Tom Brady led Tampa Bay to its first postseason win since 2002, reaching 31 for his career.
It took about two decades, but eventually the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won again in the postseason..
And in the process, Tom Brady, the most winning quarterback in playoff history, expanded his own winning streak in this case.
It was not easy because Washington fiercely resisted with his defense and unexpected attacking power behind quarterback Taylor Heinecke, who played in the place of injured starter Alex Smith..
This was the fifth straight win for the Buccaneers and is the fourth in a row in which they have surpassed 30 runs scored.
But what have we learned from this exciting game between Tampa Bay and Washington? These are the lessons:
Key moment: Washington came in with nothing to lose in this game, after beating the weak NFC East with a 7-9 record and the head coach made that clear when he tried a short kick in the second quarter after scoring a touchdown to get close . 9-7. Had they recovered the ball, it would have been the emotional moment for the Washington Football Team, but it didn’t, the Buccaneers recovered the ball and moved up to score and lead 15-7.
Key figure: Leonard Fournette. The Buccaneers running back were charged with a running attack that ended with 142 yards, 93 of which were thanks to 19 carries from Fournette, who brought in a touchdown. Fournette also had four receptions for 39 yards, something that helped Washington’s defense think twice before stacking the box when he was in backfield.
The main statistic: 31. Brady extended his playoff win record to 31, nearly double that of his closest pursuer, his childhood idol Joe Montana, who had sixteen. Brady also set a milestone for the most road wins for a playoff quarterback with nine, breaking the tie he had with Joe Flacco, who has eight.
What is next: The Buccaneers will have to wait for their next rival for the Divisional Round, in the morning the Los Angeles Rams surprised the Seattle Seahawks and on Sunday, the New Orleans Saints, placed No. 2 in the National Conference, hosted the Chicago Bears. .
Washington has a big question mark over the quarterback position. After the cut of Dwayne Haskins Jr. the team is looking for the quarterback of the future. Given his age, health and especially salary ceiling, Smith is probably not the answer and Heinecke must win the job first.