Tom Brady Is Most Protected Quarterback In NFL
November 23rd, 2022
Bucs OL coach Joe Gilbert.
So the Bucs offensive line sucks, eh?
Joe is always amused how people like to stomp their feet and holler that the Bucs’ offensive line is horrible. It’s been at worst above-average since Bucco Bruce Arians showed up in town.
The past two seasons, Joe would say the Bucs’ offensive line was elite. This year, yeah, it hasn’t been great. It hasn’t been awful, either.
So Joe admits the following was surprising, and maybe that’s because Joe always sees commenters here saying how horrible the Bucs’ offensive line is, even though Joe’s eyes see a different story.
The Bucs released their weekly updated team information in the lead-up to Sunday’s game in Cleveland. It included various stats where the Bucs are among the NFL’s best. That includes the following:
No team has given up fewer sacks per dropback than the Bucs, and it is not even close.
Some 3.2 percent of all drop backs (one by Playoff Lenny, the rest by Tom Brady) have resulted in a sack. Again, best in the league by a wide margin.
The next-best team in allowing the fewest sacks per attempt is the Chiefs at 4.0 percent. Unlike the statue that Brady is, Patrick Mahomes is very mobile. Three other teams in the top-five are below and Nos. 2-5 are all jumbled from 4.0-4.5 percent. Again, not close to the Bucs.
Joe thinks this is outstanding. Now if Nick Leverett can just be consistently OK at run-blocking, the Bucs should be fine up front on. That’s one less excuse offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich can use.
November 23rd, 2022 at 9:06 am
Agree with you Joe!!! There is always a scapegoat when you are 5/5, this time was Goedeke and Hainsey, and it sounds pure stupidity!!!!
Like ir or nor we have a good OL, despite injuries/retirements……
Stats do not lie gentleman!! So focus your anger somewhere else….
November 23rd, 2022 at 9:12 am
Brady gets the ball out at light speed. Ask him about his pass protection. I think he would take credit for those stats and speak to the lack of effort. It has sucked, but run blocking even worse. And Goedonkey is listed as the starter, not Nick.
I’m pissed off.
November 23rd, 2022 at 9:14 am
Sacks are a qb Stat. Brady comes in 2020 and gets sacked 21 times a year after Winston got sacked 47 times the year before. Brady gets the ball out faster than any other QB. Most people didn’t rip the whole O line, just LG who luckily hadn’t been playing and better not play this week or we will see some regression.
November 23rd, 2022 at 9:16 am
Misleading. Brady throws short 3-4 yards passes over and over. He doesn’t go downfield. There’s no much time to get to the QB if he doesn’t have the ball. Now if the bucs would try thrown long passes, then the sack rate would go up.
November 23rd, 2022 at 9:24 am
The stats are deceiving as Tom was getting the ball out of his hands very quickly to make up for the deficiencies of the line. He was hurrying passes and resorting to dinks and dunks. As a result, a lot of his passes were being thrown at the receivers feet because he didn’t have time to lean into his throws. Now that “Ole” Goedeke is not playing, Tom has more time in the pocket resulting in longer passes like we saw in Germany with him having more time to survey the field.
November 23rd, 2022 at 9:31 am
Let’s hope Leverett starts. Nothing against Goedeke but the line has looked much better the last few weeks.
November 23rd, 2022 at 9:33 am
Ditto to what everyone’s saying above. Correlate the sack % stats with top release times of those QBs and Brady’s prob #1 by a long shot as well. I would imagine Pat M holds the ball much longer.
Keep Nick L in at LG and then we’ll keep seeing the O progress. Pass to setup the run and the O will hum along.
November 23rd, 2022 at 9:34 am
Joe(a), love the site, truly. There are things I don’t always agree with but at least the arguments are cogent. With all due respect, this one is a bit silly. (Everything in this next part reflects performance earlier in the year before they started turning things around).
Tom’s release time was tops of the league last year, and this year he’s SIGNIFICANTLY faster (at least relative to what release times are). He’s also throwing at an extremely high rate. Tom also understands when to just get rid of the ball. All of this contributes to a very low sack-per-drop back rate. Then you factor in the extremely low player grades for Hainsey and Goedekke (at one point 31 and 32 at their positions, respectively), the awful, bottom tier pass block win rate, the bad run block win rate and historically bad running game (also on the RBs and play calling but the line clearly plays a role) and I really don’t see how you can say this line was good. You (all) clearly know football and provide great insight and analysis but here you’re really just cherry picking a stat and misattributing it to the line. Again, I that that with the utmost respect.
Now Leverett has definitely been an upgrade. Luke needs time to learn and has potential but Nick is just better right now. The line has had time to gel, Brady is more focussed, the team as a whole seems more engaged and energize, so the line has been better. But no, it was not good to start and this stat does not imply the opposite. Now if they get Jensen back, they could very well be a top tier line again. Fingers crossed!
November 23rd, 2022 at 9:36 am
2nd least blitzed QB, 6th least hurried QB, only pressured on 12% of passing attempts which ranks 2nd, 8th least hit QB, BUT the fastest release time in all the NFL with 2.1 seconds average time between receiving the snap and passing the ball.
November 23rd, 2022 at 9:37 am
Stats man.. cmon now.. stats… for sacks ?? W Brady at QB?
Brady has always been at the bottom of the sack list. Always. Regardless of the OL.
They also have the second worst rushing attack only because the Rams are just that bad. Luke G not being out there is gonna help a ton cause he kept getting ran over.
Bucs got stuffed on a QB sneak. To the best sneaking QB in the history of the game. They don’t even try to sneak it anymore.
A lot less deep developing routes too. Tom is getting the ball out is a record pace this year. He’s playing rushed. It shows in his play. In the running game, in the flow and chemistry of the offense
…. but again… w Luke G out and Nick L in… its making a big difference
November 23rd, 2022 at 9:43 am
Don’t believe the fan….
Believe Brady
There’s video of him yelling at the OL to play better.
And Arians said it too.
So that’s Brady, Arians, and PFF grades… all telling us our eyes aren’t lying… the OL is clearly getting ran thru in the middle
November 23rd, 2022 at 9:49 am
ZZbucs
You’re right, stats don’t lie, so take a look at all the stats posted in the replies and you’ll see how the line started off terribly. Better now. But they were atrocious before.
November 23rd, 2022 at 9:50 am
Don’t understand why they are bringing Goedeke back as starter . He does not have the tools to compete at The NFL level
November 23rd, 2022 at 9:56 am
It’s Brady, not the O-line, a one minute quick check of stats would of proved this article’s mistakes. But this is a fan site not a stat site obviously. Next year the articles will come of excuses of how the O-line is under performing because Brady will play for Miami or the 49ers.
November 23rd, 2022 at 9:58 am
Saw Goedeke listed as a starter on the most recent depth chart. WTF?
November 23rd, 2022 at 10:00 am
@Coran….
Pass protectios has not been an issue on this season, what got better is how they block on the running game, Ill give you that, I agree it got better as season progressed….
November 23rd, 2022 at 10:01 am
Where are you guys even getting this notion that Goedeke will even be active let alone start? I get he’s been at practice, but the player status reports don’t get released until Friday afternoons and activity reports for players can come as late as gameday.
November 23rd, 2022 at 10:03 am
I think it also has something to do with Bradys quick release and instincts for self preservation. Taking nothing away from the O Line. They do what they need to do against teams that KNOW TB doesnt doesnt have a reliable run game and doesnt want to move from the pocket.
November 23rd, 2022 at 10:08 am
i’d be shocked if he starts sunday…
i don’t even think he was really injured…
i just think they eased their 2nd draft pick out of the rotation in a subtle way…
#ManagementManeuversMakingMoreMojo
November 23rd, 2022 at 10:09 am
#NickLeverageIsHoldingHisOwn
November 23rd, 2022 at 10:10 am
He gets rid of the ball quicker and he protects the ball by throwing it away hence ints. Says nothing about run blocking. Funny how Bucs coaches pay attention to stats when it’s in their favor.
November 23rd, 2022 at 10:16 am
Brady had good protection in the last game. Several times he had all the time to go thru his progressions and even run thru them twice or more.
The run game issues was a combination of run blocking from the offensive line and tight ends(no Gronk) and the RB.
I know in 2020 at the start of the season Lenny was not in the right head space but got it together by the bye week and went on a tear. I do not know if something is physically or mentally bothering him now but White will either spark some competition or Lenny will sink in the depth charts.
But with a run game the play action was alive and working great.
I hope they can go on a run like they did in 2020
November 23rd, 2022 at 10:17 am
George … ‘Don’t understand why they are bringing Goedeke back as starter . He does not have the tools to compete at The NFL level’.
I’m wondering if Nick Leverett might’ve gotten hurt in the Seahawks game. Week prior to that game, he’d missed some practice because of ‘illness’. But he still played 100% of the snaps in the Seahawks game. Goedeke had been hurt, but is apparently healed up now. Prior to getting injured he was listed ahead of Leverett. Maybe this is just the Bucs way of saying that players don’t lose their depth chart ranking because of injury? Doesn’t mean that he’ll start though.
November 23rd, 2022 at 10:23 am
So a historically bad running game has nothing to do w the Oline?
November 23rd, 2022 at 10:29 am
Math is a tool, and unfortunately you can get bad data out of it when you do not know what you are looking for. The real information you need is to determine how fast TB12 is getting rid of the ball, then ask yourself if that consistently allows time for patterns to develop and receivers to get open. I think Brady is pulling the trigger too early because he is supersensitive to the rush. There have been criticisms of the push from the left side of the run as well as concerns for Lefty continuing to call runs in that direction, but I cannot recall pass protection being an issue.
November 23rd, 2022 at 10:34 am
Go easy on Joe, fellas. It’s a slow week, the Bucs ain’t playing.
Joe is having to cherry-pick stats. If he uses PFF grades, then we tear into him, lol
November 23rd, 2022 at 10:42 am
The issues have been run blocking not pass protection.
November 23rd, 2022 at 10:44 am
I don’t think these stats showing Brady being well protected are very meaningful.
The reason is he gets rid of the ball so fast. How long does Mahomes hold the ball on average compared to Brady?
November 23rd, 2022 at 10:48 am
Lol 😂. Joe using Triggernometry with these stats. Math is useful after all. Cherry pick some stats x Triggernometry = lots of posts.
November 23rd, 2022 at 10:50 am
4 outta 3 people struggle with math.
November 23rd, 2022 at 11:02 am
The Bucs offensive line is not good at run blocking. I don’t think that is up for debate.
November 23rd, 2022 at 11:22 am
Yeah… click bait/post bait article. Nothing of value here as everyone has stated this is a Brady thing. Wise up Joe and post about reality not stats fantasy.
November 23rd, 2022 at 11:36 am
I’ve been using a new QB stat. It’s called the “Oh Sh!t” stat.
It’s the look on a QB’s face, when the ball is snapped.
“Oh Sh!t” I better hurry up and get rid of this football!!
I think Brady led the league, for several weeks.
November 23rd, 2022 at 11:55 am
Brady is 26th in yards per attempt and 1st in the league in release time. So he’s throwing short often. That is the real reason why sacks per attempt is favorable, not because the offensive line is protecting him well necessarily.
November 23rd, 2022 at 12:02 pm
It isn’t just that the line is tolerable; Brady isn’t afraid of getting rid of the ball.
If nothing is there on his first progression, which is very quickly done, he tosses the ball into the dirt.
He knows he has the best chance of keeping the drive alive anyway.
November 23rd, 2022 at 12:08 pm
The offensive line is good but Brady makes it much better. He gets the ball out as fast as anyone in the league
November 23rd, 2022 at 1:27 pm
Yes Brady gets the ball out fast. I don’t think they are the best pass protecting line in the league, but can we at least concede they’re at least pretty good if nothing else?
November 23rd, 2022 at 1:37 pm
Brady has quickest release in NFl ,, Plus Brady avoids the sacks by throwing ball in dirt.. get real Gilbert–take a serious look at the films .
What about the run blocking ???
November 23rd, 2022 at 5:25 pm
The Bucs OL might not be give up a huge QTY of sacks. by that set of stats…But stats are not always the best measuring stick…(IE..The QB’s eye test).
The fact that this offense has struggled to score points…At the same time that TB12 is getting ride of the ball faster than anyone, while being under no more duress than any other QB in the league. To me, really speaks to the way each sack/pressure has altered 45yr old TB12’s perception of his OL protection.
Once Brady gets touched a time or two… Self Preservation Mode kicks in…TB12’s mental clock becomes half a tick faster than separation can be created or routes properly run. And for long stretches of the game.
I mean…I’m glad TB12’s not turning the ball over & is having a nice Stats Year…But JW3 put up yards & completions pretty prolifically under this same OC/system, running for his life half the time…So, passing yards mean squat if you CAN’T RUN THE BALL WHEN YOU NEED TO & aren’t eating W’s at the end of the day.
November 23rd, 2022 at 6:19 pm
Funny. Brady gets the credit for the OL not sucking, yet when Brady sucks, the OL gets the blame.
Which is it? Oh right… Brady good, everything else bad. Stats are deceiving, unless they are release times, comp%, tight window throws, passing yds, etc. Those all prove Brady’s greatness against all odds, surrounded by a horrible OL.
November 23rd, 2022 at 6:41 pm
The OL played its best game in Germany with Nick playing left guard.
Goedonkey.
November 23rd, 2022 at 11:53 pm
Come on Joe get real.
First, it’s not the entire line people are complaining about.
Give us some credit.
Brady has save the left side and center from looking like dumpster fire all year. You stat geeks really need to watch the games.
November 24th, 2022 at 1:58 am
Stats are great if you do an honest analysis of ALL the stats and not just cherry pick one or 2 stats to back your biased opinions.
November 24th, 2022 at 8:15 pm
A good QB makes an OL look better than what they are. A great QB will make them look even better. In 2022, Brady leads the NFL with an average of 2.39 seconds “Time To Throw.” -JBF If he can’t find someone he throws it in the dirt or out of bounds. These are signs the OL is not good. Rushed throws, bailouts, worst running offense in the league. OL needs major upgrades.
November 24th, 2022 at 8:37 pm
Just cause not giving up sacks doesn’t mean they are good Brady getting rid of ball so fast throwing g dirt or away so doesn’t take hit smart play people it’s in details numbers fool you