DALLAS — Any defensive coordinator thinking they have a defense that Tom Brady hasn't seen may be as naïve as a magician playing two card monte with Superman.
Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has the unenviable task of presenting a game plan for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Dallas hosts Tampa Bay on Sunday night at AT&T Stadium to kickoff the 2022 campaign.
"The guy is a fantastic competitor and just always seems to put his team in this position to win at the end," Quinn told reporters Sept. 5. "I think going against a competitor like that, you better be at your best in the moments of games where it’s going to come right down to it because that’s usually the separator. It’s not the first down play or the second down play. It's within a two-minute drive that’s in a red zone play to make sure that the intensity is just right and how to match up because a quarterback of his stature will have seen so many looks."
Even though Brady has a wealth of experience from his 363 career starts, playoffs included, the game ultimately comes down to execution. Brady may have seen it all, but he is still imperfect.
"That’s why all 11 and the plays and how you go and play and match up, to me, that’s where the real factors are," said Quinn. "Against any good competitor, you can’t beat yourself."
What Brady hasn’t seen just yet is the Cowboys defense with Micah Parsons at the forefront. The 2021 first-rounder was playing in his first career game, and Quinn was coordinating the defense for the first time, in last season’s slim 31-29 loss in the opener against Brady and Tampa Bay.
Certainly the unit had not evolved into the takeaway-creating defense that they are now with Parsons fresh off a unanimous NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
"I think when I go back to watch last year’s game, you wish you had some calls back," said Quinn. "We weren’t quite ready to make some multiple checks within a call, and now we are. We grew through the season, but they won’t be facing the same defense that they faced last year. Although there will be some similar faces, I would say our style has evolved quite a bit.”
The Cowboys weren't able to sack Brady, but picked him off twice as the 2020 Super Bowl champions edged Dallas one year ago — all thanks to the ageless wonder setting the home side up for a game-winning field goal as per usual.
Now, in 2022, Quinn and the Cowboys have an opportunity to show Brady something that he’s never seen, a loss to Dallas.
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