Tom Brady hits stride at perfect time, pushing Buccaneers to playoffs
The Buccaneers playoff drought is over as Tom Brady conjured late-season magic.
Before the 2020 NFL season, now-Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady departed New England with six Lombardi Trophies and headed south to a franchise that was historically inept.
After one season, the man considered the GOAT among his peers has the Buccaneers in the playoffs for the first time since 2007 following a Week 16 win over the Detroit Lions, 47-7. The franchise’s long playoff drought has been snapped thanks to Brady’s first-half performance with four touchdowns and 348 yards.
Though Brady did not play in the second half, he deserves and “A” grade for his performance. Just a season ago, the Buccaneers had an offense that scored points and led the league in interceptions with 30. Now, they know that they have a quarterback, albeit one who’s aging, but one who can get the job done.
Defensively, linebacker Devin White continued to be a game-wrecker and, while Lions return-man Jamal Agnew ruined any hopes of a shutout, the Lions were never close in this one. And that’s a good sign as the playoffs approach.
Tom Brady has the Bucs in the playoffs, now it’s about the next step.
You cannot blame Tampa Bay for inserting Blaine Gabbert in the second half, in which he performed well with two touchdown passes. It was wise to rest Brady knowing very well what is at stake for the franchise in just a few weeks’ time. That, of course, is the postseason where runs are made and anything can happen.
To ensure success, however, the philosophy of head coach Bruce Arians will need tweaking. The “no risk it, no biscuit” style of offense can work wonders in the regular season but the postseason is a different field, particularly the level of defense played by teams in the NFC.
As for Todd Bowles’ unit, they need not look further than their losses to New Orleans and Kansas City as a reminder that they will need to perform at a higher level if they wish to host and play in Super Bowl LV.
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The Detroit Lions are not an accurate measuring stick. But a victory means a playoff berth. Only one more game is left for an opportunity to gel and it happens to be the same Atlanta Falcons team that once again blew a lead to Brady just a week ago. We’ve seen teams get hot at the right time and ride that wave to victory, what Tampa Bay does with it remains to be seen.