5 Thoughts
- Still hard to get over how good the Bucs' secondary was against the Eagles. The top four -- Mike Edwards, Jamel Dean, Carlton Davis and Jerome Whitehead -- combined for 27 tackles, had four tackles for losses and four passes defensed. They forced two interceptions and20 incompletions. But it'll be a lot harder when the opposing quarterback isn't Jalen Hurts.
2. Doesn't it feel better, down deep, to see Mike Evans succeed instead of Antonio Brown?
3. The only thing that bothers me about Bruce Arians swatting at Anthony Adams is this: It was the third-hardest hit of the day.
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4. If you didn't believe Tristan Wirfs was an all-pro when he was in the Bucs' lineup, the prospect of him being out will convince you.
5. Tom Brady has four playoffs where his rating was above 100 for the entire run. His current rating of 115.2 beats them all.
5 Comments
From Bruce Arian's Day-after Press Conference
(On if he has an update on the status of T Tristan Wirfs): “Well as tough as he is, I think there’s a chance. He’s in a boot right now. Probably he and Ryan [Jensen] are going to go all the way until Friday before we know anything true. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
(On expanding upon what he meant when he said once Tom Brady figures a play out, you’re in trouble): “Everybody has something new each and every week [with] how they’re going to try and defend us. We had two gameplans – one if the weather didn’t change and then one if the weather did. Obviously, we went with the one we liked the most and that’s the no-huddle. Just doing a really good job with short intermediate passes, getting it out of his hands, knowing they were going to play soft. I thought Byron [Leftwich] did a great job of running the ball and making them stop the run, which opened up a couple of guys one-on-one.”
(On if this is the best team he has been a part of in terms of overcoming injuries and still finding a high level success no matter who is in the game): “We’ve had a lot of injuries in the past, but we end up 8-8. To be 14-4 with everything that’s gone on is just a credit to the coaching staff but more so to the players and Jason Licht and everybody having this roster. We talked in the locker room after the game – you put that Bucs’ helmet on, there’s a level of expectation. You can’t be the guy you’re replacing. You just have to be the best guy that you can be, and these guys have all stepped in when they had these opportunities and done it.”
On the level of concern he has with the injuries on the offensive line, specifically at tackle)z; “I thought Josh Wells – other than the one bull rush – I thought he played really [well] because he was playing on a bad leg too. Our inside guys got beat on a couple of twists. That shouldn’t have happened. [We] misread what we thought they were going to do and we turned the guy loose – easy things to correct.”
(On why Rondé Barber deserves a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame): “Nobody has numbers like him. His numbers are unbelievable. The fact that he never missed a game and played with a broken arm – all of the things that he did basically inventing that nickel position – blitzing, interceptions. Even as a corner, he was one of the best corners in that defense. I played against him enough times, but to me he doesn’t need to have a speech … His numbers are unbelievable.”:
Game Balls
Offense: Yes, all things run through Tom Brady, but the award this week goes to Mike Evans, who starred with Chris Godwin hurt and Antonio Brown fired.
Defense: Mike Edwards had a key interception and led the Bucs with nine tackles.
Special teams: It was a great day for the specialists, but punter Bradley Pinion was the best of all. He had two 60-yard punts, three inside the 20 and averaged 48.7 on seven kicks.
Grades
Quarterback: Tom Brady was a surgeon as he carved up an Eagles defense that somehow thought it had his number. Hint: They don't. Grade: A.
Running backs: You can't measure Ke'Shawn Vaughn's impact through stats alone. He made the Bucs not miss their top two running backs. Grade: B.
Offensive line: It was noticeable when Wirfs went out, which helps explain the four sacks given up. Grade: C.
Receiver: Evans reminded us why he's double-covered so often. Grade: A.
Defensive line: It controlled the Eagles' touted running game, but there wasm't enough pressure. Grade: B.
Linebackers: Devin White had just three tackles, Lavonte David had two. The Bucs need more. Grade: C.
Secondary: It feels strange to feel good about the secondary's performance. Grade: A.
Most Post-season Passing Yards, NFL History
1. Tom Brady 12,449
2. Peyton Manning 7,339
3. Brett Favre 5,855
4. Joe Montana 5,772
5. Ben Roethlisberger 5,757
Most Post-Season Passing Touchdowns, NFL History
1. Tom Brady 83
2t. Joe Montana 45
2t. Aaron Rodgers 45
4. Brett Favre 44
5. Peyton Manning 40
Highest Single-Game Passing Rating
- Tom Brady (vs. KC, 2/7/21) 125.8
2. Tom Brady (vs. PHI, 1/16/22) 115.2
3. Tom Brady (at WAS, 1/9/21) 104.3
4. Tom Brady (at NO, 1/17/21) 92.9
5. Brad Johnson (at PHI, 1/19/03) 82.8
Most Post-Season Receiving Yards, Bucs History
1. Keyshawn Johnson 375
2. Mike Evans 321
3. Chris Godwin 232
4. Cameron Brate 204
5. Joe Jurevicius 197
Most Post-Season Receiving Yards, Bucs' History
(Single Game)
1. Mike Evans (at WAS, 1/9/21) 119
2. Mike Evans (vs. PHI, 1/16/22) 117
3. Chris Godwin (at GB, 1/24/21) 110
4. Keyshawn Johnson (at PHI, 12/31/00) 106
5. Jimmie Giles (at DAL, 1/2/82) 98
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