Monday, 4 a.m.
5 Thoughts
- Everyone rememers Joe Namath's prediction that the Jets would beat the Colts, and over the years, there have been a few other acts of bravado that the fans of a particular team remember. But Chase Young put his cleats in his mouth Saturday night. You wanted Brady? You got him, not that anyone noticed you.
2. Lavonte David made his wait for the playoffs worth it.
3. Chris Godwin didn't. He played the worst game of his career with five drops.
Content beyond this point is for members only.
Already a member? To view the rest of this column, sign in using the handy "Sign In" button located in the upper right corner of the GarySheltonSports.com blog (it's at the far right of the navigation bar under Gary's photo)!
Not a member? It's easy to subscribe so you can view the rest of this column and all other premium content on GarySheltonSports.com.Paragraph
4. Can you believe some fans are annoyed the Bucs' scored only 31? Time was, that was a good two weeks for Tampa Bay.
5. In case you're wondering, 17 teams have beaten another team three times in the same season. New Orleans tries to be No. 18.
Game Balls
Offense:The time you should worry about with Tom Brady isn't measured by calendar. It's measured by how safe he is in the pocket. If you protect him, he's still pretty darn good.
Defense: David's sack late in the game sealed a win in the game he has been waiting years to play.
Special teams: He drives you crazy with missed extra points, but Ryan Succop is money on a field goal.
Grades
Quarterback: Brady how has 31 post-season wins, and one of them is with the Bucs. Grade: A.
Wide receivers: Mike Evans is tough, but Chris Godwin needs to play better. Grade: C.
Offensive line: The Bucs' tackles spanked the supposedly wonderful defensive ends of Washington. Grade: A.
Running backs: Leonard Fournette was worth picking up, after all. Grade: A.
Defensive line: Not enough pressure, and the tackling wasn't good. Grade: D.
Linebackers: David had nine tackles, a sack and pass defensed. You can't help but notice him. Grade: B.
Secondary: No one was close to pedestrian wide receivers. Grade: F.
Kicking: Succop made his putts. Short field goals count, too. Grade: B.
5 Players Who Have to Play Well vs. Saints
- Tom Brady
2. Mike Evans
3. Lavonte David
4. Jason Pierre-Paul
5. Chris Godwin
Bucs' Passing Yards (Post-Season)
Rank Player (Opp, Date) Yards
1. Tom Brady (at WAS, 1/9/21) 381
2. Brad Johnson (at PHI, 1/19/03) 259
3. Brad Johnson (vs. OAK, 1/26/03) 215
4. Jeff Garcia (vs. NYG, 1/6/08) 207
5. Brad Johnson (at PHI, 1/12/02) 202
All-time Post-Season Touchowns
Rank Player TD
1. Tom Brady 75
2. Joe Montana 45
3. Brett Favre 44
4t. Peyton Manning 40
4t. Aaron Rodgers 40
Bucs' Single-Game Playoff Receiving Yards
1. Mike Evans (at WAS, 1/9/21) 119
2. Keyshawn Johnson (at PHI, 12/31/00) 106
3. Jimmie Giles (at DAL, 1/2/92) 98
4. Keyshawn Johnson (vs. SF, 1/12/03) 85
5. Cameron Brate (at WAS, 1/9/21) 80
5 Things to Worry About vs. Saints
- Drew Brees' accuracy.
2. Alvin Kamara's speed against the linebackers.
3. Cam Jordan's pass rush.
4. Marquis Goodwin loose in the secondary.
5. Sean Payton's game calls.
5 More Thoughts
1, The next game will go a long way toward deciding whether this Bucs' team achieved or under-achieved. It was bought with deep-in-the-playoffs in mind.
2. I still say the best four teams in football are Kansas City, Green Bay, New Orleans and Buffalo. The Bucs might have to beat three of them to win it all.
3. Tom Brady has as many 300-yard games in the playoffs (16) as the Bucs (7-9) have games.
4. I think the guy who leads the Bucs in years-per-mention of his name is Cameron Brate.
5. Do you think any of the Bucs' defenders are saying "Thank God that Taylor Heinicke is behind us. Now bring on that Drew Brees guy."