PHOENIX—Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Tony McDaniel tells Breitbart Sports that “blitzes” and pressuring Tom Brady figure as main ingredients in Seattle’s recipe for a Super Bowl victory.
“Brady’s so good at getting the ball off quick,” McDaniel admits. “We’ve only got 2.5 seconds to get to him. It’s going to be a tough job. But I think we can get it done.”
How do the Seahawks get “it” done?
McDaniel, whose time with in Miami provided familiarity with Sunday’s quarry, says the Seahawks must “try to get him off his spot.” The answer has almost become cliché.
Many say it. Few do it.
On January 11, 2010, the Baltimore Ravens beat the Patriots to knock them out of the playoffs. The Ravens sacked Brady three times and pressured him on numerous other plays. He threw three interceptions in the loss.
“The main focus was to get him off his spot,” said Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs after the game.
The New York Jets, the worst team in the AFC East, almost pulled a major upset over the division-rival Patriots in December, losing 17-16. Brady looked pedestrian in this shockingly tight game. How did the Jets make Tom Terrific look like Owen Ordinary?
“Our blitzes got Brady off his spot,” maintained Jets defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson.
Before the Indianapolis Colts played the Patriots in mid-November, their defensive coordinator Greg Manusky relayed the key to dealing with Brady.
“You just have to get him off his spot,” Manusky announced. “That’s what everybody tries to do. They try to get him off his spot and get him to move.”
We get the point.
Get Brady “off his spot” in the pocket and you increase your chances of beating the Patriots. In other words, don’t let him set his feet in a comfortable passing pocket and survey the field for receivers. If you do that, he will generally pick your pass defense apart with relative ease.
So, Seattle’s talented core of pass rushers must perform on a high level for four quarters in Super Bowl XLIX. But indications for where the game might go may come early.
If viewers see Operation Get Brady Off His Spot succeeding early, that’s a sign that they may see the Seahawks hoisting the Lombardi Trophy late. If fans witness Brady’s release consistently beating the pass rush, they may just witness the Patriots beating the Seahawks.
Follow Daniel Leberfeld on Twitter @jetswhispers
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