Tom Brady’s post-NFL career as a weekly announcer on FOX’s No. 1 team has been a bit bumpy. The seven-time Super Bowl champion showed some nerves early on and has stuck to a lot of clichés not to say too much, but it seems like he’s getting a little stronger every week.

Brady proved to be a quick learner in the NFL. After some early struggles filling in for the injured Drew Bledsoe, he not only settled in but excelled, leading the Patriots to a stunning Super Bowl victory over the Rams in his breakout year.

His bosses at FOX hope it happens again, this time in his new job. A report from John Ourand this week provides some inside information on how Brady’s producers hope he can focus more on something that’s very important in games and that Brady has a lot of knowledge about: the Xs and O’s.

From Ourand:

“When most players leave the NFL to go into the broadcast booth, they immediately lean on Xs and Os as a crutch. Seemingly every game they analyze gaps and blocking plans. Instead, in his first 10 games as Fox Sports’ top analyst, Tom Brady focused on things you don’t find in any playbook: emphasizing star leadership, focusing on developing young players and looking for accountability among veterans seek.

“Fox producers have pushed Brady to incorporate more of what he sees on the field, well, into his commentary. And such observations – why a piece worked or failed – are appearing more and more frequently in the show.”

Brady will be back in the locker room Thursday when he schedules his first Thanksgiving Day game in Dallas, where the Cowboys will host the Giants in what could be a very ugly game. Hopefully Brady can make it more interesting for the fans who will likely be watching after stuffing their faces with food.