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Ivis AburtoESPN Digital
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed a player like Tom Brady to make the jump to the Playoffs, but in that case, it’s the defense she has in Super Bowl LV.
The Buccaneers’ victory over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game is a prime example of the definition of teamwork that is required to win in football.
The game was the story of two games for Brady: an excellent first half with a historic performance in the closing seconds of the second quarter with a conversion on the fourth and three with six seconds to go and a touchdown pass on the next play. from 39 yards to put Tampa Bay at 28-10, but an achievement to forget in the last two quarters with three interceptions.
It was when Brady was ineffective and got into trouble from Packers pressure that the Buccaneers defense came to the rescue.
It should be remembered that in the victory over the New Orleans Saints in the Division Round, Brady was able to lead his offense to score just three field goals when he started his attacks on his own field and it was Bucs’ defense that, with four steals on the ball, he puts his quarterback on the table to score three touchdowns.
At Lambeau Field, the situation was no different, although the Buccaners defense faced the favorite to win the MVP award, Aaron Rodgers, who was fired five times. In the regular season, Green Bay’s line of attack allowed only 21 sacks.
After Brady’s first interception, with eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Rodgers and his attack scored on a 13-play, 68-yard drive in 7:30 minutes to bring the Packers closer to 28-23 after missing the conversion. From two runs, but after Brady’s second and third interceptions, the Buccaneers’ defense closed the door to the Packers.
After Brady’s second interception in second and eleventh place, Green Bay dropped five yards on three plays and their drive was zero after the Tampa Bay quarterback’s third interception.
On the other hand, the Tampa Bay defense was not responsible for the strategic mistakes Green Bay made, as Rodgers led his attack within Bucs’ 10-yard line and did not use a large space to get to the diagonals or to get less close. and the Packers decided to go for the field goal instead of betting it on the fourth and goal of the Tampa Bay 8-yard line.
What the Buccaneers defense is responsible for is doing whatever the opponent does at key moments and minimizing their quarterback’s mistakes.
In turn, it was the deep steps that made Brady’s performance sublime and a disaster.
In the first half, Brady completed both 100 yards or more passes he attempted, including the 39 yards pass to Scotty Miller in the closing seconds of the second quarter, but all three of his interceptions were on 15 yards or more passes. yards in the second half.
On passes of 15 yards or more, Brady was 7-4 for 133 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, but completed only one of six for 16 yards and three interceptions in the second.