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Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay sees that Tom Brady’s sheer pocket awareness has been a grand factor behind his success with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Even at this late stage in his career, Brady has continued to turn back the clock with vintage performances after another. The seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback orchestrated an NFL MVP-like campaign in the regular season with a career-high 5,316 passing yards coupled with a league-high 43 passing touchdowns. He followed it up with a keen performance in the NFC wild-card round against the Philadelphia Eagles that included a pair of touchdown passes.
Brady is now set for yet another grand test in his playoff career against a Rams defense that finished regular season play with 50 sacks. McVay sees that the play from the Rams front seven will be key in this upcoming playoff clash, although he recognizes that Brady is well among the best in the league when it comes to negating pressure.
“I think the best way to affect the quarterback is with your pass rush and moving them off the spot,” McVay said during a press conference ahead of the game. “But the thing about Tom that makes him so special is he processes things, his mind works so quickly and then he's one of the best guys that has a feel for manipulating the pocket and being able to find quick element throws if protections break down. That's been one of the many things that makes him so special.
“We've got to make sure that we're consistent and all 11 being on the same page.”
When the Rams and Buccaneers met in the regular season, McVay's squad recorded four quarterback hits and three sacks. The Rams may need to post an encore performance if they aspire to contain Brady’s prowess as a pocket passer.
The Rams are aiming to meet expectations this season with a possible trip to the NFC Championship game for the second time in the Sean McVay era.
