The reigning champions suffered a big blow for their divisional aspirations. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers couldn’t get the job done on the road and lost again to the New Orleans Saints. For the second time in as many years, Sean Payton’s side got the best of Brady, who threw for 375 yards with 4 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, and one fumble lost. Now, they sit at a 6-2 record and only have a one-game lead for the top of the NFC North division.
Brady's Bucs Drop The Ball On The Road
The worst part about Sunday’s loss to the Saints was the fact that it happened against third-string quarterback Trevor Siemian. Starter Jameis Winston was carted off the field with a gruesome knee injury and backup Taysom Hill couldn’t suit up as he was in the league’s concussion protocol. Shockingly, Siemian completed 16 passes for 159 yards and one touchdown, marching the Saints’ offense down the field with ease. Even so, it was the defense that eventually sealed the win for the Saints.
Brady Takes Blame For Loss
The future Hall of Famer threw a game-sealing interception with just under two minutes left to play. P.J. Williams snatched the ball in mid-air and returned it for 40 yards all the way to the endzone. Then, after the game, Brady acknowledged that he was the one to blame for the loss. “I think I just threw it to the wrong guy,” Brady told reporters, as quoted by the New York Post. “I had Mike (Evans) open. It cost us the game." “It’s tough to win when you turn the ball over like we did,” Brady added. “I have to not throw interceptions. That’s the key.”
The Saints Own Brady
With yesterday’s loss, Tom Brady is now 4-4 all-time against the Saints. They spoiled his Tampa Bay debut last season with a 38-3 win and it’s clear that they have found the way to make him uncomfortable outside of the pocket. He had just 4 turnovers (3 INTs and 1 fumble lost) through the first seven weeks of the season before logging 3 yesterday, so he’ll have to make plenty of adjustments ahead of their next showdown in Week 15.
Bucs Need To Regroup
The only positive from Sunday’s outing was the fact that it came right before the Buccaneers’ BYE week. They’ll have two weeks to regroup and maybe get Rob Gronkowski back on the gridiron. Moreover, they have a somewhat easy stretch ahead of them with games against the Washington Football Team, New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts, and Atlanta Falcons before meeting the Buffalo Bills in Week 14. We already know better than to count out Tom Brady after a bad game, so we wouldn’t want to put our money against him right now.
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