Getty Ben Roethlisberger had an interesting observation on Buccaneers QB Tom Brady.
It looks like Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t think Tom Brady is having a good time.
According to the Pittsburgh Steelers legend, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback wasn’t having a good time during the team’s 20-18 loss to the Steelers in Week 6.
“To me, this is just my opinion — Tom is the greatest, the Super Bowl rings show it,” Roethlisberger said on Monday, October 17, on his podcast “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger.” “It didn’t look like he wanted to be out there,” he continued. “I’m like, ‘There’s no way he’s enjoying this.’ No way. It just didn’t look fun to him.”
Buccaneers’ Offense off to Sluggish Start
The Buccaneers lost a game in which they were heavily favored. Despite matching up against a depleted Steelers defense that came into the game ranked 26th in the league — they were missing three defensive backs, including former Pro Bowler Minkah Fitzpatrick — the Buccaneers’ offense remained stagnant. It was the fifth time in six games that Tampa Bay had scored 21 points or less this season. For perspective, the Buccaneers’ offense had scored 21 points or less in five combined games over the past two seasons.
Following Tampa Bay’s loss to Pittsburgh, the Buccaneers’ offense is averaging 20.2 points per game, ranking 20th in the league. By comparison, Tampa Bay averaged over 30 points per game last season, ranking second in the league. During Brady’s first season in 2020, the Buccaneers averaged 30.8 points per game, ranking third in the league. In other words, the offensive unit has seen a drastic decline compared to years past.
While Brady continues to have a strong season — he’s thrown just one interception this year — he’s clearly having trouble getting the ball in the end zone this season. The 45-year-old has thrown eight touchdowns on 247 passing attempts for a touchdown percentage of 3.2 percent. That touchdown percentage ranks 22nd in the league, tied with Dallas Cowboys backup quarterback Cooper Rush. Brady nearly doubled that touchdown percentage last season (6.0) when he threw for 43 touchdowns on 719 pass attempts.
Roethlisberger continued to echo the sentiment that it looked like a “different Tom.”
“When the defense gets after you, sometimes, your anger and your disgust for things happen because the other team is affecting you,” said Roethlisberger. “Not because it’s you. But yeah, it just looked like a different Tom.”
Brady Under Criticism For Missing Final Practice Session
The Buccaneers quarterback was also under criticism from another former Steelers player — former safety and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark — for missing the team’s final walkthrough practice last Friday to attend New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s wedding.
“Tom Brady ain’t a part of this team. Tom Brady is above this team,” former NFL defensive back and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark said “First Take” on Monday, October 17. “It’s hurting his team, it’s hurting his individual play, and it is not the legacy that he has built in TB12.”
Former NFL receiver and current analyst Keyshawn Johnson also had a similar message following the Buccaneers’ latest loss.
“I’m not saying he’s not prepared, but people in the locker room are going to start looking at you sideways like, ‘hold on man, you can’t just be cheating the system that everybody else has to go through’ and all of a sudden it don’t work out,” Johnson said on ESPN2’s “Keyshawn, JWill and Max” on Monday.
Despite their early-season struggles, the Buccaneers lead the NFC South with a 3-3 record. They’ll try to get back on the winning track when they play the Carolina Panthers in Week 7.