Bears’ historic comeback sinks Packers, 49ers upset Eagles
USA TODAY Sports’ Prince Grimes reacts to every game of the NFL’s chaotic but entertaining Wild Card weekend.
Tom Brady gave viewers a well-received lesson on football and physics during Fox’s Wild Card Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers.
Brady’s teaching moment came midway through the third quarter of a playoff contest on Jan. 11, during a steady breeze. Wind gusts up to 36 mph occurred during the contest, causing problems for quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Jalen Hurts.
Brady explained exactly why wind makes passing difficult, and based on his 23 years of NFL experience, he detailed the difficulty of throwing in windy conditions.
“What you see, and I talk a lot about the point of the ball, but how you see it, I’ll show you it from this angle,” Brady said as play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt and Fox cameras showed him gripping the football. “This is like a neutral plane. This is when the point is slightly down. When you throw into the wind, the ball should be neutral. If the point of the ball is up, the friction of the wind will push the ball up.”
“So, as a quarterback, I don’t really like the ‘U’ throws that go down, because obviously the tip of the ball ends up pointing up,” Brady continued. “You prefer the letter ‘C’ or the inverted ‘C’. That way you can control the tip of the ball and break it when you throw it.”
“But in windy conditions like this, you can’t be under the ball,” Brady added. “There are too many surfaces on the ball that are exposed to the wind, and the ball goes off course.”
Brady’s injury drew universal praise from both NFL fans and analysts. It was a testament to the knowledge the seven-time Super Bowl champion and arguably the best quarterback in league history brought to the booth.
Fox will continue to benefit from the 48-year-old’s expertise. He signed a 10-year deal with the network and showed continued growth while settling into the booth well in his second season as an NFL broadcaster.
