LANDOVER, Md. – – New team, same success in Tom Brady’s playoffs.
Brady pitched 381 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Washington 31-23 in his NFC wild card game Saturday night for his first playoff victory since the 2002 season. Brady criticized his game and the performance of the attack in the red zone, but he loved to win his 31st victory in the postseason.
“There is certainly a lot to improve, but it is great to get a win,” said Brady, who made 22 of 40 passes. “If you could win 100-0, in the end it would be the same result. You would love to play all games well. I think it’s good to win and move forward. “
In his 42nd start of the postseason and first without the New England Patriots uniform, Brady took full advantage of the lack of initial pressure to build an advantage against the NFL’s second defense that stood firm.
“He’s a fighter, he plays a lot, works a lot and studies a lot, and he’s the right man for the job,” said the buccaneers’ running back, Leonard Fournette.
Brady had to beat Taylor Heinicke of Washington, who had an amazing performance in just his second professional game and first in the playoffs in place of injured starter Alex Smith. Heinicke – hired in early December for the training team – ran for 46 yards and a touchdown and shot for 306 yards and a score.
“He almost beat us with his legs,” said Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians. “He was very elusive. We knew he would fight, there would be pirates and shuffles. We were really waiting for Alex, because we knew that part of the game would not be there. “
But Heinicke was not enough to overcome Brady’s flash. While Bill Belichick and the Patriots watch from home with their playoff streak broken in 11 after a 7-9 season, Brady has the opportunity to play in another Super Bowl – in his new stadium.
“We are thrilled with the victory,” said Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate. “I hate to say that we are relieved, but at this point we are just excited to have the victory. As ugly as it was, as much as we made mistakes, a victory is a victory at this time of year. “
Buccaneers await the result of Chicago in New Orleans on Sunday to see if they will visit Drew Brees and the Saints or perform the Los Angeles Rams next weekend. They would need an upset Bears to play at home in the divisional round.
“It doesn’t matter,” said Arians. “They were playing. That’s all that matters.”
Age does not seem to matter much to Brady, who at 43 years, 159 days, overtook George Blanda as the oldest player to launch a TD pass in a playoff game. A 36-yard connection with Antonio Brown was Brady’s longest in the playoffs since 2011.
Brady was methodical in the first half with 12 submissions for 209 yards and was not fired until the final minute of the second quarter.
Heinicke made things interesting in the third, most notably fighting for an 8-yard tank destroyer by diving into the pole in the corner of the end zone. The move drew the attention of the current Super Bowl champion, Patrick Mahomes, who tweeted, “Mano what!?!?!”
The 27-year-old tapped his left shoulder and did not look the same on the next trip. While Heinicke was being examined, Brady designed a 69-yard scoring drive limited by a 3-yard TD by Fournette, who made 28-16 and was enough to resist Heinicke’s attempt to be the unlikely hero.
“He made the shots he needed,” Washington cornerback Kendall Fuller said of Brady.
HEINICKE WHO?
With Smith out because of a right calf problem, Heinicke made his name in prime time, setting the franchise record for a single game for defenders and raising the question of whether he should be considered the QB of Washington’s future.
“It was brave,” said coach Ron Rivera. “It’s one of those things that a guy like him works hard at, he created an opportunity for himself and we’ll see what happens.”
Heinicke had appeared in just eight games and started one in the NFL before Saturday and was taking math lessons online at Old Dominion when Washington called him to be his “quarantine quarterback”.
“When he arrived here about a month ago, I didn’t know much about him,” said receiver Terry McLaurin. “The first time I took a pass from him was last week. But he won my respect. “
BUCS RECEIVERS
Brown has a TD catch in four consecutive games dating back to the regular season, tying the second longest streak in the franchise’s history. Mike Evans holds the record for six games and was Tampa Bay’s best receiver against Washington, with six receptions for 119 yards.
Perhaps there is something about playing at FedEx Field that brings out the best in Brown. In his only other game in Washington in 2016 with Pittsburgh, he had eight receptions for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
Evans played with a knee injury sustained at the end of the regular season. Arians said Evans was 85-90% healthy.
INJURIES
Corsairs: RG Alex Cappa left at the end of the second quarter with an ankle injury and did not return. Arians said it looks like a fracture and expects more X-rays, but added that “it doesn’t look good” for Cappa to play next weekend.
Washington: RB Antonio Gibson limped off after a play in the first quarter, but remained. He is dealing with a persistent toe injury that has led him to miss two recent games.
NEXT
Washington: You lost in the wild card round, just like your last playoff appearance five years ago.
Buccaneers: In the divisional round next weekend he will visit Drew Brees and the Saints if New Orleans wins Chicago or will host the Los Angeles Rams if the Bears pull the comeback on Sunday.
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