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Tom Brady Hopes To 'Get Out Of Basement' Against The Blitz

BOSTON (CBS) -- Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has looked like a mere mortal against the blitz this season.

Through 10 games, Brady has not been very GOAT-like when the pressure is coming at him, ranking dead last in the NFL in quarterback rating against the blitz, according to ESPN. That was on full display Sunday afternoon against the Titans, as Brady and the Patriots offense couldn't get much of anything going in their 34-10 loss.

Brady was asked about being on the bottom of the pack against the blitz during his bye week press conference at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, and though he doesn't usually pay attention to rankings and stats, he isn't a big fan of being in the basement in any category.

"Any time you are last in the league in anything, that probably isn't very good. I haven't studied that as much," said Brady, who has a QB rating of just 59.6 against the blitz this season. "If they blitz, it gives us great opportunities to make plays. If we're not doing that, we need to figure out how to do it. I think if [they] rush three or four or five, there's going to be opportunities, really in any case. It's just what you do with those opportunities.

"Hopefully we can figure that out and get out of the basement, work our way up," he added.

Brady and the Patriots still sit at 7-3 on the season and have a great chance at securing a first-round bye in the playoffs, but he certainly hasn't looked like the defending NFL MVP. He actually looks more like a 41-year-old quarterback, and despite putting up some big numbers, the New England offense has yet to play up to their potential.

"I think we're definitely trying to find things that – this is the first really chance we've had to evaluate that. There's been a lot of moving parts this year for one reason or another with the receivers, tight ends, running backs, a little bit with the O-line, not so much with the quarterback position. But I think that's all part of what we're trying to do," said Brady. "We've got to get out there and practice together and that transitions. If you practice well, you can gain a lot of confidence and ultimately you go out and you play confidently because you can play aggressively knowing what the other guys are doing. We just haven't had that, I would say, overall consistency and the ability to practice together – which that's not an excuse. I mean, every team goes through that. A lot of teams deal with injuries and moving parts and bringing different people in. That's just part of football. But we're trying to adjust and adapt like everyone else."

The bye week gives Brady a great opportunity to rest up, study up, and get better on the practice field (and see Hamilton again, in case you hadn't heard). And as Brady stated on Wednesday, everyone needs to get better for the final six games of the regular season.

"Every position needs to shore things up," said Brady. "The reality is for the quarterback I can do what  I need to do and I need to shore things up with what I can do. And the different positions do the same thing. It's part of what this week is all about — looking at what you're doing, what the rest of the team is doing, how my position fits into the rest of the offense and that goes for every player. I don't think any player is really satisfied. I think we're all looking to get better and improve.

"Again, we have some opportunity to do that. Still a lot of football left," he continued. "Hopefully we can make the most of this week, use the weekend to get our minds and bodies refreshed and then be ready to go for a great division road game against the Jets."

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