"He's different this year" - Tom Brady acting unlike himself in 2022, claims NFL analyst

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady hasn't been himself this season, and it's being noticed. The 45-year-old has a different vibe in 2022, and for the most part, it isn't a good one.

On Sunday, the Buccaneers fell to a team they were favorites to beat, the Pittsburgh Steelers. They lost 20-18 as they fell to a 3-3 record. Now, many are starting to question Brady and the player he is.

On ESPN's 'Get Up!', former Steeler Ryan Clark said the Buccaneers quarterback is now 'a different player' compared to what we are used to. Clark also raised the issue of the 45-year-old missing time as an opening for people to question him.

Clark said:

"But the other part is this, too, though, they started 3-10 [on passes], and that was on Tom Brady. There weren't drops. There weren't drops in the first ten passes that Tom Brady ... of the game. And he was 3-10 when this game started. He was off.

"He wasn't necessarily sharp, and he did play his way into playing better. And I don't agree. I don't believe that him not being there is the reason that they lost or him not being there, the reason that they played bad."

Clark added:

"But when you do play bad and when you aren't wide open and you're doing those other things, it opens the door, opens the doors for those things to be criticized, which we can never criticize Tom Brady on.

"He is different this year. He's a different person. He's a different teammate. He's a different player. He's behaving differently, which is making him a different football player on game day."

Things are off with the 45-year-old. Is it an off-field issue with his wife? Possibly. The season is still young, but Tampa Bay needs to sort its issues out and quick.

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Tom Brady and the Buccaneers: A different beast in 2022

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Pittsburgh Steelers

It hasn't been the suffocating defense and the laser precision we have come to know from both sides of the ball for Tampa Bay. They have, at times, looked disjointed, and it has shown up on the field.

They are also struggling to score. They've scored more than 20 points just twice (vs.Chiefs 41-31 and Falcons 15-21). They have also been kept their opponents under 20 points three times (vs. Cowboys, 19-3, Packers 12-14, and Falcons). It is startling.

While they are still in possession of first place in the NFC South (tied with Atlanta), the Buccaneers' season isn't in a bad spot. But the play of the Buccaneers' quarterback has seriously declined.

Are we seeing Father Time finally catch up with the 45-year-old? It sure looks like it.

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If you use any of the above quotes, please credit ESPN's GetUp and H/T Sportskeeda.

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