"When Tom arrived, it was a better marriage between the quarterback and OC" - NFL analyst disagrees with Buccaneers HC that Tom Brady got too much credit for offense

According to former head coach Bruce Arians, Tom Brady received too much credit for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense.

On ESPN's morning show Get Up, NFL analyst Rob Ninkovich stated that when the quarterback arrived in Tampa Bay, there was a better relationship between him and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich:

"Isn't it the quarterback that throws the football and actually throws the passes to score touchdowns (and get most of the credit)? I mean, you look at the Saints and Sean Payton and Drew Brees. Drew Brees got a lot of credit for all the things that he was able to do. I understand a little bit where he's (Bruce Arians) coming from. Yes, of course the quarterback is going to have more of a focal point and get more of the credit for the things that he does on the football field. But Leftwich was there obviously even before Tom got there, so when Tom arrived there was a better marriage between the quarterback and OC and they had better production. They both get a good amount of credit but Tom definitely gets more because he's doing the actual throwing of the football."

The comments from Ninkovich come from comments made by Arians in a recent interview discussing Leftwich and his role in the Buccaneers offense:

“I get credit, and [Tom] Brady gets way too much credit for what Byron does with our offense,” Arians said. “One of the reasons I hope he gets all the credit he deserves this year is to get a coaching gig; you know, he had about four or five teams real interested last year. . . . I would anticipate him to be a head coach real fast.”

Tom Brady and Byron Leftwich in Tampa Bay

Atlanta Falcons v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback joined Tampa Bay in March 2020, while Leftwich has been the offensive coordinator since the Buccaneers hired Arians in 2019.

In two seasons under Leftwich, Brady has thrown for 9,949 yards, 83 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions.

The three-time league MVP led the NFL in both passing yards (5,316) and touchdown passes (43) in the 2021 season.

For Brady, both stats were career highs for any single season. Entering the 2022 season, we'll see how Tampa Bay's offense fairs under this quarterback-offensive coordinator duo.