Tom Brady launched four touchdown passes in the only time he needed to play and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Detroit Lions 47-7 on Saturday, securing a playoff spot for the first time since 2007.
The Bucs (10-5) set a franchise record with 588 yards and broke the NFL’s second biggest post-season drought, behind Cleveland’s 18-year race, which could end on Sunday.
Tampa Bay rested Brady when they were ahead 34-0, the biggest break in the franchise’s history. Blaine Gabbert launched a 25-yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski on his first snap, a move after the Detroit D’Andre Swift’s running back fumbled, and a 22-yard pass to Mike Evans at the end of the third quarter.
Brady made 22 from 27 to 348 yards with a mix of passes at the bottom of the field and darts in traffic. The six-time Super Bowl winner quarterback threw touchdown passes to Gronkowski, Evans, Chris Godwin, who made a one-handed reception, and Antonio Brown.
Brady, 43, started his 298th game to tie Brett Favre’s record to an NFL quarterback and played in his 300th game.
The Lions (5-10) started the game without interim coach Darrell Bevell, along with assistants on the defense team, due to Covid-19’s contact tracking. And they played a lot without Matthew Stafford. He was questionable for playing with hip and thumb injuries and then hurting his right ankle on the first stroke and not returning.
Chase Daniel struggled hard to move the ball to the Lions, who avoided being left out for the second time this season in the third quarter, when Jamal Agnew returned a 74-yard punt for a touchdown. Daniel was replaced in the fourth quarter by David Blough, an untrained rookie last year.