NFL Playoff Predictions: Who Has the Advantage, Tom Brady or Rex Ryan?
While preparing for the Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan managed to get in a shot at Tom Brady.
"Nobody studies like [Manning]. I know Brady thinks he does and all that stuff," Ryan said. "I think there's probably a little more help from [Bill] Belichick with Brady than there is with Peyton Manning."
Well, don't look now, but the Jets are preparing to take on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs. If the Jets are going to win, they are going to have to slow down the high-flying Patriots' offense.
That means Rex Ryan's defense is going to have to slow down Tom Brady and his help. Stay with me and check out who has the upper-hand.
No. 10: The Turnover Battle
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Tom Brady only threw four interceptions in 2010. That is a mind boggling number. He only threw two interceptions to teams not named the Jets.
While Brady is unbelievably stingy and efficient with his passes, the Jets had more success than any team at picking his pocket. As always, it is tough to win in the NFL if you lose the turnover battle.
Advantage: Ryan
No. 9: That's My Ball
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The Jets were able to pull out a victory in Indianapolis largely because they were able to keep Peyton Manning off of the field. The Jets running game pounded away yards and ate up the clock while Manning sat helplessly on the sideline.
The Colts also feature one of the weaker rush defenses in the NFL. The Patriots ended the season with the 11th ranked rush defense in terms of yards and 16th in yards allowed per carry.
While these aren't great numbers, the Patriots just need to be decent in order to get their offense the ball.
Advantage: Brady
No. 8: Ryan Knows Feet
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Tom Brady has impeccable throwing mechanics and that all starts with the feet. Ryan's defense feature a wide array of blitzes that are designed not only to get QB sacks, but also to force QBs out of their comfort zones.
Ryan's defensive schemes have the potential to force Tom Brady into off balanced throws. This is always a good thing for a defense.
Advantage: Ryan
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No. 7: Cool Under Pressure
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As we just mentioned the Jets have the ability to get pressure on the QB, but they rely mostly on blitzes to do so. Tom Brady is quick with his reads and it makes him dangerous to blitz.
On the year, the Patriots finished seventh by only allowing sacks on 4.7 percent of their pass plays. If they blitz and do not get to Brady, it is going to be a long day.
Advantage: Brady
No. 6: Flapping the Unflappable
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In 2007, the Patriots were crushing every opponent in their path. They ended the regular season a perfect 16-0. One of their closest games came against the Rex Ryan defensively coordinated, Baltimore Ravens.
That year, Brady had what many believe to be the greatest season any QB has ever had, but the Ravens held him to 18-38 passing with two touchdowns and one interception. The Ravens were not even a playoff team that year and Ryan's defense was able to rattle Brady enough to almost come away with a victory.
Advantage: Ryan
No. 5: Flexibility Is Key
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Well, this is a no brainer. How flexible could Rex Ryan be? Oh wait, I mean there game not their bodies.
While Ryan has a diverse way of attacking offense, his defense lacks the flexibility of the Patriots' offense. The Pats have shown the ability to run short precision routes when teams gear up for the run, to throw long when teams stack the box and to run the ball when teams try to focus on the pass.
Their offense has enough diversity to make it almost impossible to game plan for.
Advantage: Brady
No. 4: In the Playoffs You Run and Stop the Run
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In the playoffs, especially games played outdoors, their is an increased emphasis on the running game. If you can run the ball and stop the run, you'll have a chance in any game.
No team does these two things better than the Jets. On the season, they were third in rushing yards allowed and fourth in rushing yards gained. As great as Tom Brady is, he is going to need some help with the running game.
Advantage: Ryan
No. 3: Seen a Million Defenses and Rocked Them All
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The Patriots have played some of the leagues best defenses in 2010 and they have picked them all apart.
They shredded a Steelers' defense by opening up running lanes with an effective short passing game. They were one of only two teams to rush for over 100 yards on the Steelers and they did it by gaining over four yards per carry.
All of that success starts with the accuracy and quick decision making of Tom Brady.
Advantage: Tom Brady
No. 2: The Chip on the Shoulder
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Brady and Ryan are two men who seem to have done their best work when everyone has counted them out. They use the chip on their shoulder as extra motivation to fuel their inner-fires.
The Jets are big underdogs in this one. This is going to get Ryan's fire raging and he is going to stoke the intensity of his team. The Jets thrived in an underdog role in the 2009 playoffs and they are secure in that familiar position again.
Advantage: Ryan
No. 1: Increased Familiarity
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This will be the Patriots-Jets third meeting this year and their fifth in the two years that Rex Ryan has served as the Jets Head Coach. In both 09 and 10, the Patriots have lost the first game and won the second.
In the Week 12 contest of 2010, Brady lit up the Jets D for four TDs and zero interceptions while leading the Patriots to a 45-3 victory. Brady and the "team" that Ryan alluded to are the masters of adjustments.
Ant The Winner Is....
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The Jets, led by Ryan, are going to put up a valiant effort, but in the end it is going to be too much Tom Brady.
Brady is performing at the peak of his abilities. His acumen at reading defenses and making decisions is going to find the holes in Rex Ryan's defense, no matter how well Ryan disguises them.
Ryan may have just conquered Peyton Manning, but he is going to have to live with the fact that Tom Brady and his "team" knocked him out of the playoffs.
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