Tuesday, 4 a.m.
5 Thoughts
- Let's see. He's won twice in England, once in Germany, once in Mexico and 279 times (counting playoffs). At this point, can we just call Tom Brady Earth's Quarterback?
2. The hardest thing to undo is a rap of not hustling, because for an athlete, it's the unforgivable sin. But after Sunday, starring in the memory of his father, can we all give Devin White a break?
3. A two-game winning streak is nice and all. But the Bucs are still leaving far too many points on the field. That could cost them.
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4. Leonard Fournette, if he's healthy, probably gets the starting nod most Sundays. But Rachaad White is in the passing lane.
5. Aside to Byron Leftwich: Any play call that doesn't have Brady throwing the ball -- let alone catching it -- is a silly idea.
5 Comments
(From Todd Bowles Day-After Press Conference)
(On picking up yardage early to make third downs more manageable on Sunday): “Yeah, I think it’s a great example. It’s a lot better than having third-and-seven-plus – that makes it a lot harder and it opens up blitz packages for people and they have to play the run and the pass, and if you have manageable yards to get, you have a better chance of getting it.”
(On how the rookies have performed): “Those guys have been doing great. Jason [Licht] and them do a great job of identifying guys that are mentally tough and mentally smart enough and the game’s not too big for them. They just love to play football and it doesn’t always come in the form of maybe the most talented players, but the guys that come in are ready to play right now. They do a great job of studying, as well as understanding what they need to do on the field and those guys have come through big for us.”
(On the extra dimension that WR Julio Jones brings to the offense): “[Those are] some of the things [we saw] when we signed him. Hopefully, he’s getting over that hump now – he played well yesterday. He gives us an added dimension, he takes some pressure off of the other two receivers that we have right now and he opens up the run game some. What really went unnoticed – he did a fantastic job of blocking down the field. The receivers did a great job of blocking and giving Rachaad [White] some extra yardage."
(On how proud he is that the defense was able to successfully contain Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker): “I didn’t mention him 47 times, it was probably more like 99 – we thought the game, their offense started and ended with him. As much talent as they have on the outside, we thought he did the most damage and to try and limit him from running the football because he has great vision, great feet – we think he’s an outstanding back – probably one of the best young backs in the league, if not one of the best backs in the league. To hold him down, was very important for us. So, I’m proud of that part from the defensive front – the corners as well.”
(On how the defense’s play has improved these last two games): “Communication has picked up. Communication has picked up and guys are talking to each other more than they have been. Obviously with [Antoine] Winfield down and Logan Ryan down, we lost a lot of communication, but a lot of guys have stepped up and started believing in each other and playing for the guy next to him, and I think that’s picked up and changed a lot.”
Game Balls
Offense: You could give it to the entire offensive line, or to running backs Rachaad White. But Tom Brady was the essential Buc again. He had played five straight games since having a rating as high as his 111.0.
Defense: He had nine tackles, two sacks and forced a fumble on the key defensive play of the game. It's the kind of effort every should expect from Devin White.
Special teams: Jake Camarda averaged 61 yards on his two punts.
Grades
Quarterback: He looked like a comedian running out for a pass, and he threw an interception. But Tom Brady was excellent. Grade: A.
Running backs: Who would have thought running the ball would ever be a good idea? Grade: A.
Offensive line: No sacks and 161 yards rushing. Grade: A.
Receiver: Brady spread the ball around well. Grade: B+.
Defensive line: Seattle averaged just 2.8 yards per rush. Grade: B+.
Linebackers: White and Lavonte David had 15 tackles. Grade: A-.
Secondary: Seattle woke up in the fourth quarter, but there were no major breakdowns. Grade: B.
Special teams: Not a lot of action, but Camarda was superb. Grade: B.
Power Ranking
`1. Philadelphia
2. Minnesota
3. Kansas City
4. Miami
5. Buffalo
--
14. Tampa Bay
Bottom Five
32. Houston
31. Las Vegas
30. Chicago
29. Detroit
28. New Orleans
NFL Ranks
Passing Yardage Tom Brady 2
Rushing Yardage Leonard Fournette 25
Receiving Yardage Mike Evans 13
Tackles Devin White 15
Punting Jake Camarda 8