On Saturday against the Detroit Lions(5-10), Buccaneers QB Tom Brady had a game for the ages. In his one half of game action, Brady completed 22-of-27 passes for 348 yards and four touchdowns, with zero turnovers, earning a perfect 158.3 passer rating. Brady was done after the first half, and Tampa Bay(10-5) led 34-0 at the break. The Buccaneers would go on to defeat the Lions 47-7 at Ford Field.
With the victory, Tampa Bay clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2007.
“I love playing and the teammates that I have, I always feel like I never want to let them down,” Brady said. “I know it’s been that way for 21 years of my career. I just try to show up and do the best I can do every week and every day and realize that the competition isn’t only on Sunday; the competition is every day of the week. I’ve got a lot of guys on this team this year that have made a great commitment to one another, and we’re committed to being the best that we can be.”
For many players on this Buccaneers’ roster, including the guys who have been in Tampa Bay the longest, like Mike Evans, LaVonte David, and William Gholston, this will be their first time in the postseason.
David has spent his whole nine-year career in Tampa Bay and was emotional after the game.
“After the game, me and Will [Gholson] hugged each other,” David said. “He was one of the guys who was here next to me. Mike [Evans] in the locker room – I broke it down, and Mike just gave me a big hug in the locker room. A lot of guys, staff, everybody was like, ‘It’s about time.’ They [said] they’re proud of me, and they’re happy for me. It’s a great feeling. Gerald [McCoy] – we talk throughout the week. Gerald is one of my closest friends and one of my biggest supporters and vice versa. He’s happy for me [and] I’m sure I have a bunch of messages from him being excited for me and everything. It’s an amazing feeling. I’m blessed to be a part of it. Now the question is, what’s next? We have to keep on climbing and keep on grinding. We’ve got a chance to get in the tournament, so now it’s about what you’re going to do while you’re there.”
Evans, who had 10 catches for 181 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday, and has spent all seven years of his career in Tampa, is hoping for a deep playoff run.
“It was a great moment [and] a great experience,” Evans said. “We’ve been scratching and clawing every single year to try to make the tournament. It’s been seven years for me, nine for Lavonte [David], and eight for Will Gholston. It’s been a journey, but we are happy we finally accomplished it, and that’s just where it starts. We want to go as far as we can.”
Gholston, an eight-year veteran, all with Tampa Bay, was able to clinch a playoff spot in his hometown of Detroit.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “To have the performance we had to be able to clinch, for me to be able to clinch in my hometown, [and] to know all the hard work we put in all these days through the pandemic – to be able to achieve one of our goals – it’s a beautiful thing.”
Tampa Bay was built to win this season, and now they are in the playoffs. What happens from this point on will define the 2020 season.
