Every football fan knows the book on stopping Tom Brady, and it is one perfected perhaps by Steve Spagnuolo, the defensive coordinator entrusted with slowing Brady down in Super Bowl LV: Interior pressure.
After all, it was Spagnuolo who was the mastermind of the “NASCAR” package in Super Bowl XLII that harassed Brady all night long, thwarting Brady and the New England Patriots’ drive to be the first NFL team to finish with an unblemished 19-0 record. Given this you can imagine that Spagnuolo will have some designs ready for Sunday night.
But there might be another coach that Spagnuolo would be wise to borrowing from, one that had his own tricks to slow down the veteran quarterback. We will get to the “who” and the “how” in a moment, but first, the “why.”
One of the questions that plagues Brady at this point in his career is the arm strength issue. From where I sit, Brady still can dial up the velocity when he needs to. But from the beginning of this season through the NFC Championship game, throws to the boundaries – particularly the deep out route – have been a risky proposition. It began in the season opener against the New Orleans Saints:
It continued during the season, as you see here against the Los Angeles Chargers:
And yes, you even saw Brady struggle on throws towards the sideline in the victory over the Green Bay Packers:
Three interceptions, all on throws towards the outside where the ball hung just enough for a defender to step in front of the target.
Imagine if there were a way to try and force Brady to push the ball towards the boundaries? Perhaps a defense that would clog the middle of the field by utilizing zone coverages through a variety of rotations, while aggressively re-routing the routes over the middle that Brady loves to targets? Maybe a defense that would creatively drop defensive linemen and edge rushers as “rats” to take away some of those quick throws to the inside that Brady loves to make?
Someone with that kind of game plan…a blueprint, if you will…would be a mad scientist.
Let’s meet him.