Ray Lewis Masterfully Narrates How ‘Brainy’ Tom Brady Played ‘Chess’ With His Rivals on the Gridiron

It’s no secret that Tom Brady has been a genius on the gridiron. Whoever he played against, he showcased a level of dominance that has since not been seen. His style of play has led to his dominance on the field against some of the best in the game. One such player he dominated against was the Ravens’ Ray Lewis. In a recent video released by the Ravens, Lewis breaks down how the QB played with his mind on the field.

In the video, the ex-Ravens linebacker spoke about the playing style Brady had on the field against his opponents. The linebacker provided a unique perspective of how a defensive player such as him played against the QB, even drawing comparisons between Brady and Peyton Manning and how their playing styles differed.

Ray my man..ur respect for Brady is the reason why I hv enormous respect for u..https://t.co/fU5Da5DDdK

— NFL World, What’s Up?? (@Whats_Up_NFL) April 24, 2024

While talking about Brady, he mentioned how Brady usually slows the game down. He explained that Brady played the game in a methodical manner, wherein he delivered small blows consistently to the opponent. He said, “Tom was slower. The game was chess. What you think, he’s not going to do. You have to study Tom from situational football.”

 In contrast, he also showcased a comparison with Manning. He spoke about how Manning was a force of nature on the field as compared to Brady, He would go out all guns blazing as soon as he came onto the field. Lewis further accentuated his point and made a comparison between Brady and Manning. He said, “Tom was not the one who always go at you. He don’t go at your throat a lot right he just slowly cuts you. Peyton is the opposite. Peyton’s like first play of the game I’m going at you.”

Interestingly, while he has made this comparison, Lewis has a clear winner in his head as to who was more difficult to face. He has previously gone on record to reveal who was the tougher QB to face off against.

Tom Brady vs Peyton Manning: Who’s the harder QB to crack?

While both QBs have been a nightmare for defensive players, Lewis has a clear opinion on who he considers the greatest QB he played against. He has explained that while Brady was a challenge, the biggest challenge of Lewis’s career was Peyton Manning. To Lewis, Manning is the greatest QB he has faced.

As reported by Sports Illustrated, Lewis went on to explain his statement. He said, “I would say from a quarterback, from a student level of the game, [Manning] made me alter my game. He made me watch more film and that’s what I call the GREATEST quarterback, to me, me and his battle. Brady, of course, rings, but when you talk about just walking out there and seeing a man knowing that, whoo, here we go again, Peyton Manning was rough.”

Therefore, it looks like the linebacker has made his opinion about his greatest opponent clear. However, it is noteworthy that while Manning was the bigger terror for him, Brady’s game was the one that seemed like a game of chess.