By: Andy Davies

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have endured a torrid start to the 2022 NFL season.

Not one person, whether they are members of the media or just your regular fan down the street, would have predicted the Buccaneers to start the season 3-5.

Shock losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers, who both had one win prior to beating the Buccaneers, were then followed by a loss at home to the Baltimore Ravens.

This is the first time in Tom Brady’s career that he has lost three games in a row. With a division that appears wide open, there is every chance that the Buccaneers end up making the playoffs and all is well again. However, there is also the possibility that a team that has won a Super Bowl and narrowly lost in the Divisional Round during the last season, could miss the playoffs entirely this season. Here are three reasons why this could happen.

A Tough Schedule

It does not get any easier for Brady and the Bucs when looking at their schedule. Their next game is against current Super Bowl champions, the Los Angeles Rams. Whilst they are also coming off the back of a loss and have a 3-4 record, this is not exactly a game that head coach Todd Bowles will want even with an extra few days’ rest. 

After the Rams game, they face the 5-3 Seattle Seahawks in the first ever regular season game to be played in Germany. They will not want to play a team in form, let alone in a neutral venue with jetlag. 

After their Week Eleven bye, the rest of their schedule features games against the Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, and Atlanta Falcons. 

This is not an easy ride, so expect the Bucs to be challenged right the way until the end. 

With four teams ahead of them in the race for the Wildcard spots, and two of those with three more wins, the Bucs better turn things around quickly, otherwise they will be watching the playoffs from their living rooms. 

Tom Brady’s Personal Life

Brady’s personal life has been the subject of much media coverage of late, with Brady addressing the rumours on Instagram, confirming their divorce. 

This is bound to have played some part in Brady’s slump in form. 

Lack Of Protection And Receiving Help

Brady lost his good friend Rob Gronkowski and the drama of Antonio Brown meant that Tampa Bay went from four elite pass catchers to just two. 

Mike Evans has still been excellent as ever, if you exclude the dropped catch against the Panthers, ranked as having the eighth-most receiving yards (577) and Godwin (368) has done well considering the comeback from injury. Running back Leonard Fournette (273) is their next best receiver, which shows the issues at hand. 

Russell Gage and Julio Jones both came in during the offseason in attempts to give Brady as much help as possible, but Gage has just 231 receiving yards and Jones has been non-existent with just 97 yards from 11 targets and six receptions. Cole Beasley came and went in the space of a couple of weeks.

Whilst Brady is second in the league for passing yards, he is tied for 17^th in passing touchdowns. This shows the struggles Brady and the team have had in getting it down the end zone. According to FantasyPros.com, Brady is eighth in the league for passing yards in the red zone and eleventh for passing touchdowns. This also shows the issues Brady has had, a lot like Aaron Rodgers this season, with receiver help.

Brady has already been sacked thirteen times this year, which means he is projected to finish the season with just under 30 sacks. This would be the eighth-highest total of his career. To put it in perspective, he was sacked ten times at this stage in 2020, and twelve times at this point last season. The loss of Ali Marpet to retirement has been huge, even with the addition of former teammate Shaq Mason. Ryan Jenson’s injury has had a big impact also, with Robert Hainsey and Luke Goeseke seemingly failing to deliver in their absence.

There is still plenty of time to go, but the Buccaneers certainly have cause for concern at this present time.

The post Three reasons why the Buccaneers could miss the playoffs appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady surprisingly found his exit from the 2022 playoffs during the divisional round weekend. Brady, who has enjoyed a more successful NFL career than any player in the history of the game, has the most polarizing offseason of his career leading up to this point.

It’s unclear if the GOAT will chase another Lombardi trophy next season or call it a career. Brady spoke on his podcast “Let’s Go” about his thoughts revolving around his family and his passion for playing football. Brady expressed to his co-host Jim Gray, “Playing football, I get so much joy from it. I love it. But not playing football, there’s a lot of joy in that for me now with my kids getting older seeing them develop and grow. So all these things need to be considered and will be”.

It does appear like there’s a strong likelihood that Brady hangs up the cleats at 44 years old. If TB12 steps away from football, it will leave a massive hole on at the Bucs QB spot. The NFL world witnessed the Buccaneers old offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich arrive on the Jacksonville Jaguars doorstep with a near-perfect chance of being the Jags next head coach. If Bruce Arians loses his offensive coordinator and QB, it could be an enormous obstacle for the 2021 NFC South winners to overcome.

With that said, who particularly will be asked to fill in the shoes of the potential 2021 MVP if he departs? The 2021 first round draft pick Kyle Trask could be the favorite, but he will surely welcome competition. Well, I’m going to outline several candidates excluding Trask that could attempt to obtain the Bucs starting gig in 2022.

1. Trade for Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield

I don’t foresee the Buccaneers rebuilding if Brady shifts his career focus elsewhere. Assuming Arians stays in charge, I for sure wouldn’t anticipate the Super Bowl-winning HC to pull the plug on the operation. I’d love to see the Bucs make a trade for a talented, young QB that can fit into Bruce Arians throw it around the yard offense. The acquisition of the gutsy Baker Mayfield may be a wise pickup for Arians. Mayfield isn’t only a champion of confidence and trash-talking, but he has an arm that makes the passes consistently required from the Buccaneers offensive playbook. In the 2020 season, Mayfield showed off his arm strength with the longest pass in NFL history.

The Browns QB threw a modest 26 passing touchdowns in 2020 and 27 passing touchdowns as a rookie in 2018. Mayfield took a step back in 2021, but it didn’t help that they shipped out Odell Beckham Jr. late in the season. Whether or not OBJ was an ailment in the scheme, he won’t have any issues with needing to feed Mike Evans the ball more than necessary. Arians has shown that he isn’t scared to ignore or cut players that can be distractions, too.

The Bucs will more than likely not be able to obtain Russell Wilson, plus it may not be wise to send the house for such a profile. The Wilson sweepstakes aren’t the be-all and end-all prize, too. Baker is also several years younger than Wilson and more than a decade younger than a QB like Aaron Rodgers.

Arians knows that he has a talented roster surrounding the QB situation and that he has a leg up on the three opposing NFC South teams. Arians can keep the gas on the pedal and find NFC South dominance and Super Bowl potential with Mayfield with the keys to the black and red Lamborghini.

2. Trade for Philadelphia Eagles QB Gardner Minshew

A Buccaneers trade for Gardner Minshew may seem safe and they would cough up less compensation with a push for Minshew compared to Mayfield. Minshew doesn’t have the same juice that Mayfield outputs, but he has some positive tools and lots of fire in him.

The Eagles QB impressively broke all sorts of Jaguars records with 21 touchdowns, 3,271 passing yards, and only 6 interceptions in 14 games as a rookie. Nonetheless, Minshew fell ill to the Jaguars prize of a first overall selection. The draft pick of Trevor Lawrence sent the quality and young Minshew packing from Florida.

Minshew doesn’t have a ceiling like Josh Allen or Mayfield clearly, but he can make a few splash plays and commit very few turnovers for a team. Minshew does also have injury issues that aren’t sexy for a player that isn’t quite proven. He wouldn’t be the perfect fit for Arians, nor would he appear to be a long-term fit. Still, Minshew could compete with Kyle Trask for the starting gig in 2022 and 2023.

3. Teddy Bridgewater – Denver Broncos

The free-agent pickings at QB for Tampa Bay are honestly slim in 2022. Jameis Winston will remain in New Orleans or sign with any team other than his ex-Buccaneers squad. The soon-to-be FA Marcus Mariota will be a diamond in the rough, but he doesn’t fit the Buccaneers scheme. I’d expect Mariota to go to the Packers, Jets, or a team that has a friendly scheme for him. The focus from BA (Bruce Arians) could switch to the crafty Teddy Bridgewater.

Arians witnessed Bridgewater’s efficiency and arm talent when Teddy B filled in for Drew Brees in 2019. The former Saints QB went 5-0 for Sean Payton and it clearly left a big impression on spectators and the NFC South. Matt Rhule gave Bridgewater an opportunity in 2020, but Bridgewater flamed out of Carolina and its Christian McCaffrey-less offense. McCaffrey was of course injured for much of the 2020 season.

Bridgewater struggled in CAR, but clearly showed improvement in a Denver Broncos uniform. The Broncos QB threw 18 passing touchdowns, 3,052 passing yards, and had a modest 7-7 record. Bridgewater is clearly improving his all-around skillset at 29 years old.

It would be ideal if Bridgewater took a prove-it deal and a trip to Tampa may be very tempting. Bridgewater could be added to compete for the starting gig regardless of a rookie QB or veteran excluding Mayfield.

4. Nick Foles – Chicago Bears

The addition of Nick Foles wouldn’t be sexy, but it could be a nice value pickup. If the Bucs add Foles, I believe it would be best if they make sure they have confidence in Trask to potentially start. Nonetheless, Foles has some gifts and playoff experience.

Foles isn’t completely washed up or a journeyman at this point in his career. He had some 4th quarter magic with the Bears last season and it wasn’t terribly long ago when he won the Super Bowl with Philly (2018).

The Bucs tower over the teams in the NFC South and it should be expected that they can reach the playoffs with a modest QB performance out of Foles in the regular season. The Saints, Falcons, and Panthers will all have serious question marks at their QB situation. Foles can take care of the football and hit the talented WRs down the field routinely. He will still have a superb and intact defense to complement him. Furthermore, they may be able to capture more playoff gold and victory in tight game situations if they magic from Nick Foles.

5. Tyrod Taylor – Houston Texans

Tyrod does check a couple of boxes. He is a quality backup QB and he can make production happen via his legs. Still, Taylor isn’t the most attractive fit for Arians’s offense. With some tweaking, Arians could then meet Taylor halfway.

Taylor showed out with the Bills Mafia in 2017, where he led them to a winning record. He also was supposed to be the starter in Los Angeles, until a medical job on him went haywire and he experienced an unfortunate injury. Taylor could make plays with his legs and big arm while taking care of the football and letting the defense be an elite unit.

Taylor is 32 years old, which is just a year older than the talented dual-threat Taysom Hill. Taylor could be an effective rotational QB like Hill if the Bucs opt to ride with a different veteran QB or Trask.

6. Joe Flacco – New York Jets

The Jets QB Joe Flacco also referred to as “Joe Cool”, hasn’t found superb success since winning a Super Bowl, recording insane playoff victories, and winning Super Bowl MVP. Flacco is also 0-5 over the past two seasons, so it’s clear that the football gods haven’t treated Flacco nicely.

Flacco is clearly on his last legs as an NFL player, but he has been hanging in there over the past few seasons. Flacco, who stands at 6’6, could be a quality QB2 behind Trask and someone that could big plays.

Flacco isn’t a starting QB, but he could be a nice fit as a QB2 and mentor to Trask. Although, he really could be a better version of Chad Henne (Chiefs backup QB).

7. Trade for Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr

I would be utterly surprised if the Raiders shop Derek Carr, so he falls at seven on this list. Yet, if Carr is on the used car lot, it would be a dream match for Arians to notch the talented AFC QB. Carr could really see his ability come to fruition if he’s in the Bucs offense.

Carr threw for a career-high 4,804 yards in 2021 and that number would look a lot different if his weaponry went from Desean Jackson and Bryan Edwards to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Carr is a free agent in 2023, so there’s some uncertainty on whether or not he will be a part of the Raiders long-term plans, but his 2021 season should silence that question for at least another season. Still, BA could make an unexpected mega-deal for a QB that fits his long-term vision the best and it might be Carr.

Honorable mentions:

Jameis Winston – New Orleans Saints

Jameis Winston would be the ultimate wild-card signing for Arians. It may seem that Winston could hold a grudge against the Bucs, but he did show a lot of maturity for choosing to go to the Saints as a backup QB. He may decide to throw away any beef with the Bucs and accept that a great fit is in place. It’s worth noting that he will have a better roster on his side. The QB that once threw for the most passing yards and passing touchdowns went to New Orleans to fix his turnover issues. He could make a return to TB as the new and improved former Buccaneers first overall pick.

Trade for Denver Broncos QB Drew Lock

The Buccaneers could see a low-risk high reward asset in Drew Lock. The young Broncos QB, who was outplayed by Teddy Bridgewater, was once seen as a QB with a plethora of potential in 2019, where he shined in limited game time. He went 4-1 while throwing 7 touchdowns to 3 interceptions. I’d fully expect Minshew to be the QB that’s sought out if a QB that isn’t overly talented is lobbied for. Lock is a QB that could be capable of taking the starting gig away from Kyle Trask, nonetheless.

Trade for Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan

The Atlanta Falcons could begin to rebuild, so they may view pardoning the very expensive Matt Ryan. The Falcons veteran QB isn’t the Matty Ice we once knew, but he is far from washed up. The 36-year-old QB threw for 4,400+ yards in 2020 and 2021. Ryan witnessed his old long-time buddy Julio Jones leave prior to the 2021 season and then his new WR1 Calvin Ridley unexpectedly retired early in the season. The combination of Ryan playing in the same division as the Bucs (NFC South) and price tag could make a trade very unlikely, but the Falcons might be desperate and BA could then take advantage of it.

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By: Reese Nasser

Tom Brady is entering the 2021 season coming off of one of the greatest years of his storied  career. The soon-to-be 44 year old quarterback won his seventh Super Bowl, his first with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has somehow managed to find a resurgence with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with no sign of slowing down anytime soon. 

The all-pro quarterback found success in his first year with Tampa Bay. In both the regular season and playoffs, Brady saw near career highs across the stat sheet. Over 16 regular season games, he threw for 40 touchdowns and 4633 yards, finishing in the top-5 of both categories. With the good also came the occasional bad. He threw 12 interceptions, his most since 2011. 

The playoff run that Brady led was just as good as his regular season, if not better. In his four postseason games, he passed for 10 touchdowns and just over 1000 yards. 

His finished stat line from both the regular and postseason was arguably his best since his 2007 season where he threw 50 touchdowns. By the end of 2020, Brady compiled 56 total touchdowns and nearly 5700 yards. He proved to still be one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. 

Entering his 22nd season, all eyes will be on Brady. After coming off yet another Super Bowl victory and the Bucs returning all 22 starters, the expectations will be high for both the team and their QB1. 

A decline has been expected for years now for Brady, but it is yet to come. It is almost as if every season, people believe that father time will catch up to Brady. Could 2021 be the season for it to happen? Potentially.

Brady could find himself having yet another great season. Or, he could find himself in the situation of many past superstars that have stuck around too long and have a season that goes very poorly. Let’s take a look at both the potential floor and ceiling for Brady in 2021. 

The Floor

It is hard to imagine a Tom Brady performance that is anything less than average. The floor for Brady is still seemingly better than what many quarterbacks would have to offer. Throughout his career, even when he hasn’t had the greatest weapons around him, Brady has still been able to be an above average quarterback. His understanding of the game and just all around football IQ has kept him at a high level, even as he has gotten older and began to slow down from a physical standpoint.  

 
When looking at his most recent seasons, Brady’s worst performance was arguably the 2019 season. He threw 24 touchdowns, the least he’s had in a full 16-game season since 2003, which was his third year as a starting quarterback. His 24 passing touchdowns still ranked him within the top-15 of all quarterbacks. He also threw for just over 4000 yards, his least since 2016, when he played in just 12 games. 

Even at his most mediocre points, Brady has managed to consistently still be an above average quarterback. His floor should reflect that. Even at his worst, Brady should be good for at least an above-average season in 2021. A “down” seasons statline could potentially look like this. 26 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and 3800 passing yards. 

A 2021 stat line looking something like that would be considered poor for Brady. But, it would still be enough to put his team into a position to win. This should be the bare minimum for the longtime quarterback.

The Ceiling 

The best that can be expected from Brady should be a performance similar to what he did in 2020. He has proven time and time again that he can still lead a team and perform at a high level while doing it.

The team surrounding Brady will also play a role in how well he performs. He will go as far as they can take him, and vice versa. Brady is clearly a catalyst in how well this Tampa Bay team can play. 

With the offense that the Buccaneers have, Brady’s ceiling will be that of a top level quarterback. Tampa Bay is bringing back all eleven starters from last season. The group was good at every level on offense. An elite offensive line, a talented wide receiving group, a hall of fame tight end, and two above average running backs, will help Brady maintain his ability to be elite. 

The skills group alone would make any quarterback have good numbers. With wide receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, and Scotty Miller, Brady can’t go wrong with who he is throwing the ball to. He also has arguably his most consistent target of his career still with him in Robert Gronkowski. There is also still potential in tight end OJ Howard. If he can perform as he is expected and come back from his achilles injury, this receiving group could be the best in the NFL. 

The ceiling for Brady is high, as it should be. A regular season with around 40 touchdowns and single digit turnovers would be a top performance from him. If he performs at that level, another  Super Bowl run could be in the cards for Tampa Bay.

The post Projecting Tom Brady’s ceiling and floor for 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Ladarius Brown

For one reason or another, many of us have been doubted if we can succeed in our respective fields for numerous reasons. Overall, it is about silencing the said doubters or proving to yourself that you can make it. In some cases, it is both since, according to an NCAA study, there are 73,712 college football players. Of those, 16,380 are eligible for the NFL Draft and 254 will be drafted. In all, just 1.6% will make the transition from the NCAA to the NFL. The point: it is one of the toughest professions to enter. One player who knows the journey all too well is Tom Brady.  

Brady was a sixth round (199th overall pick) in the 2000 NFL Draft of the New England Patriots out of Michigan. In that draft, six quarterbacks were taken ahead of him:   

• Chad Pennington   
• Giovanni Carmazzi    
• Chris Redman   
• Tee Martin  
• Marc Bulger  
• Spergon Wynn  

Some of these names may not exactly roll off the tongue yet, for Brady, he still remembers these names, aptly called the Brady 6. Entering his 22nd season, this is what keeps Thomas Edward Patrick Brady motivated. Given his resume, he was a 1st ballot Hall of Famer years ago. However, the mere fact that 30 NFL franchises (excluding the Texans who became a franchise in 2002) passed on him drives him still. Throw in that this was his scouting report: “Poor build, skinny, lacks great physical stature and strength, and gets knocked down easily.”  

The money means next to nothing because he gave up nearly $60 million while with the Patriots in his 20 years there. He has always been team first. In his mind, he needs successful players to be a success himself. Brady feels as though he does not deserve the accolades. The term is called “imposter syndrome.”  

Conceived by clinical psychologists Dr. Pauline Rose Clance & Suzanne Imes, they allude to the term as:  

“High-achieving individuals marked by an inability to internalize their accomplishments and a persistent fear of being exposed as a “fraud”. Despite external evidence of their competence, [they] are convinced that they are frauds and do not deserve the success they have achieved. Proof of success is dismissed as luck, timing, or as a result of deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent and competent than they believe themselves to be.”  

In Brady’s mind, he cannot process arguably one of these best resumes not just in NFL history; but all of the sports because he feels that he will be somehow “exposed” as a fraud who does not belong. He continues to play the games to prove that he belongs. It sounds odd but when we think of the most driven of individuals, this is nothing new. His deep disproval has created insane habits.

Those exterior of Brady’s mind sees the continuous work to be the best, demanding it out those around him. We have seen him become a 7x SB Champ, 14x Pro Bowler, 3x All-Pro, and 3x MVP. For him, it is about the game within the game. Football to him is a reminder that many people did not think he could play it. Every day he wakes up, he was to be better than the next day. We can all sit here and say that he needs to retire because there is nothing more for him to achieve.   

For Brady, he plays to win like all great competitors. Yet, there will always be that one more thing to achieve, something not reflected in trophies or rings. Brady wants to proves in his mind he is better than Chad Pennington, Giovanni Carmazzi, Chris Redman, Tee Martin, Marc Bulger, and Spergon Wynn. As we speak, he still wants to prove every team wrong 21 years later. 

The post What motivates Brady to keep playing at soon to be 44 years old? In depth look appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The NFL world questioned if Tom Brady could perform at a high level in the 2020 season. The 43-year-old QB silenced any critics left on planet earth with one of his personal best campaigns last season. Brady threw for 40 passing touchdowns in the last regular season, which was second-best in a single season for his career. The former sixth-round pick was also efficient in his all-around craft, as he notched a 102.2 passer rating.

Brady’s season of impressive heights wasn’t only elite for his personal career history, nor the simple fact that it was accomplished in his first year as a Buccaneer. The most glamorous marker could be that Brady’s passing touchdown mark was tied for second with Russell Wilson, behind Aaron Rodgers. Brady nearly achieved first place in the passing touchdown category, but that’s in the past. Looking ahead, I believe Brady is well set up to take the next step in 2021 and lead the league in passing touchdowns.

Here is why

Brady’s bunch is back together

Tom Brady essentially brought former teammates Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown to the Buccaneers last year. In 2021, Gronk and AB have once again returned for another Super Bowl push. 

The impressive part of the chemistry between the old Patriot unit is that they didn’t get hot until late in the season. Gronk didn’t catch a touchdown pass until six games into the season. Yet, the former All-Pro turned on the jets and unraveled seven receiving touchdowns in the last ten matchups. AB didn’t even join the Buccaneers until the mid point of the season. Eventually, the former Steeler legend got in sync and unveiled “four receiving TDs in the last three games”. 

The Buccaneers also re-signed WR Chris Godwin to the team. Godwin missed four games in 2020, but that didn’t hold back Brady’s top-end production. Godwin is a playmaker that will provide huge dividends when healthy and in sync. He only was Top 10 Top 3 in receiving yards in 2019.

Defenses remain soft in NFC South 

The NFC South is a very exciting division and arguably the top division in all of football. Yet, the matchups are a display of the wild west. The Falcons and Panthers defense are especially porous and rebuilding for the future. The Buccaneers defense has even opened the floodgates on the back end in key divisional battles. 

One of the bigger downfalls in the division and positive signs for the Buccaneers lies with the pieces gone on the Saints defense. The Saints will more than likely hold a Top 15 defense, but they’ve lost vital pieces — players that came up huge in beating the Bucs. Former Saints DE Trey Hendrickson was dominant against Brady, which was evident with three sacks combined in the two matchups. Janoris “Jackrabbit” Jenkins was a monster at shutting down his matchups, along with having a pick six against Brady. Jenkins is no longer a Saint, as well. It’s important to point out that one team noticeably downgraded in the NFC South because the Bucs only ousted 26 combined pts in the two games.

Aaron Rodgers leaves town

Aaron Rodgers doesn’t seem reluctant to shake hands with the Packers general management in the next few months. The 2020 MVP will very likely be suiting up elsewhere next season – then the Jordan Love era begins. Why does this have an effect on the competition on Brady? Well, It could be a serious obstacle for Rodgers to reclaim the stature he had in the near future (led the league in passing touchdowns in 2020). Rodgers will likely not be garnering the same treatment and options that Brady garnered when leaving the Patriots to the loaded Buccaneers. 

Rodgers could end up in one of the exciting fits, but it would be hard to imagine the Packers wanting to see him hoist up the Lombardi trophy next season. If Rodgers goes to Denver or Las Vegas, he will not have Davante Adams at WR. The Broncos offer a wide array of weapons with loads of potential, but not quite a weapon that can post elite numbers with the defense prepping heavily for him. The competition from the atrocious NFC North to a much improved AFC West would also be on full display. The Chiefs have a much-improved defense, the Chargers carry a talented secondary, then the Broncos may have the best defensive unit in the league next year. As for the NFC North, Rodgers nearly capped off 40 pts in each of his divisional battles.

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