In what’s almost an annual tradition, NFL Network released another installment of Do Your Job, a one-hour documentary about New England’s latest Super Bowl championship. In the latest episode, head coach Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels described the journey which led to New England’s sixth championship. While the documentary was largely fantastic, the producers didn’t give enough credit to Tom Brady for his impact on New England’s latest championship.
Tom Brady Deserved More Credit in Do Your Job 3
A sizable portion of Do Your Job 3 was focused around the Power I run formation which New England used late in the season. In fairness, this dominance on the ground certainly played a role in New England’s Super Bowl run. During the postseason, New England averaged 161 rushing yards per game and Sony Michel scored six touchdowns. The offensive line bulldozed opposing fronts, allowing the running backs to pick up easy yardage.
That said, Tom Brady was the key to the entire offense. While the Patriots put a stronger emphasis on the running game, New England’s offense still ran through Brady’s right arm. Throughout the three-game postseason run, Brady averaged 42 passing attempts and over 300 passing yards per game. He tore apart the Los Angeles Chargers and led one of his best comebacks against the Kansas City Chiefs. Do Your Job hardly addressed Brady’s performance in either one of these games.
Why Brady Was The Key to the Offense
Even with the added focus on the run, the offense lived and died by Tom Brady. In the first two postseason games, New England averaged 39 points per game. During those games, Brady threw for 691 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. While the TD:INT ratio wasn’t great, it’s worth noting that one of those interceptions bounced off Julian Edelman’s hands and Brady lost several touchdowns to short-yardage rushing attempts. On a throw-for-throw basis, Brady was usual reliable self in the first two games.
Brady’s best game came in the AFC Championship Game. New England came into the game looking to exploit Kansas City’s terrible rushing defense. The plan worked for a little while, but Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense took the lead late in the fourth. Knowing they needed to score quickly, New England went to the air in order to secure the victory. Brady orchestrated three straight scoring drives, converting multiple third and longs along the way. Do Your Job actually did a phenomenal job breaking down these plays, but the special failed to mention just how good Brady was throughout the game.
Brady was good in the first two games, but he struggled in the Super Bowl. With Brady not playing up to his ability, New England only managed to put up 13 points. This was enough to earn a win, but it obviously wasn’t ideal. New England didn’t really struggle to run the ball, yet the offense died because Brady couldn’t throw. This proves Brady matters more than a running formation, especially considering that seven of New England’s 13 points came on the only drive where New England effectively threw the ball.
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