Cris Carter: Tom Brady Looks Mentally Tired And Mike Evans Looks Physically Tired
December 13th, 2022
Hall of Famer Cris Carter reacts.
It’s a tired team. That’s what a Hall of Famer thinks of the Bucs offense.
Specifically, Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter thinks that Tom Brady is mentally worn down and Mike Evans is physically worn down. And that is why the two seem disconnected, Carter said.
Appearing on “Up and Adams” with Kay Adams seen on FanDuelTV, Carter explained to Adams why Brady’s mind isn’t right.
First is the break up of his marriage to the model Gisele Bündchen, then the football element is wearing Brady down mentally, Carter explained.
What is getting to Brady on the field? He’s taken punishment like he hasn’t in years, per Carter, and he’s an old man. For example, Carter noted the Bucs had one of the better if not the best offensive line for Brady’s first two seasons.
Now, due to retirement and injury, the line isn’t as good. Perhaps its good enough for a young, more mobile quarterback but maybe not good enough for an immobile middle-aged man.
And of course, Carter said, there is no Antonio Brown and no foot-rubbing Rob Gronkowski to take heat off Evans and provide quality targets for Brady.
Joe thinks those are all solid points.
You can see and hear Carter’s take on Brady in the FanDuelTV video below.
Cris Carter discusses Tom Brady’s disconnect in Tampa Bay, and how he can’t step away from the game:
“Tom Brady is crazy. He is crazy about this girl and it’s called football.”
📺: @FanDuelTV | @heykayadams | @criscarter80 pic.twitter.com/3pAhmR9bOm
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) December 12, 2022
December 13th, 2022 at 4:07 am
They look tired and it looks like Mike has given up on Tom throwing him good passes. It’s like he’s just certain that the ball will be high, low, or anywhere other than where it should be. Maybe the team hasn’t given up on the coaches; maybe theve given up on Brady? I mean, something happened between them. This level of falling off between a QB and wr1 is not a common sight at the NFL level. We don’t see the practices where the team is able to make up its own mind about each other without the prying eyes of fans and media.
Hey, it’s as possible as any other scenario. But we can agree, something has happened between them
December 13th, 2022 at 4:13 am
I’ve said it a few times, but Evans doesn’t even look interested. The redzone (when we get to it, which is rare) Was his backyard, he has like 3 touchdowns from inside the 20. Haven’t seen the fade away since week 1. Down the field shots are non existent with receptions. I just don’t get it, other than one of you Joe’s mentioned someone said the routes are for run blocking and the offense is different. There’s no reason other than Bowles being HC why there is no chemistry anymore.
December 13th, 2022 at 5:20 am
It’s the AB one that doomed this team. With AB, we could be averaging at least 7 points better with a better record.
December 13th, 2022 at 5:36 am
Leopold Stotch … ‘There’s no reason other than Bowles being HC why there is no chemistry anymore.’
That’s your OPINION, but don’t tout it as a REASON. From everything I can see, Bowles is hands-off this offense. This is the Leftwich-Brady show and it’s turned into an ugly melodrama.
If you want REASONS for the offense’s dramatic fall, you don’t really have to look too far. Try no oversight of BL’s play designs & play calling. Try an OLine that in Sunday’s game had only 1 bonafide starter. Try a 45-year-old immobile QB with a fading arm who’s having trouble dealing with collapsing pockets. Try a trio of WRs who are having trouble getting open due to injuries, scheme or whatever. Try a pair of RBs who are both doing great catching the ball … behind the LOS. Or a pair of rookie TEs who are, oh ya, playing like rookies.
There are plenty of scapegoats available if that’s what you’re looking for Leopold. But to blame Bowles for ‘no chemistry’ as being the source of the problem misses the mark IN MY OPINION.
December 13th, 2022 at 6:18 am
That fair, Dr. My chemistry comment was based off a previous podcast with Ira, I think it was Lee (Joe) who said something along the lines of a scout or something that the routes are different and are moreso for a running scheme. What has Bowles been adamant about this year? Running the ball, top etc. So with his input, he would ask BL to go that route and with Evans running more go routes amongst others, it looks like there’s something off between him and Brady.
Of course we have no proof that my theory based off of this site’s podcasts and articles have provided, I could have misunderstood or just flat out be wrong. The missing players definitely hurts a lot and add layers to the issues we’re having. My last statement was not worded as well I see. Appreciate the input.
December 13th, 2022 at 6:41 am
DR is spot on-The Oline is in shambles , and with this Oline Joe , NO FREAKING WAY ANY QB achieves even mediocrity. Free agents and very good ones on the Oline were and are today available , but Jason Lichts’ wickedly stubborn intransigence regarding signing some help for the Oline is malfeasance and failure on his part.
December 13th, 2022 at 7:16 am
By now these guys don’t even WANT to make the playoffs because they know it will just extend their season and they’ll lose anyway. Better to not make the playoffs and go play golf.
December 13th, 2022 at 7:19 am
Poor route running. Middle push given up by the O line even when it holds up. No pocket for a pocket passer. Brady needs a U pocket. How often do U see one. His arm looks weaker on some throws because he can’t step up and/or into throws. He has to throw flat footed or off his back foot which messes up his mechanics. There’s no hip whip. I know what my eyes tell me and this is what I see.
December 13th, 2022 at 7:31 am
We need Bryce young in the worst way. Appreciate the Brady yrs but I’m jealous of the Bills, Bengals, Chiefs. Young, next gen quarterbacks. Success and relevance for the next 15 years
December 13th, 2022 at 7:32 am
That’s just Mike….he always looks that way……..a holding penalty on his long TD reception can also cause that look.
Have you noticed that it looks like he gets hurt every time he gets hit…..but comes back in.
Mike is a total beast and its a crime he isn’t used more…..just throw it to Mike please.
December 13th, 2022 at 7:33 am
The Bucs don’t deserve a playoff spot. The problem is neither does the rest of the sorry excuse for the NFC South.
December 13th, 2022 at 7:47 am
At 6’5″ and 230 lbs. M.E. is open on every play , even when he is covered.
December 13th, 2022 at 7:55 am
I think they look more disgusted and fed up with the coaching than tired.
December 13th, 2022 at 7:59 am
DR – nice post. That pretty much sums up all the problems with laser focus. Also, you said something yesterday about being quick to call for coach firings while ignoring all of these other things. That is a valid point, and I’ve certainly been among those focusing disproportionately on BL’s ineptitude. But remember, we can’t do anything about injuries or retirements, yet we CAN do something about inept coaching. Hence the outweighed fous on BL, and the anger/frustration with inaction on that front.
December 13th, 2022 at 8:02 am
TBBF, totally agree. Evans13 is the key. He will win the majority of 1-on-1 matchups. Just throw him the damn ball!
December 13th, 2022 at 8:05 am
Deep ball inaccuracy is on Brady.
Not sure what Evan’s is doing on the field sometimes, he needs to get mentally into playing every snap until the whistle and run every route where it is supposed to go. If one thing goes wrong in a game, Mike looks like his emotions take over and he loses his edge.
Bucs receivers are not getting separation as all of the analytics show. Thats on the offensive system as much as it is the players. They need some younger receivers. Too much money being spent in over-the-hill players like Brate, Jones, Smith, LVD. Then you have the second contract guys that don’t play well enough to make them a winning team: Davis stands out as a mid level CB.
He isn’t a game changer or a big playmaker, just a good CB. Maybe in the top 20-25 in the league.
The Bucs have always made the mistake of resigning starters they drafted and paying them a premium. Davis and Brate are good examples. Devin White should be signed to one year deal and traded. He isn’t good in this system, a better fit elsewhere.
December 13th, 2022 at 8:05 am
Completely agree – the line isn’t as good. Perhaps good enough for a young, more mobile quarterback but maybe not good enough for a middle-aged man who is immobile.
December 13th, 2022 at 8:10 am
I will be surprised if Brady returns to this mess. I’ve seen Brady on some mediocre teams, but nothing like this. Normally you see Brady walking up the sidelines screaming and encouraging players to fight, but Sunday it looked obvious even to him that this team had given up, perhaps before the coin flip.
This team lacks weapons, it lacks leadership, and it lacks character. Firing Leftwich and Bowles solves only one of the three problems.
December 13th, 2022 at 8:30 am
If the Bucs QB wasn’t named Tom Brady, he would have been benched weeks ago. His throws are underthrown, off target and mostly dumps offs for 2-3 yards. He can’t get the ball more than 8 yards. The problem is no one wants to be the coach to bench a GOAT. This will end up costing the bucs getting into the playoffs.
December 13th, 2022 at 8:33 am
Giving push on pass plays. Not getting push on run plays. There it is. Simple. The O line is below average due to injuries and departures. Probably would’ve been okay if we hadn’t lost Jensen. Hainsey does nothing but seems to be getting a pass from commenters and media. Gets pushed constantly. An O line has to play as a unit.
December 13th, 2022 at 8:35 am
I agree with Cris Carter on Brady looking mentally tired. Rich or poor, divorce is a mentally exhausting process if you’re separating from someone you love.
December 13th, 2022 at 8:35 am
Cris Carter has always been an idiot……that’s why he’s not on TV commentating anymore.
December 13th, 2022 at 8:38 am
DEVEN THOMPKINS IS THE NEW AB
December 13th, 2022 at 8:42 am
I wonder if, as an older team overall, we’re feeling the effects of the first 17-game regular season last year more than most.
December 13th, 2022 at 8:42 am
Only losers give up on their team. They are still in it, but I wonder why #76 is still starting.
December 13th, 2022 at 8:46 am
Those 50/50 balls to Evan’s are now 25/75, Evan’s quits on routes and has had a lot of drops this season. Throwing into coverage to receivers that struggle to get separation is ridiculous. There are plenty of running QB’s available to work a trade, Murray (blew out knee first play last night), Jackson (maybe gone for the season blew out knee), Fields (can’t throw and always injured), Lance (same), Mayfield he’s healthy, Zak Wilson, Darnold, Mills, Carr, White, B. Jones (NY), Purdy (second coming), you ain’t getting Mahomes, Allen, Burrows or Hebert, Bucs could pay $50MM+ for Wilson, Roger’s or Murray, those teams would love to be out of those contracts. To all you wannabe GM’s, where should Bucs invest their money on?
December 13th, 2022 at 9:10 am
Not sure what I said to get modded, if it was bad I apologize… Long story short, appreciate the feedback DR. Your analysis is always on point.
December 13th, 2022 at 9:14 am
Ed … ‘Bucs receivers are not getting separation as all of the analytics show. Thats on the offensive system as much as it is the players.’
Agree totally; you can’t separate the two. I didn’t realize until looking at Sunday’s offensive snaps how much Evans & Godwin in particular are being used each game. Overused IMO, especially when you talk working hurry-up offenses. Out of 76 offensive snaps for the Bucs on Sunday:
o Godwin: 69 snaps (91%) … targets 9; catches 5 (54 yds)
o Evans: 66 snaps (87%) … targets 9; catches 4 (44 yds)
o Julio: 55 snaps (72%) … targets 8; catches 5 (38 yds)
o Gage: 25 snaps (33%) … targets 2; catches 2 (12 yds)
o Miller: 11 snaps (14%) … targets 1; catches 0 (0 yds)
But then look at our RBs & TEs:
o White: 40 snaps (53%) … targets 5; catches 5 (21 yds)
o Fournette: 36 snaps (47%) … targets 7; catches 6 (33 yds)
o Otton: 45 snaps (59%) … targets 5; catches 4 (28 yds)
o Brate: 28 snaps (37%) … targets 4; catches 2 (12 yds)
o Kieft: 5 snaps (7%) … targets 1; catches 1 (11 yds)
That distribution of snaps seems bizarre to me. Yards per catch are well down for everyone. Plus some guys are getting overused, and that’s probably impacting their productivity.
Look at Godwin as an example. Chris was on the field for 69 plays, yet only got 9 targets in that span? On his 69 plays, was he primary? Alternate? Decoy? Blocking? He had a 77.2% catch rate last year, with an average yards/reception of 11.3 yards. This year it’s down to 67.6% (almost 10% LESS) and down to 9.6 yards/reception. That’s a pretty big change. Evans numbers aren’t quite that dramatic, but they’re still down considerably. Something’s wrong obviously. I still think it all gets back to OLine blocking not allowing sufficient time for routes to develop. Too many checkdowns & short passes gaining very little & far too few explosive pass plays.
December 13th, 2022 at 9:16 am
Brady is the bucs franchise. The idiots like The Glasers and “no balls” Boles and “LEFT FIELD” Leftwich don’t understand they need to build the team around that franchise. Too much ego on their part to realize what harm they are doing to The G.O.A.T.
December 13th, 2022 at 9:29 am
The weak offensive line is the source of all the problems . Have said it since all the injuries to O Line in pre season.
The blame is on Licht for not bringing on some experienced talent on the offensive line .
What a waste of Brady talent .
Hopefully , Wirfs is back this week.
December 13th, 2022 at 9:34 am
So, unless there is a top 3 Oline, AB, and Gronk, this team has set Brady up for failure. Cool story.
December 13th, 2022 at 9:35 am
I’m surprised Chris Carter didn’t say that Todd Bowles should make Byron Leftwich his “fall” guy! Would be a good start! Fire Byron now and if the team play improves, he may save his job. Otherwise, this whole coaching staff will be fired at the conclusion of the season! What a wasted season!
December 13th, 2022 at 9:40 am
Leopold … I appreciate your kind words, and I wasn’t trying to be nasty or anything. I’ve fallen victim to seeking ‘scapegoats’ more times than I can count in my life, and I have to keep telling myself that life is rarely that simple. Also have to constantly keep telling myself to search for the CAUSES of why something went awry and stop focusing on the SYMPTOMS (that’s what I was taught is the basis of sound analysis).
I think it’s pretty much the same with OPINIONS (which usually focus more on symptoms) versus REASONS (which hopefully explain the causes of why something isn’t working right). Don’t know if any of that makes any sense, but it seems to help me understand a little better why things went the way they did.
December 13th, 2022 at 9:47 am
No way Bowles doesn’t have his hands in this offense. If some guy was going to cost you your job would you just set back and watch . Especially if you were his boss. Makes 0 sense.
December 13th, 2022 at 9:47 am
NEfan … Spot on. I vote to give Trask a chance next year & ‘fix’ some of our other problems to build a more competitive team BEFORE we go QB hunting. You never know, he may be the 2nd coming of Trent Dilfer OR he may turn out to be a poor man’s Mahomes, Allen or Burrows.
December 13th, 2022 at 9:51 am
Kentuck Buc … Watch Bowles on the sidelines in games. I don’t see any hands-on there. And since we’re running on only a little over 32% of our plays, I can’t see how he’s influencing anything to do with this offense. Is he telling them to pass? BA told ’em that.
December 13th, 2022 at 10:05 am
I appreciate your contributions on here DR but I disagree with you here. I believe it goes all the way back to training camp. With the weak O line play it probably doesn’t matter either way. The run percentages means nothing when your playing from behind on a weekly basis. The numbers are skewed. Todd puts the brakes on the O long ago. Maybe he felt he had to with this O line. More likely this is his philosophy. The Jets under his tenure was a low risk offense, defense first team. Sound familiar.
December 13th, 2022 at 10:27 am
Kentucky Buc … Agree with ya about the run percentages meaning little when you’re constantly playing from behind. I guess I just don’t see any evidence that Bowles has actually changed anything on the offensive side of the ball. We’re running less, for several reasons I’m sure (such as playing from behind more), our passing isn’t working the same way (fewer explosive plays but we’re still throwing it downfield, just not connecting). When I listen to his press conferences, I hear very little about how he’s gonna change things; it’s always about tweak this or practice this harder.
I’m admittedly of the opinion that for all practical purposes the Bucs have co-HCs … Bowles & Leftwich. Leadership by Committee. Never seen it work; doubt it’ll start working here.
December 13th, 2022 at 10:59 am
I hope that’s not true DR. If Bowles took this job under those conditions he’s an idiot. You could be right. If so this organization is seriously flawed.
December 13th, 2022 at 12:26 pm
Evans has been off most of the year. He’s no longer in the Top 10 WR conversation.
December 13th, 2022 at 1:38 pm
Evans has entered the age where hes past his prime. Its more evident with him because he was never fast to begin with
December 13th, 2022 at 3:35 pm
Bucamania, many have posted Brady is failing due to the loss of players like Gronk & AB in part that is true two of the best but I believe the same works against Evan’s. Without these receiving threats his job just got harder and it shows. If Evan’s, Godwin, Scotty & whomever for the last two seasons are accustom to 1 on 1 drills and now the coaches forbid them, how can you expect the timing to be the same?
December 13th, 2022 at 3:36 pm
“Try a 45-year-old immobile QB with a fading arm who’s having trouble dealing with collapsing pockets.”
—————————
Yeah, I agree, DR. He also doesn’t have enough brains to know he’s washed up.
December 13th, 2022 at 11:12 pm
AbucAway Says
“They look tired and it looks like Mike has given up on Tom throwing him good passes. It’s like he’s just certain that the ball will be high, low, or anywhere other than where it should be. Maybe the team hasn’t given up on the coaches; maybe theve given up on Brady?”
Impossible.
This is all about the oline and the coaching. Brady is under so much defensive pressure that he is risking a major hit every time he throws. That’s why Jensen is missed so much.
If anything, both Mike and Tom are fed up with the coaches not making things better.
December 13th, 2022 at 11:26 pm
OralsuckabucYall is the smartest one of this group. I hope he’s the next coach. Wise words. Very clear goals. Ragehardon…. Exactly what we need in a coach
December 14th, 2022 at 11:39 am
I know i’ve given up on watching these two.