“You can get a little more aggressive” - Tom Brady's biggest weakness revealed by former NFL LB
Tom Brady can sometimes seem unstoppable on the football field. But despite being the 'greatest of all time', there may be one glaring weakness in his skillset.
Former All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly recently appeared on an episode of Inside the Garage, where he talked about the similarities in playing-style between Brady and Peyton Manning.
He also explained why their style of play is different from many other NFL quarterbacks, and how their patterns can be used against them by the opposition's defense. Kuechly said:
“There are different kinds of quarterbacks in the league, and you know, you look at guys like Peyton and Brady versus guys like, you know Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson... one thing you always knew with guys like Peyton and Brady was they want to stay in the pocket."
He then described the appropriate strategy that defenses can use against them.
"So, you can get a little bit more aggressive in your pass rush games or third-down blitzes because you know you can win in different ways, and if the pocket breaks down, you can have a late looper and clean stuff up."
Kuechly elaborated on why being more aggressive could work.
"Versus, you know, you play a guy like, you know, Lamar, Mahomes or Russ, or you know, guys like Aaron Rodgers, you lose an edge on those guys. They can scramble out on the edge and make it pay because they have so much more space and time, but the one good thing when you play a guy like Peyton (or Brady) is, he wants to play from the pocket."
In essence, Kuechly believes that Tom Brady's lack of mobility pretty much eliminates his threat to run the ball. This is one of his few weaknesses and it gives the defense a slight edge.
Throwback to Tom Brady's iconic first down run and pose during his return game in 2016 @ Cleveland https://t.co/z0dFSshyer
Tom Brady's career rushing yards
Tom Brady has accumulated just 1,124 rushing yards in his 22 year regular-season career in the NFL. He averages just 51 rushing yards per year and 3.5 rushing yards per game.
In his postseason career, his averages drop even lower. He averages just seven rushing yards per playoff appearance and just 2.8 rushing yards per playoff game.
Brady had announced his retirement earlier this year, only to un-retire just 40 days later. He is now looking for another Super Bowl appearance.
Speculations about his future and where he would end up after the upcoming season is rife. One thing, though, is clear. His comeback has energised his fans and given his team a big shot in the arm.