The one big problem for Tom Brady and the Buccaneers offense
That’s a great mindset for a quarterback to have, but one cannot ignore the plays the Buccaneers are leaving on the field by simply not catching the ball.
The most jarring drop came from star wide receiver Mike Evans dropped what would have been an easy 75-yard touchdown on the third play of the game against Carolina a few weeks ago. The Buccaneers would manage only three points that entire game, while Evans said after that he saw the life get sucked out of the team because of that play.
There were also a couple of late drops in Sunday’s game against the Rams before Brady connected with Cade Otton with nine seconds to play in the fourth quarter.
It’s been a fascinating season for Brady and the Buccaneers.
Overall, the offense has been extremely disappointing. They are averaging just 18 points per game, have scored more than 22 points just one time (a 41-31 loss in Kansas City), and have somehow managed to win two games when scoring less than 20 points. Brady himself has looked off at times.
But when you look at his individual numbers there are still a lot of positive takeaways. He is second in the league with 2,547 passing yards and he has been intercepted just one time on 398 attempts. That interception came in Tampa Bay’s Week 1 in Dallas. He has not been picked off in the eight games that have followed.
The problem lies in the complete disappearance of the big play and touchdowns. He has thrown just 10 touchdown passes (16th in the NFL) and only had one game with more than one. His 6.4 yards per pass attempt is also only 29th out of 34 qualified quarterbacks. Keep in mind he was 12th and first in those respective categories a year ago.
Some of that could come from injuries and changes along the offensive line, forcing Brady to get rid of the ball quicker. There is also the loss of safety blanket Rob Gronkowski who did not return for the 2022 season. And part of it is the players that are there are dropping the ball more than any team in the league.
