'There's a Lot of Bad Football': Tom Brady Blasts the Current Level of Play in the NFL

Tom Brady took a pretty benign question about parity in the NFL and turned it into a blunt critique of the overall quality of football being played.

With 15 of the league’s 32 teams heading into Week 5 at 2-2, Brady was asked on Thursday if he thought that amount of parity in the league was a good thing. Judging by Brady’s answer, it’s pretty clear he does not think it is a good thing.

“I think there’s a lot of bad football from what I watch,” Brady told reporters. “I watch a lot of bad football. Poor quality of football. That’s what I see.”

Brady’s Bucs, also 2-2, were not spared any criticism from their quarterback.

“We can look at the film and understand why,” Brady said. “You turn the ball over. You get behind. You don’t play well on third down. You don’t score points in the red area. It’s all the same stuff. Stuff you’ve got to work on.”

Brady did allow that the mass of teams grouped in the middle could be a good thing for the fans.

“That’s why everyone tunes in to watch football every week,” Brady said. “Because you never know what you’re going to get.”

The 2017 season was the only other NFL year that saw this many teams at .500.

But, while that is noteworthy, it’s also noteworthy to look at some of the teams stuck at 2-2.

Very few people would have expected the defending AFC Champion Bengals to be stuck at 2-2. Though, when looking at the overhaul of their offensive line and key departures in other areas, it’s easier to see why they’ve struggled. Brady’s Bucs were thought to be better than a .500 football team but they suffered several key injuries in the offseason.

Conversely, the Falcons and the Bears were projected to be the worst teams in the league and they’re right there at .500 just like Brady and both Super Bowl teams from last year.

Seems like Brady is right, a lot of people are bad.