Tom Brady’s career point differential per opp:
NOR -31
KAN -20
SFO -8
NWE 2
SEA 7
ARI 12
LAC 37
PHI 48
BAL 51
NYG 54
LAR 55
GNB 56
DET 60
DEN 67
CLE 70
LVR 72
JAX 75
TEN 81
TAM 81
WAS 82
DAL 83
HOU 85
MIN 90
PIT 97
CAR 100
CHI 105
ATL 106
CIN 114
IND 131
MIA 333
NYJ 390
BUF 472— Jeff Asher (@Crimealytics) February 1, 2023
It’s finally over. Tom Brady announced his retirement on Wednesday after spending decades on top of the NFL, but no team had more success against him than the New Orleans Saints. Brady posted the lowest point differential of his career against the Saints in getting outscored by 31 points.
For context, just three teams outscored Brady in his career — the Kansas City Chiefs were next-best (-20), followed by the San Francisco 49ers (-8), with Brady’s old New England Patriots team coming close to breaking even (2). Brady outscored every other team in the league by 7 or more points in his long run as a pro.
That’s impressive by New Orleans. But the Saints also created more negative plays by Brady than many other opponents. They sacked him 30 times in 11 games, the fourth-highest sacks total of all opposing defenses; his former AFC East rivals, who he played more often, took a lead there with 66 sacks in 36 games by the Miami Dolphins, 64 sacks in 36 games by the Buffalo Bills, and 56 sacks in 37 games by the New York Jets.
It extends to takeaways, too. The Saints defense intercepted Brady 12 times in 11 games; the Dolphins had 27 interceptions, the Bills had 25, and the Jets had 16, as did the Indianapolis Colts in 15 games. Brady fumbled 7 times in 11 games with the Saints and Chiefs. The Denver Broncos had 10 fumbles in 14 games. The Jets and Bills had 14 each, and the the Dolphins had 16.
Whew. The Saints got the better of him almost every time they shared the field. It’s a shame Brady didn’t come to the NFC South sooner. Here’s to a happy and fulfilling retirement for him.