Tom Brady's most interesting quotes from Browns vs. Cowboys in broadcasting debut

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Tom Brady's most interesting quotes from Browns vs. Cowboys in broadcasting debut

Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal · Akron Beacon Journal

Mon, Sep 9, 2024 ·

13 min read

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CLEVELAND — Legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady made his regular-season broadcasting debut, serving as Fox Sports' game analyst during the Browns' 33-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Sunday's opener .

Brady struck a deal in May 2022 to become the network's lead analyst. He then played his final season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers later in 2022, retired for a second time in February 2023 and took last year off before entering the broadcast booth.

With Brady's first regular-season call so highly anticipated, we were listening for the most interesting things he said, especially about the Browns . Kickoff occurred at 4:25 p.m. Sunday at the newly renamed Huntington Bank Field . Here are our updates as they unfolded throughout the game .

NFL legend Tom Brady is all smiles before an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.

Tom Brady says Cleveland Browns should open up offense earlier in Week 2 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson took a massive hit from Cowboys defensive tackle Jordan Phillips as he threw deep for wide receiver Amari Cooper with 3:34 left in the fourth quarter. The pass went through Cooper's hands inside the 5-yard line. He could have walked into the end zone for a touchdown.

"I think that's a positive to be seen from Deshaun Watson today, standing in there, taking some hits and making some downfield throws," Brady said. "[The Browns] might go into next week's game [at the Jacksonville Jaguars] trying to open it up a little earlier."

Tom Brady credits new Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer for keeping Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson guessing

Brady spoke from experienced when he said new Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer gives quarterbacks so many challenges with his scheme.

"You just get guessing as a quarterback," Brady said. "When you can occupy the mind space of a quarterback and slow the processing down, it creates a lot of problems. You become reactionary as a quarterback."

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson felt the wrath of Zimmer's defense in Week 1.

With 9:06 left in the fourth quarter, a Watson pass went off the hands of wide receiver Elijah Moore and into the hands of Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs for Watson's second interception of the game.

Tom Brady states the obvious: 'Tough day for Deshaun' Watson

The Browns had half of their first 44 offensive plays result in no gain or negative yardage, and quarterback Deshaun Watson found virtually no rhythm for the vast majority of the game.

"A lot of things that need to go right over the course of a long season," Brady said of the Cleveland offense. "Obviously, getting the run game going has been really important. I think the biggest problem [with] what I've seen today is they tried to play a little close to the vest early and allow Deshaun Watson to feel his way into the game. And then [they] get behind, and now you're forced into a game that you didn't want to be in throwing the ball as often as they have."

On fourth-and-4, Watson took a big hit from linebacker DeMarvion Overshown as he threw incomplete for a turnover on downs with 14:07 left in the fourth quarter.

"Tough day for Deshaun," Brady said.

Six plays later, the Cowboys took a 33-10 lead with Brandon Aubrey 's 46-yard field goal with 11:51 left in the fourth quarter.

Tom Brady admires Browns for fighting, but they have a steep hill to climb vs. Cowboys

After the Browns scored their first touchdown with 8:42 left in the third quarter, their defense got a stop with cornerback Greg Newsome II breaking up a third-down pass to Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb .

"I like to see the fight," Brady said.

The Browns, however, failed to immediately build on the momentum. Quarterback Deshaun Watson took a sack from linebacker Eric Kendricks to end the next series, giving the Cowboys possession with 6:35 remaining in the third quarter after a punt.

Later, the Cowboys bolstered their lead to 30-10 when Brandon Aubrey made a 50-yard field goal with 1:27 left in the third quarter.

Tom Brady says 'there's a lot of questions to answer' about Deshaun Watson, and Cleveland Browns quarterback throws first touchdown

On second-and-goal, quarterback Deshaun Watson showed some life by throwing a 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jerry Jeudy . The Browns trimmed their deficit to 27-10 with 8:42 left in the third quarter.

"That's the way to answer," Brady said. "That gives you some confidence."

Earlier during the 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, Brady gave an overview of Watson.

"The record's been good, but to play his 13th game in three years, there's just a lot of things and a lot of questions to answer," Brady said. "Today, there's been a lot of short passes. The tackles have been out. I always see these things as what this entire offense is going, but they do need [Watson] to step up, make throws."

More Cleveland Browns vs Dallas Cowboys : Live updates from Week 1 in the NFL

Tom Brady calls Cowboys' KaVontae Turpin 'one of the most dangerous, explosive returners' in NFL after he takes punt back 60 yards for a TD

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson started the second half by throwing behind wide receiver Amari Cooper on an incomplete pass and being sacked by Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence . The sequence led the Browns to punt, and KaVontae Turpin broke loose for a 60-yard touchdown return. The Cowboys' special teams highlight allowed them to extend their lead to 27-3 with 12:59 left in the third quarter.

"One of the most dangerous, explosive returners in the game makes them pay," Brady said.

Tom Brady reflects on Browns offense struggling, and a Deshaun Watson tipped pass is intercepted en route to Cowboys leading 20-3 at halftime

With Deshaun Watson and the Browns offense struggling in the first half, Brady said, "They want Deshaun to regain that form he had in Houston , and today they've just gone backwards too much."

Brady was alluding to the Browns' negative plays and penalties. Right after Brady said part of Cleveland's problems was "dealing with [Micah] Parsons here at the top of the screen," an unblocked Parsons batted a Watson pass. Linebacker Eric Kendricks intercepted the deflected pass with 1:46 left in the second quarter.

The Cowboys turned the takeaway into Brandon Aubrey's 40-yard field goal and a 20-3 lead with 51 seconds left in the first half. Dallas led by the same score at halftime.

Earlier, Aubrey made a 57-yard field goal with 2:06 left in the second quarter.

More Browns news: Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku leaves opener with ankle injury

In the first half, the Browns had 54 total net yards and seven penalties for 39 yards. The Browns had just one first down in the first half.

"There's no way to survive against any defense when you do that," Brady said of Cleveland compiling nearly as many penalty yards as yards on offense.

For the sake of comparison, the Cowboys had 216 total net yards and 30 penalty yards. They had 13 first downs.

Tom Brady comments on a Myles Garrett penalty assisting the Cowboys on their way to Ezekiel Elliott 's touchdown 3-yard run

On first-and-goal at the 7-yard line, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett sacked quarterback Dak Prescott , but the play was negated because Garrett drew an offside penalty for lining up in the neutral zone.

The penalty gave the Cowboys first-and-goal at the 3, and they took a 14-3 lead with running back Ezekiel Elliott's 3-yard rushing touchdown with 5:15 left in the second quarter.

"You don't need to go that far," Brady said of Garrett lining up offside. "You already beat everybody off the line on that little burst move you've got."

Tom Brady reminds everyone why Myles Garrett is NFL Defensive Player of the Year

Browns star edge rusher Myles Garrett isn't going to let Cowboys counterpart Micah Parsons have all the fun.

After Parsons ruined a Browns possession with a sack late in the first quarter, Garrett strip-sacked quarterback Dak Prescott on the next series. The Cowboys recovered the fumble but punted two plays later.

"That's why he's the reigning Defensive Player of the Year," Brady said of Garrett.

Later in the second quarter, Brady complimented Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy for the Dallas offense's strategy against Garrett. The Cowboys double-teamed Garrett and used wide receiver CeeDee Lamb on a jet sweep for a 12-yard gain away from Garrett.

"So much of this game is how do you slow Myles Garrett down," Brady said.

Tom Brady wowed by Micah Parsons' first quarter sack vs. Deshaun Watson

On third-and-10 from the Cleveland 20-yard line, Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons received a chip block from tight end David Njoku , but Parson maneuvered inside and slipped past right guard Wyatt Teller to sack quarterback Deshaun Watson for a 5-yard loss. The Browns trailed 7-3 and ended the opening quarter by punting.

"He got a chip and beat it," Brady said of Parsons. "... This is what you deal with when you're a great rusher, and the only way to overcome that is with relentless pursuit, high motor and just to never give up."

Tom Brady breaks down Dak Prescott's 21-yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks

The Cowboys took a 7-3 lead when quarterback Dak Prescott lofted a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandin Cooks with 6:55 left in the first quarter.

Prescott noticed the Browns were blitzing and got rid of the ball in time. Cooks lined up in the slot, beat safety Juan Thornhill 's coverage and was wide open in the end zone when he caught the pass.

Brady pointed out the "all-out blitz" from the Browns and said Prescott "knows the defender has no help to the pylon. Great throw and catch."

Brady did not mention the poor defense by Thornhill. Brady said the play created "hard communication" for the secondary. Fox's telecast showed Thornhill gesturing to cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. as if he expected Emerson to help in coverage.

Former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar, left, chats with former NFL quarterback Tom Brady before an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.

Tom Brady details keys for Cowboys offense and praises Browns defense

As Dallas began its second possession, Brady said the Cowboys need to execute a quick passing game, run the ball and eliminate penalties.

"You just can't go backward against this Cleveland defense," he said. "It's too hard to make 10 yards. It's really hard to make 20 yards."

Tom Brady says Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski shows 'a lot of confidence early in the game' with fourth-down decision

When Browns coach Kevin Stefanski decided to go for it on fourth-and-2 at the Dallas 28-yard line during Cleveland's first possession, Brady said, "It's a lot of confidence early in the game."

However, the decision was sabotaged by a false start penalty on Browns right tackle Dawand Jones , who moved early in anticipation of Micah Parsons' pass rush.

On fourth-and-7 at the Dallas 33, Dustin Hopkins made a 51-yard field goal to give the Browns a 3-0 lead with 9:23 left in the opening quarter.

Tom Brady offers thoughts on Deshaun Watson, Myles Garrett shortly prior to kickoff between Browns and Cowboys

Brady shared his thoughts on two key Browns players just before kickoff.

Brady on defensive end Myles Garrett: "He is one of the rare players who has no weaknesses. Dak [Prescott's] going to be dealing with him all day."

Brady on quarterback Deshaun Watson: "It's all about his confidence. He can make all the throws. There's no doubt about that."

Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar, left, and Tom Brady snap a picture together before Brady called his first NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.

Here is some pregame information about Brady:

What game is Tom Brady calling?

Brady has called two-and-a-half preseason games, but Week 1 between the Cowboys and Browns is his first regular-season game as a broadcaster.

In the preseason, Brady called a half of the Los Angeles Chargers versus the Seattle Seahawks and full exhibition games between the Los Angeles Rams and Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders .

Kevin Burkhardt is Tom Brady's broadcasting partner

Brady's Fox broadcasting partner is play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt. The Fox sideline reporters for Sunday's game are Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi.

What is Tom Brady's broadcasting contract? Find out how much money Brady the commentator is making compared with Brady the quarterback

Brady's contract with Fox is reportedly worth $375 million over 10 years .

To put those numbers into context, the contract tracking website spotrac.com lists Brady's career earnings as an NFL quarterback as $332.96 million over 23 seasons .

How many Super Bowls did Tom Brady win?

Brady won seven Super Bowls, six with the New England Patriots and one with the Buccaneers. Brady's titles with the Patriots came in the 2001, '03, '04, '14, '16 and '18 seasons. He finished the 2020 season by winning a championship with the Buccaneers.

Many NFL historians consider Brady the greatest modern-day quarterback of all time. Wink, wink, to all the Otto Graham fans in Northeast Ohio.

How old is Tom Brady?

Brady is 47 years old. He was born on Aug. 3, 1977.

Does Tom Brady own the Las Vegas Raiders?

Brady's bid to own the Raiders could be voted on and approved by league owners as early as October, NFL Network reported .

The presumptive soon-to-be ownership stake has led to restrictions for Brady as a broadcaster . For example, he is not allowed to be in other teams' facilities, watch practice or participate in production meetings.

A Browns spokesman said Brady did not attend production meetings at team headquarters in Berea in the buildup to Sunday's regular-season opener.

Former Kent State quarterback, New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman has a special connection to Tom Brady

Want a local connection to Brady? Former Kent State University quarterback Julian Edelman became a go-to target of Brady and a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots.

Edelman , who retired as a player after the 2020 season, and Brady both hail from Northern California.

In 2022, Edelman told the Beacon Journal the following about his relationship with Brady:

"We were represented by the same agent, Don Yee, so there was some familiarity with that. And then when I met him, I was a Bay Area kid, he was a Bay Area kid, we grew up 10 miles from each other, so talking about what sandwich shop he used to go to, what burrito he used to eat, that was comfortable. We clicked about that because I knew about his area, and he knew about my area.

"Then what ultimately was the No. 1 factor was that we both loved to compete, and we both loved to work. I learned a lot of that from him. I was a high-effort guy, and I gave a lot of effort in practice, but I learned how to practice with Tom. I think it was because of my effort, that's why he liked it, and I was available always. I made myself available no matter what for him, so that's what I think probably connected us."

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How did Tom Brady do against the Browns and Cowboys?

During Brady's illustrious career as an NFL quarterback, he went 7-2 against the Browns and 7-0 against the Cowboys.

The Browns actually got the last laugh against Brady, though. In Brady's final game in Cleveland, the Browns defeated the Buccaneers 23-17 in overtime on Nov. 27, 2022.

Browns in Week 1: Myles Garrett joins Cleveland fans in Muni Lot before game vs. Cowboys

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns vs Cowboys: Here's what Tom Brady had to say in broadcast debut

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