Football is a strategy game just as much as it is a physical game. The key to success is teamwork and coordination. Tom Brady, who is regarded as one of the greatest field generals in football history, concurs, drawing comparisons between the game and chess.
Brady demonstrated a level of field awareness that has served as a model for other quarterbacks for more than 20 years. He explained that although certain sports, like basketball and soccer, are responsive, football features intricate set pieces. He explained that the unique purpose of each piece and the strategic planning that go into football make it different from other games. To Colin Cowherd, he clarified,
“That’s what the beautiful part about the sport is that’s the chess game in football. It’s not checkers it’s not soccer where everything’s reaction. It’s not hockey, it’s not basketball they’re all set pieces there’s a play.”
Is Tom Brady right about Quarterback role?
Furthermore, Brady compared the quarterback to the one who rearranges the chess pieces when discussing his own role. He discussed how competent field generals are able to move all of their pieces in an efficient manner by citing the examples of field generals he watched growing up, such as Don Marino and John Elway, as well as his contemporaries, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees.
He claims that as quarterbacks, their primary responsibility was to read and exploit opposing defenses. Brady went one step farther and used one of his best plays against Chicago to illustrate the thinking of a quarterback.
