LANDOVER, MD – – New team, same successful playoff game for Tom Brady.
Brady threw for 381 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-23 past Washington in their NFC wild card game Saturday night for their first playoff game since the 2002 season. Brady was critical of his game and attack in the red zone, but wanted to win his 31st career post-season.
“There’s definitely a lot to improve on, but great to get a win,” Brady said. “If you could win 100-0, it would end up being the same result. You will want to play every game wonderfully. I think it’s good to win and go through. ”
In his 42nd post-season start, and at first not in a New England Patriots uniform, Brady took advantage of most of the lack of early pressure to put up a lead against the NFL’s second-ranked defender.
“He’s a fighter, he plays hard, he works hard and he studies hard, and he’s the man for the job,” said Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette.
Brady had to surpass Taylor Heinicke of Washington, who in his second pro start and first in the playoffs had an outburst performance in place of the injured starter, Alex Smith. Heinicke – who joined the training group in early December – ran for 46 meters and hit and threw for 306 meters and a score.
“He almost hit us with his legs,” Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians said. “He was very evasive. We knew he was going to scurry around, there was going to be gunfire and quarrels. We were really hoping for Alex because we knew that part of the game would not be there. ”
But Heinicke was not enough to overcome Brady’s brilliance. While Bill Belichick and the Patriots watch from home with their playoff game at 11 after a 7-9 season, Brady has the opportunity to play in another Super Bowl – in his new home stadium.
“We are delighted with the win,” said Buccaneers tighthead prop Cameron Brate. ‘I hate to say we are relieved, but at this point we have just gained the upper hand. No matter how ugly it was, no matter how many mistakes we made, a win is a win this time of year. ‘
The Buccaneers await the Chicago result in New Orleans on Sunday to see if they visit Drew Brees and the Saints or host the Los Angeles Rams next weekend. They need a Bears upset to play at home in the division round.
“It does not matter,” Arians said. “We play. That’s all that matters. ”
Age doesn’t look like much for Brady, who passed by George Blanda at 43 years and 159 days as the oldest player to throw a TD pass in a playoff game. A 36-yard touchdown with Antonio Brown was Brady’s longest in the playoffs since 2011.
Brady was methodical in the first half with 12 completed points for 209 yards and was only sacked in the last minute of the second quarter.
Heinicke made things interesting in third place, especially after an 8-yard TD by diving on the pillar in the corner of the end zone. The play even got the attention of reigning Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes tweeted, “Bro wat!?!?!”
The 27-year-old pats his left shoulder and does not look the same with the next ride. While Heinicke was watching, Brady designed a 69-meter disc drive, concluded by a 3-yard TD driven by Fournette, which made it 28-16 and was enough to withstand Heinicke’s attempt to be the unlikely hero.
“He made the throw he had to make,” Washington cornerback Kendall Fuller said of Brady.
HEINICKE WHO?
With Smith out due to a strained right calf, Heinicke made a name for himself for the first time, setting the franchise record for quarterbacks and asking the question of whether he should be considered Washington’s QB of the future.
“It was courage,” coach Ron Rivera said. ‘It’s one of the things a man like him does hard at what he does; he has created an opportunity for himself and we will see what happens. ‘
Heinicke first appeared in eight games before eight games and started one in the NFL and took online math classes at Old Dominion when Washington called him a ‘quarantine quarterback’.
“When he came here a month or so ago, I did not know too much about him,” said Terry McLaurin. ‘The first time I even got a pass from him was last week. But he deserved my respect. ”
BUCS RECEIVERS
Brown has a TD catch in four consecutive games dating back to the regular season, connecting the second longest series in franchise history. Mike Evans holds the record for six games and was Tampa Bay’s best receiver against Washington with six catches for 119 yards.
Maybe there’s something at play at FedEx Field that brings out the best in Brown. In his only other game in Washington in 2016 with Pittsburgh, he had eight catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
Evans suffered a knee injury in the final season. Arians said Evans is 85-90% healthy.
INJURIES
Buccaneers: RG Alex Cappa leaves late in the second quarter with an ankle injury and will not return. Arians said it looks like a fracture and expects further x-rays, but adds that it “does not look good” for Cappa to play next weekend.
Washington: RB Antonio Gibson is lame after a play in the first quarter but stays in. He was dealing with a lingering counter-injury that missed him two recent games.
FOLLOWING
Washington: Lost in the wild card round, just like his last playoff game five years ago.
Buccaneers: Next weekend visit Drew Brees and the Saints in the division round as New Orleans beat Chicago or the Los Angeles Rams as hosts for the battle on Sunday.
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