Tom Brady Talks Ryan Jensen Penalty, “Softer” NFL

September 20th, 2021

The critical-at-the-time personal foul called on Ryan Jensen against the Falcons looked like a play NFL fans see every week in every game.

A running back is fighting not to be taken down and in comes a steaming offensive lineman — before the whistle — to push the pile or clear bodies off the runner.

That’s exactly what Jensen did and he got flagged. (Yes, the film shows it was before the whistle.) There also was a play late in the game when Donovan Smith did nearly the same thing in the red zone and didn’t get called.

Speaking tonight on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio, Tom Brady said that flag on Jensen is evidence of a changing NFL that’s more friendly to mobile quarterbacks.

“We got called on a play yesterday where Ryan Jensen is going basically to protect our runner and they throw an unnecessary roughness on an offensive lineman that I don’t think it would have been called five years ago,” Brady said.

“I’d say the game is a little softer than it used to be. You know, I think the defensive players are more on the defensive when they go in to tackle, and I think that’s probably adding to this element of quarterbacks outside the pocket taking more chances than they did in the past.”

It’s a great point by sage Brady, and it makes a ton of sense. However, Brady said there’s “a lot of shortsightedness” when it comes to those who say the mobile QB is the wave of the future.

33 Responses to “Tom Brady Talks Ryan Jensen Penalty, “Softer” NFL”

  1. Ftmyersbuc Says:

    Shortsightedness as in you got 5 to 7 years until your running qb gets broken down and cant run or throw from taking all those licks. You never get that ive seen every defensive coordinator and defense in the nfl longevity.

  2. Listnfrmafar Says:

    All I know I he is the present. I mentioned this penalty in one of the earlier posts, it is legal to aid the runner unlike in the past, that’s all he was doing. What wasn’t good was the delay of game during a punt in the Altanta red zone. Another BA coach asleep at the wheel. Has Bowles figured out how to stop the underneath pass, that will be the downfall.

  3. Ben green Says:

    The softer game has allowed him to play a lot longer. If Brady had to endure the punishment Steve Young and Joe Montana had to take he would’ve retired years ago. For the love of medicated Pete they actually made a rule for Tom Brady after his ACL tear. It’s disingenuous and quiet frankly one of reasons I’ve soured on him. He’s had every advantage over his peers for several reasons. Chief among them is the fact that he was instructed by the greatest football mind the game has ever know. The other is the rule changes to protect the passer. If Steve Young had these rules, he may still be playing

  4. Lets Roll Says:

    Gen Green formally known as Ben Gay

  5. Ben green Says:

    That hurts. If you’re a prick does Ben not bleed?

  6. bradybucs Says:

    LOLZ Ben,

    Quit yer cryin.

    Brady and his 7 rings own you and live in your head rent free.

  7. BucSparky Says:

    @Ben Green
    You soured on a guy that simply played the cards he was given to the best of his abilities? Maybe they made a new rule to protect QBs, but its not a rule he asked for, and its a rule every other QB gets the exact same advantage from. There are also a lot of extremely intelligent offensive coaches, so lets not pretend Bill Belichick (assuming that’s who you were even referring to) is some unique butterfly with an otherworldy grasp of Xs and Os who is solely responsible for TB12’s grasp of the sport.

  8. Darin Says:

    Ben
    Doesnt affect Brady he doesn’t take many hits. If he sees a free rusher he goes down. Pain hurts

  9. Ben green Says:

    6 of those belong to Ben. Be kind, the messanger is always scorned in his own time. I don’t call you people names. Don’t worry, you won’t have Ben to kick around much longer

  10. godlovesbucs Says:

    Steve Young is a terrible comparison. He was a mobile scrambling qb. His play put a lot of punishment on his body, not the rules.

    I don’t disagree with the point you are making, but the example of young is just bad. Montana, Marino, Unitas are good examples. Young, Elway, Staubach, not so much.

  11. Ben green Says:

    Thanks for attacking Ben argument, and not Ben the man. Maybe it was wrong to lump Steve into my argument, but you get the point

  12. Ben green Says:

    BTW Young’s career ending shot occurred in the pocket. I still surmise that he would’ve been able to play a lot longer under current rules

  13. buxszntkt Says:

    what’s happening here with Ben Green, you are copying medicated Pete and speaking in third person, Very dooshy dude, stealing someone else’s shtick !!!!

  14. Youngbucs Says:

    Brady has allowed himself to play this long another false narrative. If QBs are so protected what happened to tua what happened to Alex smith what happened to dak what happened to fitz magic. I can go on and on injury’s happen by the way Brady has taken numerous shots. Brady has played with numerous injuries some he has spoken on in the past for example a swollen nut all season long from a hit that’s got to hurt.

  15. Chris@Apple Roof Cleaning Tampa Says:

    Roger Goodell’s legacy will be that he pussified the NFL.

  16. Wild Bill Says:

    Let’s be honest. He has a history of drawing penalties for poor behavior. To me he was late to jump on the pile of players already down. The play was basically over. He has been penalized a number of times for unsportsman like behavior. I like that he plays hard and aggressive but sometimes he suffers brain farts and draws stupid penalties.

  17. Rod Munch Says:

    I appreciate Brady sticking up for his man, but I have to disagree. While I HATE the soft play and doing things like throwing flags on sacks because you hit the QB too hard, Jensen just running into a pile after the play was head has always been a really stupid move that would get a flag. I remember Sapp doing that once and he got a flag, and that had to be 2000 probably?

    Jensen is a good football player (not great) who makes a lot of very very stupid decisions. I don’t know how many of these stupid personal fouls he’s got since he’s been here, but it’s been a lot, and all of them have been stupid. To be clear, I don’t care about it being a cheap shot, I just care that it’s so stupid you do it right in front of the ref where there’s no way you’re not getting a flag. If you want to do some cheap shots, then poke a guy in the eye while he’s in the pile, kick them in the nuts in the pile, I don’t care what you do, just don’t do it right in front of the ref where you get a flag. That dumb play killed the early momentum in the game and it took a solid quarter to get it back.

  18. SOEbuc Says:

    I love the Tampa Bay Brady speaking his mind and not giving a sh!t how soft and blatant the NFL is trying to promote Mahomes and others due to fan base and ratings.

    I feel ya Tom. College football penalties or lack there of is so much better than weak ass NFL players getting millions.

  19. Oneilbuc Says:

    Ben. I 100% agree with you bro football is soft. Brady has benefited because of the rules. That’s why I can’t call him the goat. Because what if Moon or Marino or Elway would have these rules. No one would have caught their records. Marino threw for 5,000 yards when football was football . That’s one thing I don’t like about Brady because I remember watching those Ravens games when he was asking the ref for a flag because of a low hit. This is the football yall wanted I said this a long time ago that fantasy football is destroying the NFL right now. And that’s why most of yall only look at the quarterback. The media has lied to yall by calling the NFL a quarterback league. Brady will never be the goat in my eyes because of the rules.

  20. Oneilbuc Says:

    But Brady is still a all time great quarterback and I will never take that from him!!!

  21. Oxycodoms Says:

    Brady is master manipulator. He knows jensen is an idiot but wont throw him under the bus. Brady needs him to achieve more records

  22. 74 Bucs Fan Says:

    Hey Ben – go check that great coach’s record without Brady. Hint – it’s ugly.

  23. August 1976 Buc Says:

    Billy B 47% win percentage without Brady.

    Guys that played in the 40’s and 50’s and 60’s said that Marino and Moon and Montana were soft too back then.
    What about Jack Lambert saying in the Late 70’s that “they ought to put skirts on the QB’s” becuase of the rule changes.
    Again That was said in the late 70’s

    Marino was my favorite QB even though he played for the hated Dolphins

    Go watch NFL films from those decades, 40-50-60, it is a blood bath.

    How does Marino and Montana talk about Brady?
    Bigtime respect from them, I will go with what the great players say.

    Very glad after that Brady chose to sign with the Bucs.

    GO BUCS!!!!!!!!

  24. August 1976 Buc Says:

    ROD…..Your entire post is spot on,
    Jensen tried to get away with something right in front of the ref, how stupid is that. Brady is just being Brady about this.

    GO BUCS!!!!!!

  25. Bucschamp Says:

    Those running qb won’t last long. One day those backflips by Lamar and falling down throws by mahomes would result in silly injuries. Good luck to them

  26. Buxszntkt Says:

    @ Rod Muncher, stop your bitching about Jensen. He is a very good center. His nasty attitude is needed on the line. Wirfs needs a role model that isn’t a softy, and one that doesn’t quit on some plays early . Jensen is always creating friction with the defensive line. Does he get carried away, sure, he could use a touch more self control to reduce some of these penalties, but you take the good with the occasional bad. He is able to move his man and protect Brady, and often piss off his opponent , sometimes drawing flags from them. The lines needs at least one player with that nasty edge. Even Batman McCoy felt that way !

  27. Sparky Says:

    @Wild Bill

    There is no “basically over”, there’s “before the whistle” and “after the whistle”, and this was before the whistle. It never should have been a penalty.

  28. Buczilla Says:

    The NFL is pathetically soft now. If guys like Marino and Young played under these sissy rules, they’d make nearly every current quarterback look pedestrian.

  29. August 1976 Buc Says:

    There is a difference between Nasty and Smart and Nasty and Stupid.
    I like Ryan, love his attitude out there, but can do without stupid momentum killing penalties.
    He has cleaned his game up much. He used to get stupid penaltiies alot during the course of the seasons in the past.
    Ever since the Bears game last year when Brady went off on Ryan and others, but specifically Brady was angry with Ryan when they came to the sideline after that horrendous penalty filled drive.
    Since then Ryan has cleaned up his game.
    Again I like Jensen and his attitude alot, but that play was just plain and simple a brain fart by Ryan.

    Again Nasty attitude and Smart is great, Nasty attitude and Stupid uneccesary penaltiers not good.

    GO BUCS!!!!!!!!

  30. James Allen Lofton Says:

    It says their ability to perform and hang in the pocket where they are more likely protected is letting these “mobile” quarterbacks bail on the play too soon. TB is demonstrating a true passing quarterback is superior to a quarterback chosen for his ability to escape the pocket.

    TB had to learn to throw accurately in tight windows whereas the other QB’s just run.

  31. Taz Says:

    Well Tom Brady is also the most sacked quarterback in NFL history either now or pretty soon. It’s Tom Brady’s mentality of living to play another down that keeps that wear and tear from building up. Him among many other QBs should be banged up, but he knows how to take the hit and get on the ground.

  32. Wild Bill Says:

    @Sparky. It may have been a smidgen before the whistle but the runner was down and the play essentially over. His jumping onto the pile obviously late was totally unnecessary. The refs have an obligation to flag obvious cheap hits whether the whistle has blown or not. I saw it before the ref threw the flag. It an “oh sheet” moment for me before the flag was thrown. I expected the flag. To a certain extent he is a marked man because of his frequent unsportsmanlike behaviors. The coaches need to get it through his hot temper scull that he hurts his team with his crude behavior. It’s not his first dumb play and probably not his last unless the coaches deal with it. An unnecessary roughing call or unsportsmanlike behavior call is not restricted to only after a whistle blows.

  33. Joe Says:

    Taz:

    That’s true! Cool (?) stat.