Tom Brady’s Incredible Play With Tampa Bay Buccaneers Is His Best Pitch Yet For The TB12 Method

The central selling point to Tom Brady’s TB12 Method has always been his exceptional play. His first six weeks with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is his most effective campaign yet.

After an uneven start, Brady has found his groove. The Buccaneers throttled the previously undefeated Green Bay Packers 38-10 Sunday, intercepting Aaron Rodgers two times, including a pick-six from from cornerback Jamel Dean. It was the first time Rodgers had thrown two interceptions in a game since December 2017.

Tampa Bay’s suffocating defense helped get the offense started, with the Buccaneers only needing two offensive yards to score their first two touchdowns. But Brady unleashed two spectacular touchdown throws to close out the second quarter. First, he found rookie Tyler Johnson in the corner of the end zone on third down, salvaging a low snap.

Then Brady connected with Rob Gronkowski for six. It was the first Brady-Gronk touchdown since they joined forces in Tampa Bay.

Over the last four games, Brady is once again playing like one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL — at 43 years old. He’s completed nearly 64% of his passes for 1,085 yards and 11 touchdowns with a 106.4 passer-rating in that span.

For comparison’s sake, Cam Newton is currently on pace for 6.4 touchdowns and 12.8 interceptions this season. Right now, it’s safe to say Brady holds the advantage.

It was an unusual offseason for Brady, who flouted state and NFL Covid-19 guidelines, placing himself directly in the center of the coronavirus cultural debate. He was ejected from a closed park in Tampa Bay for working out (the mayor later apologized); admonished by his own players’ association for holding unauthorized practices; and questioned over his promotion of “immunity vitamins” at the height of the pandemic this past spring. Medical experts told me they found Brady’s claims to be unethical and misleading.

In an Instagram post, Brady posted a famous quote from President Franklin D. Roosevelt in an apparent rebuke of those criticizing his Covid workouts: “(The) only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.”

The message conveyed an air of invincibility, and it’s hard to blame Brady for feeling indestructible. He hasn’t missed a single game due to injury since 2008, when he blew out his ACL. Each season, Brady watches younger teammates miss time with various physical ailments, while he gets ready to practice each day.

There have been rocky moments. Just last week, Brady appeared to forget how many downs there were at the end of the game, launching an errant pass on fourth down well beyond the sticks. But Brady has rebounded from Super Bowl losses, scandals and wholesale roster changes. He’s been through a tough loss in Week 5 before.

The Buccaneers have been through many losses over their inept 43-year history, finishing over .500 only 11 times. Beyond producing under center, Brady was brought in to change the culture. It’s seemingly starting to work. On Sunday, the Buccaneers weren’t penalized once.

“I can’t say that I’ve ever been in a ballgame with no penalties,” Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians said after the game, per The Washington Post.

The TB12 Method is about more than physical pliability and football training. It is an all-encompassing approach that includes mental exercises as well. Brady has a whole cognitive training regimen, and though it is dubious for Brady to claim his brain is “wired for impact,” there’s no second-guessing his ability to make quick decisions. Amazingly, it still seems as if Brady sees the field as well now as he did 10 years ago.

Ever since Brady published his lifestyle testimonial — “The TB12 Method: How to Achieve a Lifetime of Sustained Peak Performance” — he’s seemingly been intent on marketing his methods to the masses. There are meal packages, powdered electrolytes and $160 vibrating pliability rollers. There are also two TB12 Boston-area storefronts: one in Boston’s upscale Back Bay, and another one footsteps from Gillette Stadium at Patriot Place.

The latter location, and original TB12 spot, once attracted scores of other Patriots players. Gronkowski was one of the most high-profile TB12 converts, crediting the lifestyle with keeping him healthy following a grueling array of surgeries — including three back operations — earlier in his career.

Bill Belichick reportedly fumed over the TB12 Method’s proliferation into his locker room, and at one point, curtailed the access of Brady’s personal guru and business partner, Alex Guerrero, according to the Boston Globe. In a noteworthy scene from Brady’s Facebook docuseries, “Tom vs. Time,” Guerrero is seen massaging Brady in a private suit — opposed to the locker room.

It’s apparent Brady is trying to bring the TB12 Method to Tampa Bay. He’s already opened a performance center near Raymond James Stadium. Last week, Arians said he thinks Brady will motivate a generation of quarterbacks to play into their 40s. In many respects, he already is. Drew Brees is 41, Philip Rivers will soon turn 39, and Rodgers will be 37 at the end of the season. Brees has adopted many aspects of the TB12 Method, including Brady’s strict and plant-based diet.

The pillars of the TB12 Method are not revolutionary from a wellness standpoint: eat well, maintain pliability, and meditate. They are preached, to some degree, in new-age yoga studios across the U.S.

But Brady’s accomplishments on the field are revolutionary. His performance has always been his best sales pitch. And this season, it looks like he’s just warming up.