Shut out for the first time since 2006 (a span of 255 games) in a 9-0 loss to New Orleans on Sunday Night Football, Tom Brady didn’t score any style points either during a game that saw him berate the officials, curse out opponents and spike a Microosoft Surface tablet as if it were the touchdown ball he didn’t throw.
Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the game averaging an NFL-best 410 yards a game on offense but lost wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin as well as running back Leonard Fournette to injury. Tampa Bay’s offense could not get in rhythm as Brady was sacked four times and ended the game 26-of-48 for 214 yards with a lost fumble.
“Very disappointing. It’s never happened to me. I can’t remember the last time I was shut out, or us,” said Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians. “Our kickers let us down, also. Between the offense and the kicking game, it cost us the game. The defense played good enough to win.”
Despite the sub-par performance, Brady had a chance to get Tampa Bay back in the game late in the fourth quarter, but the drive ended with 3:47 left on an interception by Saints safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The interception by Gardner-Johnson led to Brady’s best throw of the night …
“Just a tough night. Didn’t do much of anything right,” Brady said after the game. “I wish it was just one thing. It was a lot of things. We just didn’t play well enough. We’re not going to win scoring no points.”
During his two decades with the Patriots, Brady tossed tablets many times and was accused of being a sore loser after losing games, including the Super Bowl. Following a loss in the Super Bowl to the Eagles, Brady was ripped for not shaking hands with ex-Philly quarterback Nick Foles. After a Thursday Night Football loss to Foles last season while he was playing quarterback for the Bears, Brady once again left the field without shaking his hand. A tablet also got tossed.
With the loss, the Bucs fall to 10-4 on the season and now hold the No. 3 playoff seed in the NFC behind the Green Bay Packers (11-3) and Dallas Cowboys (10-4). For what it’s worth, Brady — who leads the NFL in completions (404), attempts (602), passing yards (4,348) and TD passes (36) — is still the favorite to win the MVP award — and maybe toss a tablet or two if he doesn’t.
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