New England Patriots: 5 Reasons Why Tom Brady Can Decimate Chicago's Defense
As Tom Brady strengthens his campaign for the 2010 NFL MVP, he faces a different monster seemingly every week.
All have fallen at the feet of his mighty shoulder, and he has slain some wicked beasts in the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Jets most recently. His reign of dominance goes way back in the annals of time all the way to the previous decade, but if there was ever a case to be made for Brady as an elite quarterback, the past four games have been it.
I could go on ad nauseam about the numbers, but there are still five slides worth of reasons why Tom Brady can have a successful game, even against a Bears defense that ranks third overall in points and yards.
Don't get too far ahead of yourself to think that just because he tore up the Jets, he can do it to anyone. Every week provides a new set of challenges, and the Bears are certainly unique in what they can do to an offense.
So here are some reasons why Brady can enjoy a good game against the stout Bears defense.
1. Bears Play Cover Two
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Tom Brady has put up some gaudy numbers against a lot of teams this season, but has enjoyed a great deal of success against defenses that run the Cover 2 scheme. This is because his offensive line is getting great protection (more on that later).
He lit up the Bengals, Colts and Lions, all defenses that run some variation on the Cover 2. Against those teams, he's passed for 785 yards and nine touchdowns, while completing an average of 74.7 percent of his passes.
Cover 2 gives the Patriots plenty of room to do their favorite thing: Pick up yards after the catch.
Of course, the Cover 2 scheme works a lot better when the front line is getting pressure. If the Bears can do that, they can stop Brady and this offense. Something tells me they won't, though...
2. Elite Play From The Offensive Line
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Average NFL quarterbacks can be great when they have all the time in the world. Great quarterbacks like Tom Brady, though, can be lethal. Just ask the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who consistently gave Brady a comfortable cushion in the pocket to read the defense and make the play.
Needless to say, he sliced and diced those defenses, and slowly bled them to death.
The Bears defense is creating some pressure, but have only generated 25 sacks this season. They'll need to do a lot better than that if they want to slow down the Patriots offense.
With his offensive line picking up rushers like its their day job (because quite frankly, it is), Tom Brady is enjoying one of the most efficient stretches of his career and hasn't turned the ball over once since Week 6 against the Baltimore Ravens.
3. Ability Outside Of The Pocket
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Really, Tom Brady? After all these years, at 33 years old, now you decide to prove you can throw on the move?
There was the big play against the Vikings on Halloween, where Brady pirouetted out of the pocket as he evaded Ray Edwards, and found a streaking Brandon Tate for a big touchdown. That was just the precursor of things to come.
He may have taken a few sacks against the Jets, but had more than one nifty move to get away from the rush. One was on a red zone play to who else, but Brandon Tate, and for what else, but a touchdown.
Julius Peppers is one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL, and is having a stellar season even by his high standards. He hasn't, however, enjoyed a great deal of success against the Patriots. In fact, he's never recorded a sack against them. Something gives me the feeling he'll be frustrated more than once with Brady moving ever so gracefully on the rare occasions his offensive line doesn't give him time in the pocket.
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4. Mistake Free Since Week 6
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17 touchdowns. No interceptions.
That's Tom Brady's stat line since the end of the Baltimore Ravens game in Week 6. In that seven-game stretch, he's posted 1,826 yards and completed 66 percent of his passes.
That all bodes very well for the Patriots. In games where the Patriots win the turnover battle, they're 9-0.
The Bears defense has been remarkable at causing turnovers, with 16 interceptions and 10 fumbles forced this season, but the way the Patriots are playing now, I'd be surprised if they turned it over more than once.
But it's not as though they're doing it against Johnny Unitas every week. In fact, they've forced three or more interceptions against some turnover machines in Eli Manning, an injury-created combination of Matt Moore and Jimmy Clausen, Donovan McNabb, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brett Favre.
Needless to say, Tom Brady isn't one of those turnover machines.
5. Bad Weather? Short Passes
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When you think about games in bad weather, Tom Brady throwing 30-plus passes may not seem like the best idea. While he may not eclipse that number, it would have more to do with the Bears defense than the weather.
The short and intermediate passing game has been the hallmark of Tom Brady's career. It's hard to believe, then, that he's improved remarkably and can hit his receivers in what Steve Young calls the "center of the center."
He hasn't thrown an interception on a pass of 14 yards or less this season at all, even before Randy Moss left.
Yes, his stats do get a boost from all those yards after the catch picked up by Danny Woodhead, Wes Welker, Deion Branch and the like. Brady is placing those passes so perfectly that the receivers are given an even better opportunity to earn those yards after the catch.
Those short passes won't be effected much in the "Windy City" even if the conditions on the field are less than favorable.
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