Jets coach Rex Ryan and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will match wits on Monday, and ESPN’s Monday Night Football commentator Ron Jaworski says that when the two have gone head-to-head in the past, Brady hasn’t been able to deal with the pressure Ryan’s defenses put on him.
“I think the key to the game is going to be Tom Brady,” Jaworski said on ESPN Radio. “Tom Brady has not played well against Rex Ryan defenses.”
Jaworski said Brady looks like he hasn’t figured out Ryan’s schemes.
“Tom Brady has not solved that Jets defense,” Jaworski said. “You just watch the areas of the field where he attacks. He struggles to the outside, the middle of the field, missing blitz pressures. This Jets defense has Tom Brady’s number. And until Tom Brady can solve that defense, this offense is going to struggle.”
The numbers bear that analysis out: Brady struggled in the Patriots’ Week 2 loss to the Jets, completing 20 of 36 passes for 248 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Brady also had his lowest passer rating of the 2009 season in the Patriots’ Week 2 loss to the Jets, although he bounced back nicely and had a big game when the Patriots beat the Jets in Week 11. And Ryan’s defense in Baltimore also played well against Brady and the Patriots; the only game in 2007 when Brady completed less than 50 percent of his passes came against the Ravens.
So Brady has a history of struggling against Ryan. We’ll find out on Monday if he’s solved the problem.