Tom Brady's Disastrous Trick Play at WR Roasted by Fans After Bucs QB Slips
Nov 13, 2022
MUNICH, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 13: Tom Brady of Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks dejected during the NFL match between Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Allianz Arena on November 13, 2022 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Roland Krivec/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
It's time to stop asking Tom Brady to do things on a football field that involve anything other than standing in a pocket and throwing a pass.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went deep into their bag of tricks and asked Brady to serve as a receiver on a Leonard Fournette pass in Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks.
It was every bit the disaster you'd expect from a 45-year-old whose Apple Watch exercise ring doesn't even fill halfway during most games.
Imagine having a 60% success rate when passing on early downs and one of the few times you pass on early downs, you let Leonard Fournette throw the rock as opposed to perhaps the greatest quarterback of all time in Tom Brady. pic.twitter.com/Sz6IAqSbGP
To be fair, it's unlikely prime Randy Moss would have been able to pull down a truly terrible pass from Fournette.
That said, what on earth were the Bucs thinking with that play call? We already know throwing the ball to Brady never ends well. The man whose 40-yard-dash became a two-decade meme shouldn't have been running routes at 25, let alone 45.
With the Bucs offense rolling after weeks of struggles, this was a situation where offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich got much too cute in the booth rather than simply sticking with what worked.
The result was...very, very funny, and we all thank Leftwich for his service to our meme folders.
Buccaneers' Tom Brady Has 'Zero' Regrets About Coming Out of Retirement
Nov 12, 2022
TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 06: Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers warms up before a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Raymond James Stadium on November 06, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has "zero" regrets about coming out of retirement to rejoin a Tampa Bay team that has struggled through the first half of the 2022 campaign, he told reporters Friday.
"I returned because I felt like I wanted to compete and I spoke to the team about it and they were excited to have me back. I don't really regret those types of things—I think when I commit to it, I mean it and I do my best and try to give everything I can to this particular opportunity."
Brady announced his retirement from football in February before unretiring just 40 days later, announcing that he would finish out the remainder of his contract with the Buccaneers in 2023, citing "unfinished business."
However, Brady and the Bucs don't look remotely close to being able to contend for another Super Bowl title. While the team is first in the NFC South, it holds a 4-5 record and has posted abysmal losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers.
The 45-year-old added Friday that he thinks the team needs to begin playing with more fire through the second half of the season:
"What can we control? We can certainly control our attitude, our effort. I think everything has been below the line this year—we're 4-5 ... I don't think there's any reason to be happy about anything we've done. Obviously, we're not playing to our standards—we're not there from an effort standpoint, execution standpoint, emotional standpoint. We've got to figure it out—this is a good place to do it."
Brady has put together a respectable season, completing 65.3 percent of his passes for 2,547 yards and 10 touchdowns against one interception through nine games. However, his receiving unit has been somewhat lackluster.
Mike Evans leads the team with 44 catches for 617 yards and three scores on 70 targets, while Chris Godwin ranks second with 42 catches for 404 yards on 65 targets. Russell Gage, Scotty Miller and Breshad Perriman have been mostly ineffective, and Julio Jones has been sidelined for five games due to injury.
Tampa Bay's rushing offense has been even worse. Leonard Fournette has rushed for 405 yards and two scores in nine games, and his backup, Rachaad White, has rushed for just 117 yards and one score.
If the Bucs beat the Seattle Seahawks in Germany on Sunday, they'll be 5-5. Going into the bye week at .500 would be a great way for the team to reset.
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Expect New QBs Across the NFC South Next Year as Panthers and Falcons Struggle on TNF
Nov 11, 2022
Falcons QB Marcus Mariota
This year's Thursday Night Football slate hasn't provided a showcase of stellar execution, and this week's matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons was no different. Fans of great quarterback play weren't treated to much of it.
Of course, this has been par for the course this year in the NFC South, a division that very well may feature four new Week 1 starters in 2023.
We saw a mostly good performance from Panthers quarterback PJ Walker, though Carolina leaned heavily on the ground game. The 2017 undrafted free agent out of Temple finished 10-of-16 for 108 yards.
Walker hit on a few deep passes but didn't provide much potency in the short-to-intermediate game.
PJ Walker rarely threw the ball downfield tonight as 12 of 15 throws were under 10 Air Yards. On those 12 throws Carolina only gained 18 yards
On throws between 10-19 Air Yards, he was 3/3 for 80 yards
We also saw a handful of good plays from Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota—including a pair of touchdowns—but his performance was largely difficult to watch. He finished 19-of-30 for 186 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, and he played worse than the numbers suggest.
Mariota was hesitant in the pocket (sacked five times) and made some baffling throws. He repeatedly hurt his team with accuracy issues and poor decisions. For much of the night, he let the ball loose with reckless abandon—including on one fourth-quarter throw that would have been an interception if Mariota hadn't been ruled down by contact a moment before.
There are a few reasons the Falcons should give Ridder a look over the final eight weeks of the season. Yes, Atlanta is still in the thick of the NFC South race, but Mariota isn't going to carry the Falcons to a division title. He came into Thursday night completing 61.7 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions, and Atlanta has struggled to truly open up its offense with him under center.
Just consider that tight end Kyle Pitts was a 1,000-yard receiver as a rookie and has just 313 yards through nine games.
Mariota has been a capable game-manager, and his dual-threat ability complements Atlanta's run-first offense well, but as he showed on Thursday, he can't put the offense on his back when Atlanta needs to win through the air.
Would Ridder really be any more of a risk under center than Mariota? Perhaps. However, he could also be the future at the quarterback position in Atlanta. He showed a ton last season (3,334 passing yards, 30 TDs, 8 INTs) while leading the Cincinnati Bearcats to the College Football Playoff.
The Falcons won't get an answer if they don't give Ridder an opportunity, and they need answers. Mariota isn't the long-term answer, and if Ridder isn't either, they'll be looking at next year's draft for their new franchise QB.
The 2023 quarterback draft class—likely headlined by C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young and Will Levis—is widely expected to be better than the 2022 class. The Falcons may have a shot at one of the top prospects, and the Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be looking at quarterbacks in the first round as well.
The Saints don't have a first-round selection due to their 2022 first-round trade with the Philadelphia Eagles.
With all due respect to Walker, he probably isn't the future in Carolina. He's simply been more consistent than trade acquisition Baker Mayfield and healthier than Sam Darnold and rookie third-round pick Matt Corral.
Mayfield has been a borderline disaster this season, going 98-of-173 for 1,117 yards with six touchdowns, four interceptions and a 78.1 passer rating. Yet Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks didn't hesitate to reinsert Mayfield into the lineup last week when Walker struggled during a blowout loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
With Corral (Lisfranc injury), the Panthers aren't getting a look at their rookie this season.
The Saints' two starters this season have been an injury-hampered Jameis Winston and journeyman Andy Dalton. Neither is a long-term answer for New Orleans. Collectively, Saints quarterbacks have completed 65 percent of their passes with 15 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 90 rating.
The Buccaneers, meanwhile, have plenty of uncertainty surrounding Tom Brady.
Brady hasn't been terrible this season, but he hasn't been great either (90.5 passer rating). He's 45 years old and scheduled to be a free agent in 2023. Even if Brady decides to play at 46, he may look for a team with better title chances than the Bucs, who lead the division with a 4-5 record.
"I don't think he's going to want to come back at age 46 seeing an organization or a roster that he doesn't think is going to meet his Super Bowl expectations," The Athletic's Jeff Howe said during an appearance on The Herd (beginning at the 2:26 mark).
Tampa does have 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask sitting behind Brady, but it could very well be in on a quarterback prospect too.
If the season ended today, Tampa Bay would pick outside of the top 18 only because it leads the division. The Falcons and Panthers would select fifth and 15th, respectively. If the Buccaneers cede the division, they could easily land a top-15 selection.
There's a reasonable chance that two NFC South teams take a top-three QB in the 2023 NFL draft.
In the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's early top 100, Stroud was ranked as the seventh overall prospect, while Young and Levis were ranked 10th and 11th, respectively. In the Scouting Department's latest mock draft, Stroud, Young and Levis went first, third and 15th overall.
Though Levis may be a mid-first-round pick, he has franchise quarterback potential, as Bleacher Report's Derrik Klassen noted:
"The Penn State transfer is coming out of college with plenty of experience under center and turning his back to the defense, something many of his peers cannot claim. The 6'3", 232-pound Levis has a big arm and a do-or-die mentality in the pocket, giving him the tools to be a Ryan Tannehill-esque machine on play-action."
Teams don't necessarily need to "earn" a top-five selection to find a quarterback of the future next year.
And if teams in the NFC South aren't sold on the 2023 quarterback class, there are some intriguing names slated to be available in free agency—including Brady, Geno Smith, Jimmy Garoppolo, Daniel Jones and Jacoby Brissett.
So, as the quarterback play in the division has been shaky at best and putrid at worst, fans can and should expect a new crop of starters next season. There's no guarantee they'll make NFC South football more exciting to watch, but it's not as if things can get a whole lot worse.
Either way, change will be coming to this division next year.
Bucs Stars Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin Fantasy Trade Advice Before Deadline
Nov 10, 2022
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans in action during an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers surely didn't envision a 4-5 record and their offense being largely to blame for the struggles through early November.
After all, Tom Brady returned after a temporary retirement, and there aren't many better one-two punches at wide receiver than Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Throw in Leonard Fournette at running back, and it was reasonable to expect the unit to be one of the NFL's best.
Instead, Tampa Bay is 25th in the league in points per game (18.0).
Brady's frustration has been apparent at times while yelling at his teammates on the sidelines or throwing a tablet, and fantasy football players who were relying on the all-time great are surely frustrated as well.
So frustrated that they may look to trade him in what could be a buy-low opportunity for other managers as fantasy trade deadlines approach.
While Brady has had just one game all year with more than one touchdown pass, he has thrown for 325 yards or more in three of his last six contests. The yardage production has been noteworthy, and the Buccaneers will still face a number of vulnerable secondaries down the stretch.
Tampa Bay finishes with games against the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons, who are 25th, 21st and last in the league in passing yards allowed per game, respectively.
That means trading for Brady could set you up with ideal matchups come the fantasy playoffs, and his early-season struggles wouldn't even matter at that point.
The same can be said about Evans and Godwin, who figure to be productive given their track records.
Evans has never failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards since entering the league in 2014, and Godwin has surpassed 1,100 receiving yards in two of the last three years. The latter could be quite the buy-low candidate in a trade considering he has dealt with injuries and is yet to catch a touchdown.
The Buccaneers have been frustrating, but they could break out against poor secondaries during the fantasy playoffs.
That makes Brady, Godwin and Evans worthy of targeting in potential trades.
Even the best NFL betting gurus will tell you that they have had bad weeks, and we're not immune here, dropping below .500 in our Week 9 picks. But you know...
Buccaneers' Tom Brady: 'Doubt Does Start to Creep In' During Struggles
Nov 7, 2022
TAMPA, FL - NOVEMBER 6: Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates with fans after an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams at Raymond James Stadium on November 6, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
Things were looking quite bleak for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
They were staring at a four-game losing streak when Tom Brady's fourth-down pass to Mike Evans fell incomplete in the final two minutes against the Los Angeles Rams. It didn't help that Scotty Miller dropped a potential go-ahead touchdown pass two plays earlier as Tampa Bay was trailing 13-9.
However, the defense got the ball back for the offense one more time, and Brady worked his magic with a game-winning touchdown pass to Cade Otton.
"Doubt does start to creep in," the legendary quarterback said on his Let's Go!podcast (h/t Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times). "Because you're putting all your time and energy into this and it doesn't go well...then you look at the schedule and wonder where do we get one? It's there...you just got to play well.''
The drastic turnaround in those final two minutes changed the entire outlook of Tampa Bay's season.
A loss would have been the fourth in a row and dropped the team to 3-6 ahead of a game against the 6-3 Seattle Seahawks. Instead, the Buccaneers are somehow sitting atop a struggling NFC South in a first-place tie with the Atlanta Falcons at 4-5.
Everything is still ahead of Brady and the Buccaneers, who are in Super-Bowl-or-bust mode given the reality that the all-time great is 45 years old and temporarily retired before deciding to come back this offseason.
The upcoming schedule, which Brady alluded to, doesn't do them many favors with games against presumed contenders in the Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals in the next five games.
There is also a matchup with the rival New Orleans Saints, who could join Tampa Bay and Atlanta atop the division with a win over the Baltimore Ravens on Monday.
But momentum is now on Tampa Bay's side following the dramatic win, and Brady had an answer even for the creeping doubt he was feeling when trailing against the Rams.
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