Tom Brady’s expectations are all over the map.
There are plenty of soccer fans and experts who don’t believe the 42-year veteran is an elite NFL quarterback in his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They point to his disappointing 2019 season with the New England Patriots, his age, his lack of chemistry with his new teammates, and other reasons for low expectations.
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Others are very excited about Brady’s potential at Tampa Bay, and perhaps no one is more optimistic about his chances of success than former running back Maurice Jones-Drew.
The former Jacksonville Jaguars star was on the NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” earlier this week and delivered his prediction for Brady’s upcoming campaign in Tampa Bay.
“He is going to hit 2007,” said Jones-Drew. “I think he will throw 55 touchdowns, 4,500 yards per pass, probably closer to 5,000. The Bucs will be one of the most difficult teams to stop because their defense causes turnovers and will give them more opportunities. “
Jones-Drew explained his reasoning later in the show.
“Let me tell you why I said 55 touchdowns,” said Jones-Drew. “Jameis Winston joined the club 30-30. We’re going to cut that in half, right? So now it’s 45 (touchdowns), 15 (interceptions). Are you telling me that Tom Brady can’t throw 10 additional touchdowns? Bruce Arians, Byron Leftwich, they’re going to air this. That’s, like, the low end for me. That’s really pretty conservative. It can end up going 60 (touchdowns), but I’m going to stick with 55 for now. “
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Brady was the first player to throw 50 touchdown passes in one season when he accomplished the feat with the New England Patriots in 2007, the same year that his Pats teammate Randy Moss set the record for one season in receptions. touchdown with 23. Peyton Manning broke Brady’s touchdown pass record yielded 55 scores for the Denver Broncos in 2013, and that mark still holds today.
Could the six-time Super Bowl champion hit the 50-touchdown mark again next season? It is unlikely, but possible.
The Bucs should have a terribly good offense, one that features two of the league’s best wide receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The team’s tight end depth is also fantastic, including OJ Howard, Cameron Brate and Rob Gronkowski. Tampa Bay’s offensive line is also a solid group, and head coach Bruce Arians is an excellent offensive mind.
It will be difficult to predict what will happen in the 2020 season given the COVID-19 pandemic. But if the Bucs can stay healthy and develop good chemistry fairly quickly, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if Brady and the Tampa Bay offense publish incredible stats.
