Are Tom Brady's Bucs are the most dangerous team in the NFL playoffs?

technical details

is_video => true
is_chrome_page => null
article_body => "I thought Tom Brady was outstanding this season.<\/p>\r\n\r\nI anticipated the Buccaneers wouldn\u2019t just hit the ground running. They were up and down at the beginning of the season, but that was to be expected with Brady learning a brand new system after 20 years with the Patriots. <\/p>\r\n\r\nYou have to retrain your thought process: how you read particular route concepts and patterns, protection schemes and overall schemes. Brady had to get comfortable with offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and how he called plays. With no offseason and going right into camp, he probably wasn\u2019t able to have the same impact of putting his stamp on the offense.<\/p>\r\n\r\nPatriots Talk Podcast: If these 2 things happen last year, would Tom Brady still be a Patriot? | <a href=\"https:\/\/link.chtbl.com\/I4lb7Oey\">Listen & Subscribe<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/B0JLFwpLDwI\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n<drupal-url data-embed-button=\"url\" data-embed-url=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/quick-slants\/episodes\/b94c2267-574e-4a0e-ae87-263d2e3ed3fd\" data-entity-label=\"Embed social\" data-timestamp=\"1609891101\" data-url-provider=\"ART19\"><\/drupal-url>\r\n\r\nI\u2019m super impressed with the season Brady had, but it doesn\u2019t surprise me, because when you surround the best quarterback to play the game with talented receivers and weapons, it\u2019s usually going to result in success. Forty touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 4,633 yards and a 102.2 passer rating?<\/p>\r\n\r\nAnybody in the league would take that.<\/p>\r\n\r\nOther than the 2007 season when he had Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Jabar Gaffney, Donte Stallworth, Benjamin Watson and Daniel Graham, he hasn\u2019t had a group of pass-catchers with this amount of collective talent.<\/p>\r\n\r\nAnd while it takes time to learn a new system and its nuances, he has a wealth of knowledge that he can apply to understand that system. The most important thing is getting to a point in the game where you\u2019re not thinking -- where you\u2019re just going out and playing. And through his hard work, his preparation and his unmatched attention to detail, he's done that.<\/p>\r\n\r\nSo, it doesn\u2019t surprise me that he was able to get caught up to speed pretty quickly.<\/p>\r\n\r\nStatistically speaking, this absolutely was one of Brady's best seasons. That's the result of a combination of things: They have a good offensive line and have surrounded Brady with Pro Bowl talent in Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski. <\/p>\r\n\r\nBrady understands how to attack defenses and get the ball to the right guy. So, when you put people around him that he can excel with, he\u2019s going to find a way to make it work, because he\u2019s just so knowledgeable about the game. There\u2019s nothing that he hasn\u2019t seen in the NFL. <\/p>\r\n\r\nThat's the scary part to me: When you already have talented wide receivers and you bring Tom Brady into the building, he\u2019s going to make those guys even better than they were before. When they watch film together and communicate with Tom on a daily basis, they can understand what he\u2019s thinking and understand what he\u2019s expecting so they can be in the right position on game day.<\/p>\r\n\r\nWhen the playoffs come around, Brady brings another level of intensity. The meetings are a little more intense, because he knows what\u2019s at stake.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<drupal-entity data-embed-button=\"number_stats\" data-entity-embed-display=\"view_mode:paragraph.preview\" data-entity-type=\"paragraph\" data-entity-uuid=\"207de335-85d2-44d9-9202-f5e4bd2849ba\" data-langcode=\"en\"><\/drupal-entity>\r\n\r\nWhile Brady wants to make the playoffs and win the division, that\u2019s not his ultimate goal. His expectation every year is, \u201cHow can I win the Super Bowl again?\" It\u2019s a failure in his mind to make it to the playoffs and lose, under any circumstances. And that's what makes him great.<\/p>\r\n\r\nThat's why I believe the Bucs are a Super Bowl team. They can put up points and they\u2019re playing their best football right now. This offense is playing with a tremendous amount of confidence, and the guys they have on defense can pressure the quarterback. So, they\u2019re talented on both sides of the ball.<\/p>\r\n\r\nWhen you\u2019re winning games and playing with confidence, that\u2019s a dangerous combination in the playoffs.<\/p>\r\n"
created => 1609962983
changed => 1609973072
status => true
hero_image_credit => "USA TODAY Sports"
tags => null
field_bean_single_col => null
section => null
orig_image => {"alt":"","title":"","width":"1280","height":"720","uri":"public:\/\/article\/hero\/Brady_Tom_USATSI_15391335.jpg","timestamp":1609962983}
image => {"alt":"","title":"","width":"1280","height":"720","uri":"public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/boston\/2021\/01\/06\/Brady_Tom_USATSI_15391335.jpg","timestamp":1609962983}
video_url => "https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/boston\/video\/tom-brady-breaks-another-peyton-manning-record-bruce-arians-reacts"
is_mediaid => true
mediaid => "f96GbNL8R5U0"
video_autoplay => null
video_automute => null
mpx_account_id => "BxmELC"
player_url => "https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/vplayer\/p\/BxmELC\/newengland_main\/select\/media\/f96GbNL8R5U0?form=html&autoPlay=true"
chrome_data => null
description => "Tom Brady just finished a stellar first season with the Buccaneers, but his best may be yet to come, writes ex-Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel."
league => "NFL"
league_id => "104"
sport => "Football"
sport_id => "25"
image_credit => "USA TODAY Sports"
no_promo => false
no_trending_in_body => false
no_recirc => false
no_trend => false
short_title => "Cassel: Why Brady's Bucs are a legit Super Bowl contender"
sponsorship_type => "presented_by"
type => "article"
alias => "\/boston\/patriots\/are-tom-bradys-bucs-are-most-dangerous-team-nfl-playoffs"
title => "Are Tom Brady's Bucs are the most dangerous team in the NFL playoffs?"
nid => "261961"
author_0 => "Matt Cassel"
author_0_id => "72456"
mps => {"author_0":"Matt Cassel"}
region => "boston"
region_id => "6"
sponsor => null
sponsor_id => null
team_id => "28"
team => "Patriots"
published => 1609972807
article_type => "short"
meta => {"file":"\/mnt\/gfs\/rsnunited\/sites\/default\/files\/archive\/article\/boston\/patriots\/are-tom-bradys-bucs-are-most-dangerous-team-nfl-playoffs.json","assets":["public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/boston\/2021\/01\/06\/Brady_Tom_USATSI_15391335.jpg"]}

NFL ANALYST

/ by Matt Cassel

NFL ANALYST

Matt Cassel

NFL ANALYST

I thought Tom Brady was outstanding this season.

I anticipated the Buccaneers wouldn’t just hit the ground running. They were up and down at the beginning of the season, but that was to be expected with Brady learning a brand new system after 20 years with the Patriots.

You have to retrain your thought process: how you read particular route concepts and patterns, protection schemes and overall schemes. Brady had to get comfortable with offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and how he called plays. With no offseason and going right into camp, he probably wasn’t able to have the same impact of putting his stamp on the offense.

Patriots Talk Podcast: If these 2 things happen last year, would Tom Brady still be a Patriot? | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

I’m super impressed with the season Brady had, but it doesn’t surprise me, because when you surround the best quarterback to play the game with talented receivers and weapons, it’s usually going to result in success. Forty touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 4,633 yards and a 102.2 passer rating?

Anybody in the league would take that.

Other than the 2007 season when he had Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Jabar Gaffney, Donte Stallworth, Benjamin Watson and Daniel Graham, he hasn’t had a group of pass-catchers with this amount of collective talent.

And while it takes time to learn a new system and its nuances, he has a wealth of knowledge that he can apply to understand that system. The most important thing is getting to a point in the game where you’re not thinking -- where you’re just going out and playing. And through his hard work, his preparation and his unmatched attention to detail, he's done that.

So, it doesn’t surprise me that he was able to get caught up to speed pretty quickly.

Statistically speaking, this absolutely was one of Brady's best seasons. That's the result of a combination of things: They have a good offensive line and have surrounded Brady with Pro Bowl talent in Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski.

Brady understands how to attack defenses and get the ball to the right guy. So, when you put people around him that he can excel with, he’s going to find a way to make it work, because he’s just so knowledgeable about the game. There’s nothing that he hasn’t seen in the NFL.

That's the scary part to me: When you already have talented wide receivers and you bring Tom Brady into the building, he’s going to make those guys even better than they were before. When they watch film together and communicate with Tom on a daily basis, they can understand what he’s thinking and understand what he’s expecting so they can be in the right position on game day.

When the playoffs come around, Brady brings another level of intensity. The meetings are a little more intense, because he knows what’s at stake.

A new era

Tom Brady's career postseason record

30-11

Bucs' all-time postseason record

6-9

While Brady wants to make the playoffs and win the division, that’s not his ultimate goal. His expectation every year is, “How can I win the Super Bowl again?" It’s a failure in his mind to make it to the playoffs and lose, under any circumstances. And that's what makes him great.

That's why I believe the Bucs are a Super Bowl team. They can put up points and they’re playing their best football right now. This offense is playing with a tremendous amount of confidence, and the guys they have on defense can pressure the quarterback. So, they’re talented on both sides of the ball.

When you’re winning games and playing with confidence, that’s a dangerous combination in the playoffs.