March 25th, 2020
No more division patsies.
The NFC South ain’t what it once was, but it’s not AFC East either.
One largely unspoken reason new Bucs quarterback Tom Brady and the Patriots have been so successful over the past two decades was the AFC East was such a joke of a division.
The AFC East used to be the ACC or the Big Ten of the NFL. Worse even. Once in a while, the Jets would have success but not sustained.
So the Patriots each and every year (almost) had a cakewalk to a division title and often a bye.
It reminded Joe of the old ACC where Florida State would cruise to a conference title year after year and an easy big bowl invite, or the old Big Ten where Michigan and Ohio State would only have to worry about one game (when they played each other) and get a free pass to Pasadena (until Penn State joined the conference).
And while the NFC South may not be what it was, New Orleans and Atlanta are not pushovers. So Nick Wright of “First Things First,” seen weekday mornings on FS1, explains Brady’s job of winning a division just got a whole lot tougher.
For the first time it seems, Brady will be tested regularly in the regular season.
“The Bucs are in a far tougher division. Tom Brady goes from having to beat Josh Allen, Sam Darnold & Ryan Fitzpatrick to having to beat Drew Brees, Matt Ryan & Teddy Bridgewater. … Everything just got harder for Tom.” — @getnickwright pic.twitter.com/B4YYYOOIkR
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) March 25, 2020
March 25th, 2020 at 12:18 pm
NFC will make a man out the boy…he did have a cakewalk year in and year out
March 25th, 2020 at 12:19 pm
This is a good thing for us! It will motivate and sharpen TB’s edge like never before. Can’t wait to see how the team responds to his intensity and will to compete and win! Time for men to step up and bring all they got all the damn time!! And that includes film study and other preparation — like conditioning (hamstrings, anyone? Although I put that more on the training staff) — I’m not just talking about practice and game day focus and effort.
March 25th, 2020 at 12:20 pm
Of course Tom doesn’t play against those guys. He plays against their defenses. Atlanta and Carolina defenses are softer than in a decade, and New Orleans won’t be as good. So if the Bucs defense, especially secondary, grows, and Methuselah can throw a 20 yard pass (his “deep ball”) with some remnant of velocity, a Bucs winning season seems in the cards.
March 25th, 2020 at 12:20 pm
What you mean make a man out of the boy …. he and the patriots beat legitimate teams in the AFC playoffs … by the way the AFC is the dominate conference… he has 6 rings
March 25th, 2020 at 12:22 pm
Tom Brady is the GOAT for what he did in the postseason, not the regular season.
March 25th, 2020 at 12:25 pm
The Bucs should have a much greater chance now at contending for the NFCS crown…
The unknown of course is Bridgewater and the Panthers but I am not expecting great things from them this year…
March 25th, 2020 at 12:34 pm
new chapter…
but its still the TOM BRADY book….
GO BUCS!!!!
March 25th, 2020 at 12:35 pm
the whole division will be good and i think the winner of this division will be a 10-6 team. we all play eachother tigh and with atlanta in the mix and carolina will always be a tough out, there will be some epic division battles. bucs need to at least go 4-2 in the division to have a chance. those two losses also cannot be to new orleans.
March 25th, 2020 at 12:36 pm
The Bucs should be able to be competitive in the NFC NASCAR division at last.
Carolina is a year away, Atlanta might be toast already.
Competing with New Orleans would be a treat.
AFC East is anyone’s game now.
March 25th, 2020 at 12:37 pm
Mort
Exactly…it’s the SIX SB rings that people remember not the division titles. It’s not Brady’s fault he played in a weak division. When it counted…in his playoff runs..he stepped up against EVERYBODY. He’s been lauded because he’s Mister Clutch…just ask the Falcons!
“Brady’s job of winning a division just got a whole lot tougher.”
And indeed this may have actually been an element that attracted TB12…He loves a challenge!
March 25th, 2020 at 12:39 pm
Cowboys and Poe agree to a deal… so maybe we can get on with signing Suh?
March 25th, 2020 at 12:50 pm
As long as the bucs defense can play at a decent level the bucs should either win the defense or at least get in the playoffs with 11 wins next year. It is all on the defense in 2020. Tahmmy will throw 30 TDs and maybe 8-10 ints…think of that…he on his own will be helping the bucs defense by long drives and no oints of turnovers
March 25th, 2020 at 1:07 pm
Brady does NOT have to beat Brees, Ryan and Bridgewater.
The defense has to.
March 25th, 2020 at 1:08 pm
We no longer have the 4th best qb in the division… we now have the best. Ain’t gonna be easy, but see you in the playoffs.
March 25th, 2020 at 1:21 pm
A former qb was sacked 47 times and would have been much more if he didn’t have such an uncanny ability to slip them and it wasn’t because he held the ball too long. Brady was sacked 27 . His mental abilities are a big factor in that but contrary to Joe(1) the line was a reason for those sacks and poor run game. If Brady has to do a whole lot of scrambling to get away he’s gonna be in trouble.
March 25th, 2020 at 1:29 pm
@813bucboi Says
“new chapter…
but its still the TOM BRADY book….
GO BUCS!!!!”…
————————
i love that BOOK, we have been without one for a log log time….
that “BOOK” should be on hands of ALL locker room….
TB@TB