Esiason: Unbelievable Start For MVP-Favorite Tom Brady
BOSTON (CBS) -- We're only two weeks into the 2015 NFL season, but it's pretty clear that Tom Brady is locked in.
Brady was spectacular again in New England's 40-32 win over the Bills in Buffalo on Sunday, going 38-for-59 for 466 yards and three touchdowns as the Patriots improved to 2-0 on the season.
"That offensive performance was pretty special," Boomer Esiason of WFAN and CBS' The NFL Today told 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich during his weekly call into the show on Monday morning. "It was the first time a quarterback has every had the stat line Tom had; over 50 attempts, over 400 yards and no interceptions. That was about as good a performance under an adverse set of situation that I've ever seen in my career."
Brady is taking out any lingering frustrations from the offseason on opposing defenses, tossing seven touchdowns, no interceptions and 754 yards in the first two weeks of the season.
"I'm never surprised at what they do and I'm not surprised by the way Tom is playing this year. He's off to an unbelievable start, and after two weeks you can say he's the odds on favorite for the MVP," added Esiason.
Rex Ryan fell to 4-10 against the Patriots, as New England was able to combat the vaunted Buffalo pass rush despite having a young offensive line. Brady was only sacked twice on Sunday.
"I feel bad for Rex in some ways, because he doesn't have Tom Brady as a quarterback. He's had to go against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick with Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith and now Tyrod Taylor," said Boomer. "He doesn't have what the Patriots have, and that's the most important ingredient: A stable, consistent leader behind center. That's why he's always going to be swimming upstream.
"I said Rex Ryan is the Donald trump of NFL coaches, and he is" said Boomer. "He gets everyone all crazy and gets everyone whipped up in a frenzy. He did it for the Jets fans and now he's doing it in Buffalo. I think, personally, it's great for football. He's a great showman and I think it's fantastic. It's frustrating, I'm sure, for him and his staff that they have a hell of time against Bill Belichick."
Ryan's comments throughout the week leading up to the game had his players fired up for Sunday's game, but some of them admitted after the loss they were a little too amped and not focused enough. The Bills committed 14 penalties for 140 yards on Sunday, and Esiason admitted that Rex's approach can sometimes backfire.
"It can definitely, no question about it. But the Patriots have foundation players; they've been together for a long time and have won a lot of games," he said. "It's a finely tuned machine that is just a juggernaut. The way they handle things and go through things, the little things, the way Billl Belichick gets his team ready for a guy like Rex Ryan. You had turnovers and penalties, that shows you a team that is too amped up and overheated, making stupid penalty after penalty that never allowed the Bills to regain momentum.
"If you play well, you don't turn the football over and you don't commit stupid penalties, with a Hall of Fame quarterback and All Pro receiver and tight end, you're going to win your football game," he said. "That's exactly what happened with the Patriots."
