Tom Brady turns Patriots play sheet into a lesson in NFL game planning
During FOX’s Commanders-Eagles broadcast, Brady showed how the Patriots organised their calls and used defensive tendencies in their Super Bowl LI comeback.
Tom Brady used FOX’s broadcast of the Commanders-Eagles game to show viewers the offensive play-call sheet from the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl LI victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
Brady, in his third season as a FOX game caller, said the sheet was designed around specific game situations rather than a single list of plays. It grouped calls by personnel formations, downs, red-zone situations and two-point plays.
The sheet also included defensive tendency data. For third-and-6-to-9 situations, Brady said it recorded Atlanta using man coverage 100 per cent of the time and four-down fronts 60 per cent of the time.
The presentation included examples of calls listed under headings such as quick dropback passes and two-point plays. Brady said the structure helped the offence identify an appropriate call for each situation.
The Patriots recovered from a 28-3 deficit to defeat Atlanta in overtime in Super Bowl LI. Brady threw for 466 yards and two touchdowns in the game, according to the source.
Brady said he and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels regarded the completed sheet as a “Picasso” by the end of the game.
