Tom Brady knows a thing or two about amazing comebacks. But FOX Sports’ lead NFL analyst also knows a thing or two about how tough it is to beat the Baltimore Ravens.
The tenacity of John Harbaugh’s Ravens that Brady knows so well was on display again in Dallas on Sunday. Baltimore entered the game 0-2 after losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders, then nearly lost by 22 points in the fourth quarter to the Cowboys amid a furious comeback led by Dak Prescott.
But Lamar Jackson used a key third-down pass and a jet sweep run to record the first down-sealing touchdown in a 28-25 Ravens victory. He also registered individual performances in which the defending NFL MVP threw for 182 yards and a touchdown and ran for 87 yards and another score.
“It’s very hard on their back,” Brady said. “The things they were expecting this year depend on how they finished last year with a 0-2 tie, all that week they were badly hurt last week.
“They came out here on the road, started fast, beat the storm from the Cowboys. I like the fight that the Cowboys showed, I like the toughness that the Ravens showed. … This game, to me, was about Baltimore’s toughness. They’re a tough organization. They have a tough coach.
Brady said the diversity of the Ravens’ offense, and especially the tandem of Jackson and running back Derrick Henry — who won Brady’s Week 3 LFG Player of the Game after a 151-yard, two-touchdown performance — made the Cowboys’ defense more difficult.
Tom Brady on Ravens’ 28-25 win over Cowboys – ‘a lot of weight on their backs’
“[The Cowboys are] we’re struggling inside, trying to slow down these run plays,” Brady said. “This is a team with a good pass rush. … You might have a big pass rush, but it doesn’t make a difference in the game because you can’t even bring him down on third down. Today, of late, they actually found out [the Ravens] going down two of three, took them off the field. But in the beginning, if it’s Lamar on the right, Lamar on the left, Derrick on the right, Derrick on the left, then they are [bootlegs] you come out of those things, you’re a moving victim, and as a defender, I’m sure you’re very skeptical. You don’t know how to chase, you don’t know how to drop. You go back and forth, and you can’t be aggressive.”
As for whether the Ravens can continue to right the ship as the season goes on, Brady seems to be buying into the idea because of their quarterback. It’s well-documented that Jackson is a big fan of Brady, and the two-time NFL MVP often refers to the seven-time Super Bowl champion as “GOAT” in public. But Brady made it clear during Sunday’s broadcast that the sentiment is mutual, praising Jackson and praising how the 27-year-old continues to develop as an NFL quarterback.
“His [downfield] the vision is really amazing,” Brady said during the game. “For a player who does a lot of things in the pocket and out of the socket, his vision of the field is amazing. His decision making in the pocket is incredible. … The quarterback transition is, you go from early on and play to what your ability is, ‘How do I continue to develop as a player?’
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“What I saw last year as well [Ravens offensive coordinator Todd] Monken, he was coming in saying, ‘Okay, we’re going to make a concerted effort to play in the pocket.’ Now, they’re talking about, okay, how do we give him more responsibility? Some of the things that have challenged the Ravens defense in critical situations, for example, is when the defense sends a lot of pressure. Kansas City did that last year in the AFC Championship game. They did it earlier this season. [The Ravens] he said, ‘OK, Lamar, if you see this great fun – and you’re the MVP of the league and you’re great – but these are areas where we think you need to improve a little bit. Now you’ll have more command at the line of scrimmage to make some defensive checks and damage the blitz, and that’s where I really see his evolution as a player going to the next level. “
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