Schultz: Brady's discomfort on the field shows in the Buccaneers' output
Tom Brady didn't envision this.
Six weeks into the 2022 NFL season, Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offense have floundered, culminating in an embarrassing 20-18 loss to rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett and the moribund Steelers. Head coach Todd Bowles didn't hide his dismay afterward.
"I think guys that are living off the Super Bowl are living in a fantasyland, and you got to get your hands dirty and go to work like everyone else," he told reporters.
Just how bad has it been in Tampa Bay?
Brady's QBR is the lowest of his career at 51.8; the only other time it was below 60 was his final season in New England. He's had five games this season with a maximum of one touchdown pass after putting up five such games all of last season. Most importantly, the formerly high-octane offense has been held to 21 or fewer points in five of six games in 2022, tied for the most in football. Over the past two years, Tampa Bay was held below 21 points just five times in total.
"Not comfortable in the pocket," an NFL scout told me. "Looks like he feels pretty hurried. But I'd like to see him hang in there just another split second longer if he can."
To be fair, injuries have played a significant role for the 3-3 Buccaneers.
All-Pro wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans have missed time due to injury and suspension, respectively. Future Hall of Famer Julio Jones may not be the Julio of old, but the Bucs certainly expected more than two games from him.
The offensive line has been decimated as well. Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen suffered a knee injury on the second day of training camp that could sideline him the entire season. Guard Aaron Stinnie was also lost for the season with a knee injury. Continuity took a hit when Pro Bowl guard Ali Marpet retired and starting guard Alex Cappa signed with the Bengals.
"They thought their offensive line would be a strength, like it has been," the scout said. "Losing Cappa hurt and Marpet retiring did too. I didn't see that coming. But losing Jensen was the key for me. Center's just so crucial for any quarterback. (Right guard Shaq) Mason's a good player and he was a good addition, but they don't have a lot of experience up front and Brady feels it."
Brady's frustrations boiled over during the Steelers' loss when we saw him berate the offensive line.
"I don't know if it's motivation, but I do think that it's a bad day when there's more F-bombs than touchdowns," he said on his podcast "Let's Go!" "So, that was not one of my better days."
Even the best quarterbacks struggle in this league, but that's rarely been the case for Brady, especially against a 29th-ranked Steelers defense that was winless and without injured Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt.
"I think there's a lot of times when we're kind of dead, even when we're making good plays," wide receiver Russell Gage told Fox13's Kevin O'Donnell. "Energy and having fun. This game is supposed to be fun."
Speaking of fun, Brady flew to New York on Friday for Robert Kraft's wedding before meeting the team in Pittsburgh a day later. Bowles told reporters Brady "didn't miss anything," and when asked if he thought it was a factor in his play Sunday, Bowles said, "Absolutely not."
The poor optics of Brady's attendance at Kraft's wedding, however, are exacerbated by the fact he simply can't find the end zone.
Last season, he orchestrated the league's No. 2 red-zone offense - converting touchdowns on a healthy 66% of the Bucs' trips. This year they're just 9-for-18, tied for 21st. There's no better example of their ineptitude than their red-zone series just after halftime, which ended with a 24-yard Ryan Succop field goal. The Steelers committed two penalties but the Bucs couldn't score because of two of their own, while Brady was 1-for-4 for 9 yards. Tampa Bay was 4-of-14 on third down Sunday, which won't win many ballgames.
"It's incredibly frustrating," Godwin told reporters, including The Athletic's Greg Auman.
"Honestly, we've got to be better. I think we're too deep into the season to run into the same mistakes that we've had. We've got too many experienced guys for us to keep doing the same things."
Jordan Schultz is theScore's NFL insider and senior NBA reporter. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.