Do you remember where you were during SuperBowl LI? I know where I was. My friends from high school and I had thrown a very typical Super Bowl party, and the host was a Patriots fan. Well, let’s just say after the first quarter we had switched off the game and started playing some PS4. Why would we keep watching the game? It was clear who was going to win! The Falcons were up 28-3!
This was the first time I actually paid attention to the magic Tom Brady can make on the field. Up until then, I was a die-hard Giants fan with nothing but hate for the world’s best QB. I took satisfaction in knowing that the Giants had defeated twice in the Super Bowl. Although I hated the man at the time (because I knew he was the best, and the Giants didn’t have him) that day I learned to see him through a different lens.
We all know how the story goes. Brady leads the Patriots to the most improbable comeback in all of sports history, and the Falcons end up blowing their 28-3 lead, losing to the Pats in overtime. The historical moment cemented Brady’s status as the greatest of all time, and this past Sunday, he continued to break the hearts of Falcons fans.
The Buccaneers ran through the Falcons by a score of 30-17 on Sunday, garnering huge performances from Brady and the receiving corps. Brady threw a total of 51 times, completing 38 of his passes. He finished the day with 368 passing yards and 4 touchdowns; at the ripe age of 44. As Robert Greene (author of the 48 Laws of Power) would put it; Brady has truly achieved “mastery”.
Another huge performance came out of Chris Godwin this weekend, as the young man was able to rack up a whopping 143 receiving yards, good for 9.5 yards/average per catch. Godwin has really come into his own this season, and it’s great to see him getting the recognition he deserves. Another great performance came courtesy of Mike Evans, who made several big-time catches on third-down to get the Bucs into prime scoring position.
The duo of Brady and Gronkowski also neared history on Sunday, as the two touchdowns they scored between them moved them into second all-time on the TD connection list. They are now only behind Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison (112) for first all-time. It would be exciting to see them break that record in Bucs uniforms, but we would have to wait until next season.
What I saw from the Buccaneers in this game is that they are getting focused and honing in on their “playoff-mentality”. This will help them be razor-sharp come playoff time. Next up the Buccaneer’s take on the Buffalo Bills. The Bills will be a true test to this Bucs team, but I am positive they have more than enough in the tank to get it done.
‘Til next time!