Is Tom Brady to blame for Buccaneers recent struggles?

Tom Brady joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency was arguably the biggest move of the current season. Playing under a team run by veteran coach Bruce Arians and reuniting with the likes of former teammates Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown, the Brady-led Bucs suddenly became Super Bowl favourites for many overnight.

But as we enter the final stretch of what has been a far from ‘regular’ season thanks to a global pandemic, things haven’t quite gone as planned for the Bucs. Currently sitting in second place of the NFC South, Brady has been faltering.

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Will having number 12 Tom Brady be enough for the Bucs?

Life hasn’t been smooth sailing for Brady ever since he joined the Bucs. While many expected Brady to light the NFC South up with offensive players such as Gronkowski, Brown, Godin and Evans at his disposal, the reality has been far from it.

The most recent example of which was seen when the Bucs took on the LA Rams in Week 11. Brady struggled to find the deep ball down the field and ended the night with two interceptions including a pick-six. With a pass completion percentage of 54.2%, it wasn’t exactly a vintage Tom Brady performance.

Another low point for the Bucs and its number 12 this season was the 38-3 drubbing at the hands of division rivals New Orleans Saints.

Choosing not to run the ball might not be the best idea

ESPN’s Jay Will during a conversation with fellow analyst Keyshawn Johnson pointed out that the Bucs reluctance to run the ball was a key reason why the offence was failing to deliver the goods.

“It seems like their offense is one dimensional. Like when Ronald Jones rushes for over 100 yards, in the four games he’s been able to do that they’re three in one. But when they don’t when they abandon the run game, Tom has been extremely inefficient at throwing the ball down the field,” said Will.

Arians-Brady not quite a match made in heaven

Many also believe that the Bucs coach and Brady haven’t been able to get along as well as expected. ESPN’s Dan Graziano feels that given Brady’s influence over how the roster was constructed and still not being able to deliver the goods hasn’t gone down well with Arians.

With all that’s going on, the Bucs will hope Brady delivers his A-game against what could be a season-altering game against the Minnesota Vikings in Gameweek 13.

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