Last year the Bucs ranked first in the NFL in pass attempts.  With Tom Brady leading the way the team attempted 731 passes. This was 56 more than the next closest team. At the same time, the Bucs ranked 31st in rushing attempts. Most teams talk about striving for balance, and while new head coach Todd Bowles didn’t explicitly say he was putting balance as a major goal in 2022, he did note that it would be nice.

“If we have to throw the ball 50 times to win, that’s great. If we have to run the ball 30 times to win, we’ll take what they give us,” Bowles said. “We’ll always have shots for big plays. Obviously, Brady is a great passer. We want to equal that with the running game if we can but if they’re taking away the run and we have to throw the ball 60 times and he throws five or six touchdowns, I’ll take the win. If we’re running the ball pretty good and we get going about 25-30 times, I’ll take the win. Nobody is putting handcuffs on the offense from that standpoint. We’re going to do whatever we have to do to win the game.”

Looking at the Bucs offseason moves, and you can see that there has been a concerted effort to help the running game get better. The team brought in guard Shaq Mason, who is one of the best run blockers in the league. They re-signed their top running back from 2021 in Leonard Fournette to a deal that averages $7 million per season. And they drafted running back Rashaad White to replace Ronald Jones as the team’s backup running back.

But with all of those moves to bolster the running game, could the team have been overlooking someone already on roster?

If I were to ask you which quarterbacks logged a PFF rushing grade above 75.0 last year, what names would you throw out at me? Lamar Jackson? Sure. Kyler Murray or Justin Fields? Seems reasonable. Josh Allen? Of course.

How about Tom Brady? He probably wasn’t at the top of your list. But there he is in 12th place with a 77.5 rushing grade. And who can forget some of his highlight reel moments such as this first down run against the Giants on Monday Night Football?

Look at the grace and mobility as he breaks a tackle while picking up chunk yardage! You can’t teach moves like those.

Could Brady Be Looking At His Running As The “X-Factor”?

Earlier in the offseason Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds looked at areas that Brady could improve in for 2022. He even asked Brady where he saw places for improvement. And in true Tom-like fashion, Brady evaded specifics. Could that be because he has been working on expanding his role in the run-game?

Last year he ran for more yards than any season in the last 10 years. And while Brady said he didn’t want to give anything away to his opponents, he hasn’t exactly been shy about bragging about his running ability. Brady had a 13-yard run versus Miami, a memorable 10-yard against the New York Giants, a 12-yard jaunt versus Buffalo and an 11-yard dash against Carolina in 2021.

Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Every time I see him run the ball, I’m just like, ‘Please, get down,'” Bucs wide receiver Chris Godwin said after the Giants game. “The one guy came and dove at his leg. I’m like he’s definitely going to slide here – nope, he does a little Tom hurdle, or whatever that was. It was dope to see him get that first down and the crowd loved it. That was an electrifying moment. It’s exciting, but I’ve got to make sure my boy gets down. He was gassed up. I think this is the most running he has done in his career. I’d be interested to see what those stats are, but he’s probably got 30 or 40 yards – he’s trying to break a record or something.”

Brady rushed for 81 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 28 carries (2.9 avg.) last year after having knee surgery in the offseason. That 81 yards is the most rushing yards by Brady since he ran for 109 yards with New England back in 2011.

Not bad for a 44-year old man.

The most yards Brady has ever rushed for in any season was 110 yards in 2002. He’s eclipsed the century mark three times in his 22-year career.

And the most amount of rushing touchdowns Brady has scored in any season was four in 2014 with the Patriots. Brady, a master of the QB sneak, ran for three TDs in 2020, his first season in Tampa Bay.

Folks, we could be seeing a whole new offense in 2022 from the Bucs. Not that Brady will be featured with read options and quarterback powers this season. But we could see a 100-yard rushing season from the 45-year old first ballot Hall of Famer – perhaps with four or five rushing scores to boot.