Joe Brolly believes Tyrone's ambitions of closing on the gap on Dublin are being badly hampered by a "psychology of fear".
The Red Hands are a point behind the All-Ireland champions in the Allianz Football League Division 1 and look among the sides best placed to put it up to Jim Gavin's swaggering side this summer.
Only a Dean Rock point in the 74th minute salvaged a draw for the Dubs when the teams clashed in Croke Park last month, but Brolly believes Tyrone's defensive approach will ultimately leave them short.
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“The Dubs play very purposeful football," he told the RTÉ GAA Podcast.
"Their defenders all play in front, they never mark space, they always tackle, they’re active, you’re being harassed all the time, they’re pushing up on the kickouts... all the things that create ambition and adventurous football.
"They look fantastic. The big thing that marks them out is their enthusiasm, their freshness their vibrancy, and I think all of that comes from the way they play the game.
"Tyrone’s problem is very much like Donegal’s. They're very hard to beat, and obviously very hard to watch.
"They’re not translating that into winning football by attacking, so you see for example, they were six points up against Dublin, and they sit back and defend because that’s the natural mindset; it’s a psychology of fear."
Dublin have not been beaten in the league or championship for two years.
They swept Mayo aside at the weekend by 12 points, prompting Wexford manager Seamus McEnaney to claim that "the pick of Leinster" wouldn't beat them.
Brolly agreed that the Sky Blues look to be on another level to everyone else, and said that, if anything, they're getting better game by game.
“If you were in Celtic Park for example, to see Derry who are sitting in Division 2, the standard is light years away from what Dublin are producing," he added.
"You see all the time how Dublin are, really in many ways, improving and improving.
"Their movement of the ball, their kicking, their skills, their ability now to break down a blanket defence, their ambition, their sense of adventure. It was frightening to watch the way they dismantled Mayo.
"You saw last year against Mayo in the All-Ireland quarter-final, in the last 15 minutes they couldn't score one point to get an equaliser and they were content to string the ball along the defence.
"Donegal did exactly the same against Dublin last week whenever they had the chance to go and win the game. That’s the difference between them and the Dubs. When Dublin go for it they go for it, and at the moment they’re the only team who are doing that.”
