Perhaps Tom Brady’s average 2019 campaign wasn’t entirely a result of the supporting cast around him.
Maybe the star signal-caller himself experienced a bit of decline.
Greg Cosell believes Brady regressed in two areas of his game last season, the quarterback’s final go-around with the New England Patriots. The NFL Films veteran offered his analysis of TB12 on Monday during an appearance on “Ordway, Merloni & Fauria.”
“I mean, I think he’s still a very good player,” Cosell said, as transcribed by WEEI. “I think there were two things that I thought were just not quite at the same level that we know of Tom Brady and his first-ballot Hall of Fame career. I would say his pocket movement was not quite as good as it has been throughout his career because he has been a master at being able to manipulate the pocket and navigate the pocket, find that quiet space to throw the ball. Good balance, still seeing downfield. He has been a master at that.
“And the other thing I would say is I thought that his ball placement wasn’t quite as consistently precise. He was not inaccurate, but it wasn’t quite as consistently precise as we have seen through 20 years. Through pretty much his entire career, it wasn’t quite at that level.
“Those were two things I would say were just below the Hall of Fame level that it has been over his career.”
Those perceived slips are to be expected when you rack up the amount of NFL mileage Brady has. That said, the six-time Super Bowl champion still is an above-average option under center, and it’s tough to imagine the Tampa Buccaneers are at all worried about what Brady can bring to the table.
