FAB 3. 4 Ways Brady Helps The Bucs

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks of Bucs training camp watching new Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady throw the football.

Sorry, check that.

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks of Bucs training camp witnessing greatness – otherwise known as watching Brady throw the football.

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

Yes, he’s that good.

I’ve seen some good quarterbacks in my two decades of covering the Bucs, including Super Bowl champion Brad Johnson, Brian Griese and Pro Bowler Jeff Garcia. Brady is obviously the best I’ve ever seen – because he’s the best that’s ever been.

Even at age 43.

In fact, if someone were to tell me that Brady was 35 instead of 43 I would believe them after watching the ball come out of his hand with the necessary velocity to make any throw in Bruce Arians’ playbook. And Brady’s pinpoint accuracy is just uncanny.

Heard enough gushing about Brady? Sorry, I’m going to gush some more.

In fact, I’m going to share with you four ways Brady will help the Buccaneers – aside from being a free agent recruiter, who helped Tampa Bay acquire tight end Rob Gronkowski, and free agent running backs LeSean McCoy and Leonard Fournette before the start of the season.

Spreading The Ball Around

The Bucs got into trouble last year with interceptions because some of Jameis Winston’s league-high 30 picks were on passes that forced to wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, who were Tampa Bay’s top two targets in 2019. Brady will get the ball to both of those Pro Bowlers, but he won’t hesitate to throw to the open receiver – whoever it is.

Bucs TE O.J. Howard – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Last year, the Bucs had four targets with 400 receiving yards or more in Evans, Godwin, Howard and tight end Breshad Perriman. Brady is know for sharing the wealth, and had five targets with 400 receiving yards or more in New England in 2019 – even without Gronkowski.

In Gronkowski’s last season in New England, the Patriots had five targets with 400 yards or more, including a pair of 1,000-yard targets in Gronk and wide receiver Brandin Cooks. The guess is that he’ll have five targets with 400 receiving yards or more in Tampa Bay this season – Evans and Godwin will eclipse 1,000 yards, while Howard, Gronkowski and Scotty Miller will all have at least 400 receiving yards.

Not locking onto a certain receiver and forcing the ball into coverage will make it harder for opposing defenses to take the ball away and stop Tampa Bay’s high-powered offense. Brady does a masterful job of reading the coverage and finding the favorable match-up in the passing game in his pre-snap read. By the time the ball is hiked, a completion is usually on its way.

Making The Bucs’ Pass Protection Look Better

The Bucs surrendered 47 sacks last year, while Brady was sacked just 27 times in New England. Winston was asked to hold on to the ball a bit longer in Arians’ vertical offense to allow routes time to develop downfield, while Brady operated Josh McDaniels’ quick, rhythmic passing game that demanded he get the ball out of his hand quickly.

Bucs LT Donovan Smith and QB Jameis Winston – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Tampa Bay’s pass protection looks noticeably better in camp because Brady does throw the ball quickly. Due to his 20 years of experience and high football I.Q., Brady makes quicker decisions than Winston did and goes through his progressions at warp speed.

The Bucs blame 15 of Winston’s sacks on him holding on to the ball too long last year. Take those away and the team should have surrendered a more manageable 32 sacks. Expect Tampa Bay’s sacks allowed number to be somewhere between 25-32 this season due to his quick decision-making.

Improving The Efficiency Of Those Around Him

The offensive line isn’t the only group that looks better due to Brady’s arrival. The quarterback’s accuracy is off the charts and he makes catching the ball a breeze.

Brady makes Tampa Bay’s wide receivers, tight ends and running backs more efficient in the passing game because there aren’t nearly as many errant passes. There were some practices where it didn’t seem like Brady’s passes ever hit the ground.

“It could seem like a perfect pass, a great ball – everything seems spot on, but, if he doesn’t feel it’s 100 percent crisp, exactly where the ball should be placed, if you weren’t efficient at the top of your route – you’re going to run it again until you really perfect it,” said Bucs tight end Cameron Brate. “He definitely is meticulous in the way he goes about his business.”

Brady’s accuracy on deep shots down the field is also night and day from what it was when Winston was slinging the ball 40-plus yards in the air. That’s music to the ears of Evans and Miller, the Bucs’ top deep threats.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Less missed throws equal more completed passes for more yards, and ultimately more first downs and touchdowns in Tampa Bay. That has prompted Arians to believe that the Bucs could score 30 points per game or more in 2020 after averaging 28.6 points per game last year.

“I don’t see any reason unless we turn the ball over,” Arians said. “We would’ve scored 30 last year, but we gave the ball away so many times, gave so many drives away [and] missed so many kicks. If we play the way we’re capable of playing, 30 points [is obtainable]. For me, I always call it ‘production time’ – it’s not possession. I don’t give a shit about possession time. Possession time doesn’t score any points. It’s what you do with the ball when you have it. If you have it for 30 minutes, you should have 30 points.”

Instilling The Confidence To Win

Brady is entering his 21st season in the NFL and he’s been to nine Super Bowls over that span with an NFL-record six championships. There isn’t any scenario he hasn’t seen or situation he’s overcome in two decades worth of playing quarterback.

Brady is a winner in the truest sense of the word. Brady’s 219 regular season wins are the most in NFL history, and his 30 wins in the postseason is also a league record. He knows how to win like no other, engineering 36 come-from-behind wins and 45 game-winning drives.

Bucs TE Rob Gronkowski and QB Tom Brady – Photo by: Getty Images

No offense to great players like Evans or Godwin, but the Bucs just didn’t have anyone in the huddle outside of center Ryan Jensen, who had any playoff experience whatsoever until the arrival of Brady and Gronkowski. Brady’s presence alone inspires confidence in Tampa Bay – and not just on the offensive side of the ball.

The Bucs defense now knows that if Tampa Bay is trailing and can get a stop and get the ball back to Brady the team has a great shot at winning – if the Bucs can make field goals in 2020, of course. Brady is great, but he can’t do it all.