New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had a tough time handling the blitz in their loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. According to Next Gen Stats (per Kevin Patra of NFL.com), Brady was sacked on three of his nine dropbacks and completed only one of his six pass attempts for 6 yards when the Titans blitzed.
Brady’s struggles against the blitz are becoming an all-too-common occurrence this year. Brady is actually the worst-rated quarterback in the league when faced with that sort of defense thus far this season.
Best/worst-rated QBs vs the BLITZ this season…
Worst-rated QB is a shocker, but not if you've been watching their tape.#Seahawks #GoPackGo #GoSaints #SeizeTheDEY #KeepPounding #HereWeGo #LARams #GiantsPride #FightForEachOther #Skol #GoPats pic.twitter.com/3y8OONVGn7
— NFL Matchup on ESPN (@NFLMatchup) November 12, 2018
Patra also notes that in the last five games, teams have gotten a lot of success by blitzing Brady. They are generating a 14.7 sack-rate, 44.8 completion percentage, 20.7 tight window throw percentage, 0-1 TD-INT ratio and a 56.4 passer rating.
It’s a bit surprising to see a quarterback like Brady, who has so much experience in handling all sorts of defenses, to be struggling so badly against the blitz.
Perhaps the Patriots’ offensive line’s recent dip in performance has affected Brady’s ability to handle those blitzes. If that line can get healthy after some recent injuries, Brady won’t get pressured quite as much when opponents blitz.
Brady and the Patriots will likely know all about his struggles against the blitz and will be looking for a way to counter it. But as great as Brady is, this will still be something to watch.
After seeing his struggles against the blitz, opponents will likely continue to send more rushers. And if the Patriots are unable to cope, that could spell trouble down the road.
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