Brady Hopes To Continue Success Against Steelers
FOXBORO (CBS) - While nearly every other quarterback in the NFL seems to struggle with the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, Tom Brady thrives against it.
In five regular season games against the Steelers, the Patriots quarterback is 4-1 and has completed nearly 70-percent of his passes. Brady has a 104.1 passer rating against the Steelers usually vaunted defense, throwing 12 touchdowns to just three interceptions.
When the Pats play the Steelers, they are not afraid to throw the ball. Brady has attempted at least 41 passes in all five meetings (43, 46, 41, 43, 43), averaging 29 completions.
So what is the secret to Brady's success against one of the top defenses in the NFL?
"It's just execution; guys getting open and us completing it," Brady said on Wednesday. "I don't think it's a special thing we do. There's no magic dust we put in our cereal in the morning or anything like that. We've played really well. That does pretty well against any defense."
Read: Levan Reid's Patriots Blog
"They've played us pretty good a few times too," said the Pats QB. "We've had our moments; they've had their moments. I think we realize what kind of challenge it is. We put a lot of time into the preparation, a lot of effort into what we're trying to accomplish from a game plan standpoint, and we've executed well."
"It's a good defense; a very good defense. They're first in the league against pass defense," Brady said of a defense allowing a league low 171.9 passing yards per game. "They're pretty damn good if you ask me."
"These guys make it tough on you," he said. "I think they're very physical, they cover well. They have continuity in the defense. If you watch the Super Bowl last year, they get after the quarterback. That's the hallmark of this defense. They rush the passer, they stop the run. They're a big physical defense that plays hard."
Read: Big Ben Talks Big Vince
Brady is also 2-1 in Pittsburgh, which is not the easiest place to play in.
"The Steelers are pretty tough to beat at home. The times that we've beat them, we've had to play some very, very good games, and we have. That's what I'm probably most proud of; some of the greatest games we've played have been against them."
And when the Patriots play well at Heinz Field, it means all those "terrible towels" won't be waiving all afternoon.
"If we make good plays, the crowd is not going to be a factor. If we don't, you better believe they're going to be there all day long. The better we play, the less of a factor it's going to be."
Read: Gronk Apologizes For Bye Week Photos
Tune in to the Patriots-Steelers on 98.5 The Sports Hub and WBZ-TV on Sunday at 4:15pm. Pregame coverage begins Sunday morning at 11:30am on WBZ with Patriots Gameday, with coverage on The Sports Hub kicking off at 1pm. After the game, tune in to the Patriots Postgame show on 98.5 and Patriots Fifth Quarter on MY TV38.
