Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dropped to 3-4 on the season with Sunday's 21-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers, and head coach Todd Bowles admitted that the team is not in the right head space following the defeat.

Bowles said the Bucs are in a "dark place," per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, and "they have to see if the older guys can still play and if the younger guys are good enough to play."

"We have to wear this on our sleeves. We have to be grown men. We’re gonna see what we’re made of; how many people can handle adversity. It’s about as dark as it’s gonna be right now," Bowles said, per The Athletic's Greg Auman.

Bowles added that he's not considering any coaching changes at this point in the year, but it's clear something needs to change if the Buccaneers are going to get back on track and save their season.

After Tom Brady decided to unretire, many expected the seven-time Super Bowl champion to return with a chip on his shoulder and lead the Buccaneers on another championship run. However, the team looks as far as ever from competing for another title.

Following Tampa's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers one week ago, Brady blamed the Bucs' problems on a lack of execution. Those execution issues only continued in Sunday's loss to Carolina.

Sunday's game marked Tampa Bay's second consecutive loss and the first time that Brady has been below .500 at this point in the season since 2002. It also marked a new low for the team this year.

Brady completed 32 of 49 passes for 290 yards in the loss. Mike Evans led Bucs' receivers with nine catches for 96 yards, and he would have had a touchdown in the first quarter had he not dropped a wide-open pass from Brady.

Tampa's rushing offense was even more lackluster. Rookie Rachaad White led the team with six carries for 24 yards.

The Buccaneers hadn't been held without a touchdown since a 9-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Dec. 19, 2021.

Bowles' squad has a tough schedule coming up with meetings against the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Rams on tap. It will need to sort things out quickly to avoid dropping further out of playoff contention.

Things have gotten bad for Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Very, very bad.

Nobody would have predicted that a Carolina Panthers team firmly in the middle of a fire sale and fresh off of dealing franchise running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers would have put up much of a fight against the Bucs, let alone beat them 21-3.

But here we are.

The Bucs are now 3-4 after maybe the most improbable result of the NFL season, and it's become hard to ignore that Brady may not have made the right call coming back for another season.

As you might imagine, NFL Twitter didn't have much chill after Sunday's scoreline:

A cursory glance at Brady's stats alone wouldn't suggest he was the main issue Sunday. He finished 32-of-49 for 290 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions and one sack. Mike Evans also dropped a wide-open, no-doubter touchdown pass that might have changed the complexion of the game.

But this wasn't a great Brady performance, either:

At 3-4, the Bucs don't have to hit the panic button in the weak NFC South. They are currently battling the 3-4 Falcons, 2-5 Panthers and 2-5 New Orleans Saints for the division crown. They remain the favorites to top the division.

But seeing a Brady-led offense this inept is a shock to the system. It's impossible not to question whether Brady pushed his luck a season too far by returning for another year. He is 45, after all.

And the Bucs are reeling. It couldn't come at a worse time, as a tough matchup with the Baltimore Ravens looms Thursday. The only thing worse than a 3-4 start for a team with contending expectations and aspirations is a 3-5 start.

Being the best quarterback in NFL history apparently holds some value in the world of sports trading cards.

According to TMZ Sports, a 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket set Tom Brady rookie card that was autographed by the quarterback sold for $2.4 million at a public auction. No other football card has sold for more at a public auction this year, and it marked the third-highest public auction price for a Brady card in history.

TMZ explained the card is one of 100 ever produced and was graded as Mint with a perfect autograph, driving up the price.

Brady's resume also drives up the price for any of his memorabilia, as it includes a stunning seven Super Bowl titles, five Super Bowl MVPs, three league MVPs and 15 Pro Bowl selections. He has more Lombardi Trophies to his name than any franchise in the league.

Yet it has been something of an uncertain start for the future Hall of Famer and the 3-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While Brady has eight touchdown passes to one interception, the offense has scored more than 21 points just once in six games. The unit will look to get back on track Sunday with an NFC South divisional matchup against the Carolina Panthers.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady apologized Thursday for comments earlier this week comparing an NFL season to military deployment.

Brady's original remarks came Monday on his Let's Go! podcast (via CNN's Ben Morse and Matt Foster) during a discussion with NBA superstar Kevin Durant about the challenges elite athletes face to remain atop their respective sports.

"I almost look at a football season like I'm going away on deployment for the military. And it's like: 'Man, here I go again,'" the seven-time Super Bowl champion said.

The comparison led to widespread criticism prior to his apology, with military veterans pointing out the obvious differences between the life-and-death situations presented on deployment and playing football games.

Brady previously expressed his appreciation for the military in a Veterans Day post on Instagram in November 2019, which included a picture of him alongside military personnel.

"Football can seem very important around here, which makes days like today, where we honor all the service men and women who selflessly defend our freedom and rights, even more important," Brady wrote. "At the end of the day we play a game, and it wouldn't be possible without the real heroes. Men and women who risk their lives in defense of others they've never met. To our nations Veterans, we are grateful for your discipline, your bravery, your sacrifice and your selflessness."

Since 2011, the NFL has held an annual "Salute to Service" event where the U.S. military branches are honored during a week of games.

This season's Salute to Service week hasn't been announced. It was held in early November last year.

Brady and the Bucs are back on the field Sunday when they visit Bank of America Stadium for a road game against the Carolina Panthers.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady was seen on video berating his offensive line during last Sunday's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, Bucs center Robert Hainsey explained that Brady's outburst was welcomed by him and the rest of the linemen.

"I love that from him. I know we all love that from him," Hainsey told reporters on Wednesday. "It might look weird on TV, but that's football. That's what you want from great teammates and great leaders, and he's the best there is."

Brady's tirade occurred after the Buccaneers were unsuccessful during a two-minute drill at the end of the first half. During the drive, Brady took his second sack of the half and later failed to convert a third down because his pass to receiver Breshad Perriman was too low.

When he returned to the sideline, Brady walked over to the offensive linemen and was seen shouting, "You're so much better than the way you're f--king playing!"

Hainsey, who is in his second NFL season and his first year starting at center after Pro Bowler Ryan Jensen went down with a knee injury at the beginning of training camp, said that type of energy is exactly what he wants from the leader of the team.

"Everyone can call it what they want, but I want nothing else from a quarterback than that—than the guy who's wanting to tell us what we need to do and step up," Hainsey said. "If he was just sitting over there and not get us going and not try to help us—he wouldn't be who he is today."

Brady explained his views on the outburst on his Let's Go! podcast the following day, saying, "That's what my job is. To try to get us going and to try to rally us. And there's a lot of ways to do it. And sometimes it's some positive encouragement, which you do a lot.

"Sometimes it's, you know, getting on people and trying to raise the level, the sense of urgency, and raising my voice and trying to create a different vibration for the whole offense. And that's [ultimately] what you're trying to do."

Brady has only been sacked nine times this season, which ranks 22nd in the NFL, but the offensive line has struggled with pressure up the middle. At 45 years old, Brady is not mobile enough to avoid a potent pass-rush, not that it ever was his strong suit.

The Buccaneers (3-3) will look to bounce back on Sunday when they visit the Carolina Panthers (1-5). Hainsey said he expects to be better thanks to the communication from Brady.

"I love learning from him," Hainsey said. "He's got so much knowledge of the game, so any time I can pick his brain and kind of figure out what he wants and how he sees things, it's a really cool opportunity for me. I enjoy that a lot."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Tom Brady's frustration during Sunday's 20-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers caught the attention of another iconic quarterback.

On an episode of his Footbahlin podcast (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk), Ben Roethlisberger said Brady "didn’t look like he wanted to be out there."

Much has been made of the Bucs' struggles this season and how much involvement Brady has with the team. He had an 11-day excused absence during the preseason.

"I'm 45 years old, man. There's a lot of s--t going on, so you just have to try and figure out life the best you can. You know, it's a continuous process," Brady told reporters about his absence following Tampa's final preseason game on Aug. 27.

Brady skipped the Bucs' final walkthrough before the Steelers game to attend New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's surprise wedding on Friday.

Head coach Todd Bowles told reporters after Sunday's game Brady "had a full week of practice" and "didn’t miss anything." He was also asked if the seven-time Super Bowl champion's absence had any impact on the offense going 1-of-4 in the red zone.

"Absolutely not," Bowles said.

Former NFL offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth said Monday on The Herd with Colin Cowherd that Brady's absence on Friday "bothered me" because Brady "has always been known as, is the guy that's like 'you will never outwork me, you will never outprepare me, I will outwork anybody in this business.'"

Brady was also seen yelling at Tampa's offensive line on the sidelines during the game.

Everyone with the Buccaneers should be frustrated at this point. They have lost three of their last four games after a 2-0 start to the season. The offense ranks 16th in Football Outsiders' DVOA and 20th in points per game (20.2).

Brady's eight passing touchdowns are his fewest through Week 6 since 2016. That year, he didn't make his first appearance in 2016 until Week 5 while serving a four-game suspension because of the "Deflategate" scandal.

The Bucs have an opportunity to get right on Sunday. They will play a Carolina Panthers team that enters Week 7 with a 1-5 record, has already fired their head coach and could be down to their third-string quarterback if P.J. Walker can't go after suffering a neck injury in a 24-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Tom Brady still believes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have another gear to hit following their 20-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

Brady told reporters after the game the Bucs "didn't earn it" and are "all playing less than we're capable of."

One could argue the problems start with Brady and the offense.

Entering Week 6, Tampa Bay was third in defensive efficiency but 13th in offensive efficiency, per Football Outsiders. Once again, the Buccaneers were leaning on their defense to win the day as they allowed 270 total yards to the Steelers yet gained only 304 themselves.

Brady finished 25-of-40 for 243 yards and one touchdown. Through six starts, his 275.3 yards per game are on pace to be his lowest since 2019.

The 45-year-old's frustration has been evident at times this season, and on Sunday, he gave his offensive line an earful.

The Buccaneers have been in this situation before.

In 2020, Tampa Bay headed into its bye at 7-5. The team didn't look like a true title contender, and the Brady experiment wasn't yielding its expected returns. Then the Bucs won eight straight games, a run that ended in a Super Bowl triumph.

Though they fell short in the divisional round while attempting to defend their championship in 2021, they had a similar hot streak to end the regular season with seven wins in their final eight games.

You would've gone broke long ago if you bet against Brady whenever his back was perceived to be up against the wall.

Tampa Bay has four more games before it's off in Week 11. If the team is continuing to hover around .500 by mid-November, then it might be time to start panicking.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-18 on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium and fell to 3-3 on the season after their offense struggled for much of the afternoon.

Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady had a rough outing, completing just 25 of 40 passes for 243 yards and one touchdown, which came late in the fourth quarter on a throw to running back Leonard Fournette.

Chris Godwin was Tampa's leading receiver with six catches for 95 yards. Mike Evans caught four passes for 42 yards.

Brady, who finished with an 87.8 passer rating, was mocked and ripped on Twitter by NFL fans following the loss:

The Buccaneers are now tied with the Atlanta Falcons for first in the NFC South, which is something no one saw coming entering the season.

Brady and the Bucs offense have a lot to figure out. If they don't sort things out quickly, they could end up with a low playoff seed or miss the postseason entirely.

The NFL is reportedly fining Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady for trying to kick Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett during the teams' Week 5 game.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Brady has been docked $11,139 for kicking at Jarrett on the play the Falcons defender was flagged for roughing the passer.

Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press reported earlier in the day the NFL was working to determine whether it was an intentional act.

Jarrett was flagged on the fourth-quarter play, a highly controversial call, and video from the incident shows Brady kicking his leg toward the Falcons defender. It's unclear if he makes contact.

The play in question happened with three minutes left in the final quarter Sunday and the Falcons trailing 21-15. On third down, Jarrett wrapped up Brady and took him down for a 10-yard sack, which would have forced a Bucs punt and a chance at a comeback win for Atlanta.

Instead, a flag was thrown for roughing the passer, which referee Jerome Boger described as Jarrett "unnecessarily throwing him to the ground." It was the latest in a recent trend of questionable penalty calls for roughing the passer.

Jarrett said Tuesday on 680 The Fan in Atlanta (via ESPN's Michael Rothstein) he remained in "disbelief" about the game-changing call—the Bucs were able to run out the clock to secure the win—and also stated he spoke with officials about Brady's kicking motion.

"'Look, you see him now. Let's clean it up.' You know what I'm saying? And then it happened again at the end of the game," he said. "I'm like, 'So, we going to let this slide?'"

Brady, who simply stated "I don't throw flags" after Sunday's game, expanded on his thoughts about the play Monday on his Let's Go! podcast (via Kevin Patra of NFL.com).

"It was a long hug, a long unwelcome hug from Grady," the 15-time Pro Bowler said. "And he was in the backfield all day. So as I said after the games, I don't throw flags. What I do throw is tablets, and I didn't have one accessible at that time. He had a hell of a game. I'll leave it at that."

The Buccaneers quarterback didn't make any reference to the apparent kick.

Brady was previously fined $10,000 for kicking legendary Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed in 2013, per Spotrac. It's the only on-field fine of his career.

Tampa Bay and Atlanta will face off again in Week 18 to wrap up the regular season.

This week, the Bucs travel to Acrisure Stadium to face off with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Falcons host the San Francisco 49ers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Both games are 1 p.m. ET kickoffs Sunday.