The 43-year-old quarterback shot for 348 yards and four touchdowns in the first half of Saturday, while the Bucs improved to 10-5 to seal one of NFC’s three wildcard slots.
Brady, who joined the Bucs this year after 20 seasons and six Super Bowl crowns with the New England Patriots, was able to afford to miss out on the second half with his team enjoying a 34-0 lead.
“We played very well in the first half,” said Brady. “Good execution. The guys were playing for me all over the field. It was a great effort by the whole team.”
Brady set a record for most touchdown passes (34) in one season in Bucs history during his first half heroism, beating the mark previously held by Jameis Winston.
He connected with ex-New England teammate Rob Gronkowski, Mike Evans, Antonio Brown and Chris Godwin for the touchdowns, completing 22 of 27 shots with record falling all the way.
It was their best career record in the first half and the club’s record in passing yards, and the Buccaneers also set a team record with a total of 410 yards in the first half, the most for any NFL club in a decade.
Brady’s reserve Blaine Gabbert completed touchdown passes for Gronkowski and Evans in the second half in a Bucs performance that raised expectations for the playoffs.
“It’s just the beginning,” said Bucs coach Bruce Arians. “We are going to be very tough.”
Evans, who has been with the Bucs since the 2014 draft, is also optimistic about Brady on the team. “We are happy that we finally made it, but it is just where it starts.”
The move to the playoffs comes less than a week after Brady’s former team, the Patriots, failed to make it to the postseason for the first time in 11 years in his absence.
The Bucs became the seventh NFL team to win a playoff spot, joining Green Bay, New Orleans and Seattle in the NFC, as well as Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Buffalo in the AFC.