Tom Brady, the legendary quarterback now entering his first game as a broadcaster, expects the defenses to take center stage in Sunday's season-opening matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns.
Tom Brady, the NFL's all-time passing leader, is embarking on a new chapter in his career as a broadcaster, and he is bracing himself for a defensive battle in his first game in the booth. As the legendary quarterback prepares to call Sunday's Dallas Cowboys-Cleveland Browns game on FOX Sports, Brady shared his expectations for a defensive-heavy matchup.
Tom Brady Predicts Defensive Battle in Cowboys-Browns Season Opener
"I think it's a defensive game," Brady told Colin Cowherd on "The Herd." "I think you got two great defenses. Coach [Mike] Zimmer is a huge addition to that Dallas defense. They've got a lot of the same players coming back on Dallas's defense. Cleveland does as well."
Both the Cowboys and Browns boast impressive defensive units that played pivotal roles in their respective teams reaching the playoffs last season. The Cowboys ranked fifth in yards allowed (299.7 per game) and scoring (18.5 points allowed per game), while the Browns had the top defense in terms of yards allowed (270.2 yards per game).
The Cowboys' defense is led by reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt, who recorded 14 sacks and four forced fumbles last season. The Browns, meanwhile, boast the league's top pass rusher in Myles Garrett, who had 14 sacks and a career-high four forced fumbles.
Brady expects the defenses to shine in the season opener, especially with both teams facing some challenges on the offensive side of the ball. The Cowboys lost running back Tony Pollard to free agency and the Browns are still awaiting the return of Nick Chubb from a severe knee injury.
"Both offenses, they're not quite the run games they've had in the past due to some injuries. They've had some offensive line shuffling going around on both teams," Brady said.
As a result, Brady believes the passing game for each team will open up "a little bit," but he isn't confident it will be highly effective.
"I don't know if those passing games are quite in mid-season form yet," Brady said. "CeeDee [Lamb] wasn't in camp. Dak [Prescott] didn't have a lot of looks at that. Again, some of these passing games may take a little time to develop."
Despite the defensive strengths of both teams, Brady commended the Cowboys' head coach, Mike McCarthy, for handling the offseason drama well.
"I think [in] Coach McCarthy, they have a great leader," Brady said. "Coach McCarthy really preaches, ‘Hey, we want to stay focused day after day. We want to eliminate the distractions,' and they've had quite a few of this offseason. But every team does, and I feel like Dallas handled it very well."
Brady expressed his excitement for his broadcasting debut, calling the Cowboys-Browns matchup a "great opening game."
"This is what it's all about," Brady said. "It's going to be a great game to call."
