New York Jets Must Attack Tom Brady

Last year the Jets battered Tom Brady in Week 2 with an aggressive defense that sent men from all angles at him. They went away from that approach in Week 11 during the second meeting. Gang Green came out with a base package of four men on the line in the first half with an abnormally low number of pressure packages. It was a consistent base four man rush. Brady had by far the best performance of his three against Rex Ryan's Jets.

The only way to beat Tom Brady is to get heat on him. The Jets didn't have the horses to get heat to him without blitzing last year. They do not this year. If he has time to sit in the pocket, one of his five receivers will get open. Brady is the kind of quarterback who only needs a slight window. One will eventually open if he has time. The Jets need to force him to get the ball out early to limit the amount of time the coverage has to hold.

It has been the formula when this team has had success against New England, whether under Ryan or Eric Mangini. The Jets must blitz early and blitz often. They need to vary their looks to try and confuse the blocking. Part of the advantage of playing a base 3-4 is even on four man rushes, one of the guys coming is a mystery. When the number grows to five and more, there are an infinite number of possible combinations for whom the blockers need to account.

It's possible the Pats will pick up the blitzes, and give Brady time with super exposed coverage. It's possible he will shred the Jets by getting the ball out super quickly like he did in the 2006 Playoffs. It's possible the Jets could miss tackles that lead to big plays. The only way this team can stop Brady the way it did in Foxborough in 2006 and 2007 and in the Meadowlands the past two seasons is to take that chance. As Cimini pointed out, Brady hasn't been great under pressure.