Washington, the beginner football team, defensive end Chase Young said all week: “Tom Brady, come on!” and “I want Tom!” But the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defender, who played in the 42nd game of the postseason and his first with the Bucs at the age of 43, did not take the bait of the first general election in last year’s draft, responding with a smile.
But instead of defeating the six-time Super Bowl winner six times, Young finished Saturday night’s NFC wild-card game without bags, congratulating Brady on Bucs’ 31-23 victory.
Brady led the Bucs to their first playoff appearance in 2007 and their first playoff win since winning Super Bowl XXXVII in the 2002 season.
Against Washington’s acclaimed defense, which amassed 47.0 sacks in the regular season, Brady completed 22 of 40 passes for 381 yards and two touchdowns. And he did it without starting runner Ronald Jones, who suffered a quadriceps injury on warm-up, and without right guard Alex Cappa, who left the game with an ankle injury.
On his first touchdown, Brady measured Jeremy Reaves and found Antonio Brown for a 36-yard touchdown. Then, with Chris Godwin, he finished off a pass from the left and scored after 27 minutes.
Victory was not easy. Washington linebacker Taylor Heinicke, who replaced Alex Smith, managed to make some big plays when the Bucs went ahead and turned the game into an awkward game. Bucs coach Bruce Arians suggested that his players could relax too much knowing that he was facing a substitute.
Bucs’ next opponent will be decided on Sunday, but it will be a rematch with a team they have already faced this season.
With the LA Rams defeating the Seattle Seahawks 30-20 on Saturday, the Bucs would host the Rams at home next week if the Chicago Bears beat the New Orleans Saints. Bucs lost to the Rams 27-24 in week 11.
If the Bears lose to the Saints, Bucs would face the Saints along the way. The Bucs have been swept by the Saints this season and are 0-4 against New Orleans since then Bruce Arians became head coach in 2019.