Has Tom Brady Proved He’s Not A System Quarterback Yet?

When Tom Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it elevated the Bucs to Super Bowl favorites. Even before the season started, everyone took to media outlets to gush over one of the game’s greats headed to a team with a ton of up side, paired with a good coach in Bruce Arians, with a ton of talent around him. Talent would keep being signed until the Bucs had all the pieces they felt would get them to the big dance.

However Brady has not been without his skeptics through his entire career. Everyone would argue that Bill Belichick was the mastermind behind Tom’s success. After all, the Patriots would win the season he was out with a broken leg. The team would stay afloat when he was suspended for a 4 game stretch for deflated footballs. The Pats were a 10-win team no matter who was under center. Everyone’s favorite arguement was “Tom Brady is overrated. He’s nothing but a systems quarterback.”

20 years later and finally with a new team, we have to wonder if Tom Brady has done enough to prove the haters wrong. Brady and the Bucs have struggled at times this season and the media has jumped all over him. With as much talent as he has around them, everyone’s expecting him to be on the same level as the new crop of talented quarterbacks, despite almost doubling them in age.

More Bucs: Brady Has Tougher Road to Playoffs in Tampa Bay

If you pull up his stats, he’s already thrown more interceptions in 11 games (9) than he did all last season (8). In a season where he’s working with new to him receivers, in a new offense, under a new headcoach thats to be expected. When you break down the Bucs receivers, they have a totally different skill set than the Pats did. New England ran quick slants and under routes that kept the chains moving and the tempo up. Tampa runs something similar but have deeper receivers that stretch more forcing Brady to take more chances downfield. Riskier throws always lead to more interceptions.

In terms of passing yards, he’s already on pace to match his total from 2018 when he took the Pats to a Super Bowl. That same season he’d throw 29 touchdowns by the season’s end. So far this season he’s already thrown 25 with 5 more games to go. In 2018 the Pats would go 11-5 only to lose to the Eagles in the Super Bowl. That same season, the rest of the division would win just seven, six, and four games and none challenged for the division. Tampa Bay has a tougher route in the NFC South with the Saints and future Hall of Famer Drew Brees to go through. Even with a losing record, the Panthers and Falcons present more of a challenge than the 2018 AFC East.

While the Patriots have struggled this year, Tom Brady has gone on to have success with the Bucs. Maybe NFL analysts hold him to a higher standard, but in no way is he struggling as much as they play it up. There’s a good chance they’ll still win 10 games and make the playoffs which should put the Brady or Belichick argument to rest.