Tom Brady isn’t having his best season by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s still one of the best quarterbacks in the league. According to Pro Football Focus, Brady leads the NFL in Accuracy+, or so-called “perfect” passes. Additionally, Brady also has the highest grade when targeting slot receivers.
PFF: Tom Brady Leading NFL in Perfect Passes
Perfect passes, as defined by PFF, are passes which “lead receivers away from the leverage of defenders or [hit] them in stride to optimize yards after the catch”. This has always been one of Brady’s many calling cards, as the 42-year old excels at putting the ball where only his receivers can catch it. Even though this is something of a down year for Brady, the six-time Super Bowl champion still has an above-average 82.9 PFF grade. He may no longer be his 2016 self, but most of the subpar numbers can be placed on his underwhelming supporting cast.
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Additionally, Brady is also the best in the league at targeting slot receivers. According to Pro Football Focus, Brady has thrown 129 pass attempts to his slot receivers, second-most in the league. He’s been remarkably efficient with those throws, as he currently has a league-best 93.0 grade and 83% adjusted completion percentage on these throws. Naturally, most of these attempts have gone to his trusted sidekick, Julian Edelman.
Through 10 games of action, Brady has completed 63.7% of his passes for 2,752 yards, 14 touchdowns, five interceptions, and a 90.1 passer rating. The advanced stats tell a similar story, as Brady currently ranks 11th in Football Outsiders DYAR, 14th in DVOA, and 16th in ESPN’s QBR. However, it’s worth noting that Brady hasn’t had a reliable receiver outside of Julian Edelman and the offensive line is one of the worst in ESPN’s Pass Block Win Rate. With Isaiah Wynn and N’Keal Harry returning to action, don’t be surprised if Brady starts playing like a top-five quarterback for the rest of the season.
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