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Saints' Cam Jordan on Facing Bucs' Tom Brady: 'I'm Not Overly Excited About It'
May 2, 2020
New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan isn't looking forward to facing Tom Brady twice every year now that the three-time NFL MVP has joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Appearing on SportsCenter, Jordan shared his thoughts about playing in the same division as Brady:
"I mean, I'm not overly excited about it simply because we know that he makes all of the quick throws. I mean, if he doesn't see something downfield that he likes, he will check down. As a D-lineman, I'd rather you try to go for that deep ball. When you think about the three or four times that I've played Tom Brady, I think I've only gotten a sack off of him. So I mean, it's not like he's one of my most favorite targets. Have I sacked him? Yes. Have I sacked him a lot? No. I'm clearly going to have to change that this year."
When Brady played for the New England Patriots, Jordan only had to worry about trying to slow him down once every four years.
Jordan has only gone up against Brady twice since entering the NFL in 2011. The Saints did an effective job containing Brady in 2013, with Jordan recording one of the team's five sacks, but the Patriots earned a 30-27 win on Brady's 17-yard touchdown pass to Kenbrell Thompkins with five seconds remaining.
Brady was unstoppable in the second game in 2017, throwing for 447 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-20 win at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Expectations are high for the Buccaneers thanks to Brady's arrival. He joins an offense that ranked third in points per game (28.6) last season and had two players—Chris Godwin and Mike Evans—surpass 1,150 receiving yards.
Jordan is one of the NFL's best pass-rushers, as the 30-year-old has recorded at least 10 sacks in five of the past seven seasons, including a career-high 15.5 in 2019.
The Saints will need Jordan to keep up that level of play next season if they want to hold off Brady's Bucs and win the NFC South for the fourth straight year.