Albert Breer shares the latest on what he’s heard about the quarterbacks rumored to be on the trade market, including Carson Wentz, and where the Patriots stand on finding their QB of the future.
Few relationships in football are more important than the one between a quarterback and his center. The two have to be on the same page for every offensive snap. If they aren't, things can go haywire very quickly.
That's why Tampa Bay Buccaneers center Ryan Jensen was so open to making changes when Tom Brady first joined the Bucs. Jensen was getting a chance to play with a 20-year veteran whom many view as the greatest quarterback to ever play the game, and Brady had a couple of changes that he wanted Jensen to implement.
First, Jensen was to stuff his pants with a towel and baby powder to prevent sweating and help the ball stay dry. Also, Jensen was no longer to wear a glove when snapping the ball.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE Curran: Brady's last Patriotic duty? Defend the wall vs. KC
Jensen took those changes in stride and abided by them for the entirety of the season. Ahead of the Super Bowl, Jensen explained how and why he stuck to those changes.
"I mean, when Tom Brady tells you to do something, you usually do it," Jensen said in a recent media availability, per NESN's Zack Cox. "But it was a little bit of an adjustment at first, especially not wearing a glove. I used to always wear a glove. You start to get your hands pretty torn up not wearing a glove as an offensive lineman, so that was a little bit of an adjustment. But we talked about it, and he explained why.
"At first, I’m like, it can’t make that big of a difference, and then you start doing it and you realize how — especially with the towel and the baby powder — how much you don’t sweat down there when you’re doing that. And that’s keeping his hands dry and keeping the ball dry. He’s done this for so long and has had so much success, you’ve kind of got to listen to him. Are you going to backtalk him? I just don’t think that’s how that works."
NFL
It's no surprise that Brady's focus was on minor details like that to start his time in Tampa Bay. After all, this is the same guy that explained to the Buccaneers equipment manager early in the offseason exactly how he wanted footballs prepared for game day.
That said, the willingness of Buccaneers players and staff, like Jensen, to accept these changes is one of the reasons the Bucs system has thrived. It has played a major role in the team's ability to reach the Super Bowl and why the quarterback/center exchange has thrived this year despite the shortened offseason that came as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Soon enough, we'll see if these changes and improvements were enough to get the Bucs a Super Bowl title. Either way, the Bucs probably wouldn't be where they are today without Brady and the changes he brought along with him.