Tom Brady's first season as an NFL broadcaster will be under an incredibly strong microscope. He is Tom Brady, after all. Everything he does is of great interest to the general public. But as the former quarterback knows well, there are no bright lights quite like that of the NFL.
For most, opinions on Brady will come down to a handful of viral clips that circulate on social media platforms over the season and into the playoffs. These clips could be good or bad, but either way they'll inform the larger audience of Brady's current status as an announcer until there are north of 20 million pairs of eyes on him in the postseason.
Here, we'll break down those clips. It will serve as a window into how Brady performed in his most recent appearance and a barometer of his progress as the season goes on.
This week, Brady called the Detroit Lions' blowout victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Here's how he did.
Best
Brady had his most complete game in the booth of his career so far on Sunday. He was quick and decisive with his breakdowns, piled onto the Cowboys when it became clear they came out incredibly flat against a top NFC opponent, and kept things somewhat interesting down the stretch of a pretty boring game.
His work on the telecast, in particular, was worth noting this week. Brady did an excellent job breaking down Dak Prescott's end zone interception early on. Not only did he do so in a manner that even a casual viewer could follow, the insight he dished out was very interesting to hear. It was obvious Brady had been in that position before and he disseminated his knowledge succintly.
"Really great interception, I'm sure Dak did not even see him when he let the ball go."@TomBrady breaks down what he saw on Dak Prescott's INT
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 13, 2024
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/ipqXZMWCAk
Brady did that again later on in the first half when the Lions caught the Cowboys napping with a quick snap that led to a Jameson Williams touchdown. The former quarterback got granular with why the Lions did it, why the Cowboys were so thrown off, and how it led to an easy score. Clinical stuff.
Waymo = Too. Much. Speed. @bigsgjamo 🙌#DETvsDAL | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/7IGqdCF4Qv
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 13, 2024
Worst
While Brady did have a very strong day he was not perfect. With Detroit up 34-6, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson tried to exact revenge on Dallas for last year's officiating debacle by calling a goal line pass to Taylor Decker. It was a clear and obvious nod to Decker catching what should have been a game-winning two-point conversion in the two sides' December 2023 matchup.
But that apparently went over Brady's head. He analyzed the sequence like he would any other and questioned if Johnson was getting too cute with the playcall, capped off by some light criticism that doing so forced the Lions to settle for a field goal.
Tom Brady said Ben Johnson was a first year play caller?
— Jeff Riger (@riger1984) October 13, 2024
He then said the pass to Decker was a little too cute by Ben Johnson and made the Lions settle for a Field Goal instead of a TD.
Tom, they’re up 28 points.
All that is technically true but does not matter in a multi-score game. Moreover, not making the overt connection between this play and last year's debacle is a miss for Brady. The color commentator has to be more aware than that. Even in a blowout.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Best & Worst of Tom Brady in the NFL Broadcast Booth: Week 6.
