Tom Brady is getting old and fast.
From the time he walks to the line of scrimmage to the second after he takes the snap, there might be no one faster at processing what he sees than the Buccaneers’ 44-year-old quarterback. The Packers’ Aaron Rodgers plays chess, taking his time and changing the smallest details at the line of scrimmage. The Buccaneers’ Brady, though, plays speed chess, identifying what he’s looking at and knowing where the ball is supposed to go in the Bucs’ rhythm passing attack.
“He’s so calm,” Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai said Thursday. “He’s seen everything from a coverage standpoint [to] a front structure standpoint to a pressure standpoint. You know he hasn’t played this long and not seen everything — so he’s got all the answers built in. Probably the one thing that is pretty amazing is how fast he processes things from when he gets to the line of scrimmage to getting the snap.
“There’s a lot of things going on, and the game seems so slow for him.”
That’s bad news for a Bears team whose strength is its pass rush — and even worse for a defensive backfield that’s struggled to bring defenders down. Safety Eddie Jackson not wrapping up the Packers’ Davante Adams on his 41-yard reception Sunday was emblematic of his lack of physicality over the last season-and-a-half.
“Explosive plays usually, in my experience, comes with one of two things — either the tackling or missed communications,” Desai said.
Someone who will benefit from both: Bucs receiver Chris Godwin, who is sixth in the NFL in yards after catch with 204.
“He’s a rare, unique skillset,” Bears cornerback Kindle Vildor said. “Real shifty in the slot, knows how to get open, use space and everything like that.”
The best chance the Bears have of slowing the NFL’s third highest-scoring offense is to sack Brady. But Brady gets rid of the football faster than all but one quarterback this season, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
“You have to be able to get back there hopefully fast enough to get him down because obviously he’s known for getting the ball out of his hand quickly,” inside linebacker Alec Ogletree said. “He doesn’t take too many sacks. They have a good O-line that’s blocking really well for him. If you give him a chance to stand back there and hold the ball, that’s where he lives.”
The Bucs’ rhythm passing attack benefits — receivers Mike Evans, Antonio Brown and Godwin all rank in the top 35 in receptions and targets. They’re in the top 24 in receiving yards. Brown, Evans and injured tight ends Rob Gronkowski each have four touchdown catches, which ranks 10th in the NFL.
“You’re able to get the ball out on time when everybody is in their spots that they’re supposed to be in,” Desai said. “And the quarterback knows what the coverages are. And he knows where he’s got to deliver the ball.”
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