5 reasons why Tom Brady could take things up a notch for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this year
At 43, brady" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tom Brady had another historical season. The man continues to defy commonly-held beliefs about longevity in such a physical sport, a Nietzschean Superman, if you will.
Brady had 4,633 yards and 40 touchdowns in the 2020 regular season. On top of his regular-season statistics, Brady threw for another 1,061 yards and a whopping ten touchdown passes in the playoffs.
If that wasn't enough to impress you, Brady also won his seventh Super Bowl ring and his fifth Super Bowl MVP award last season. Keep in mind, Brady accomplished all this in his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after spending the last 20 (!!!) seasons with the New England Patriots.
For most, there would be no way to top a season like the one Brady had in 2020, but there are several reasons to believe the G.O.A.T could be even better in the 2021 season.
5 reasons why Tom Brady could be even better in the 2021 season
#1 - Experience in the Bruce Arians offense
A quarterback's first year in a Bruce Arians-led offensive system has historically been a rough transition. Arians runs a vertical passing scheme, in which a quarterback takes a ton of shots down the field. In the past, quarterbacks have been prone to high turnover numbers in their first year with Arians.
Brady was in an even more difficult transition because the 2020 offseason was limited due to COVID-19. Brady had little time to grow familiar with what was a completely different offensive system than the one he was running in New England.
Brady had some rocky moments picking up the offense throughout the season, but he kept his turnovers relatively low (12 interceptions). With a full season under his belt and a full offseason, Brady will be very familiar with the Arians offense by the time the 2021 regular season rolls around.
#2 - An offseason to add his own touch to
Not only will Brady become more familiar with what Arians likes to do, but he'll also have a lot more time to add his own twist to the offense. Arians, Byron Leftwich and Brady will likely have had meetings this offseason to discuss ways to integrate the Arians system with the stuff Brady succeeded with in New England.
Last season, there just wasn't enough time to have Brady put his own touch to the playbook, but he has a full offseason now. As Brady gets more and more comfortable with the offense, his level of play will only continue to go up.
#3 - Improved chemistry with wideouts
For a quarterback who relies on precision and timing, it was probably tough to have limited time with new wide receivers last offseason. godwin" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chris Godwin and Mike Evans put up solid numbers last season, but there were multiple instances of miscommunication between Brady and the pair.
Once those miscommunications begin to clear up, and Brady, Godwin, and Evans are in sync, we could see an even better Buccaneers offense this upcoming season.
It should also be noted that Antonio Brown joined the Buccaneers mid-season and didn't have much time to familiarize himself with Brady and the other Buccaneers wideouts. All this additional time with his receivers is only setting Brady up for an MVP-level 2021 season.
#4 - Improved health
Brady played last season with a fully torn MCL. Assuming the surgery cleared up his knee issues, this season Brady will be healthier than he's been in a while. That's a scary thought for opposing defenses.
The key for the Buccaneers' offensive line will be keeping Brady upright and healthy.
#5 - Giovani Bernard
One of the most underrated reasons Brady may be even better this season is the signing of veteran running back Giovani Bernard.
If you watched the Buccaneers last season, it was evident that they were missing a running back who could catch the ball out of the backfield. Leonard Fournette had seven drops last season while Ronald Jones had five. The pass-catching running back role was virtually non-existent for Tampa Bay.
In 2020, Bernard had 47 catches. Plus, in his last three seasons, he's had only eight drops.
The importance of a running back who can catch won't go under the radar for Brady. We saw what the iconic QB was able to accomplish with James White in New England. Ironically, White and Bernard are former high school teammates.
This isn't to say Bernard will turn into White, but it's another weapon for Brady to utilize out of the backfield, which is something he's had great success with in the past.