Quarterback Tom Brady has made a career of getting the ball to the open receiver.
Sometimes, and perhaps most of the time, that means Brady goes with short or intermediate passes rather than throwing a deep ball into double coverage, or a lower-percentage throw down the sideline.
But Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians wants to make sure people know it’s not because he can’t do it. Arians came to the 42-year-old Brady’s defense Wednesday and said he’s certainly still capable of doing so.
“I think the perception is just wrong,” Arians told ESPN. “I thought his deep ball was outstanding last year. Through their play-action game, they hit a lot of deep balls. And our quarterback — I thought he put it as good as anybody — throw it to the guy who’s open.”
Brady recorded a 43 percent completion rate on passes of 20 or more air yards in 2019. It ranked seventh-highest in the league, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
“He can make every throw,” Arians said. “He can do everything we want to do in our offense.”
Brady, of course, signed with the Buccaneers in free agency after spending 20 years with the New England Patriots. During an introductory conference call Tuesday, Brady opened up about how he had watched Arians’ offense in the past and noted both the players and coaching were among the reasons he chose to sign with Tampa Bay.
