The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a gruesome injury blow that has put even more pressure on Tom Brady’s shoulders.
The who is tom brady playing for is a question that has been on the minds of football fans. Due to an injury blow, the Buccaneers have put even more pressure on Tom Brady’s shoulders.
Tom Brady knows a thing or two about rallying a squad behind him. After all, you don’t win seven Super Bowl championships or earn the moniker of “best quarterback of all time” without stepping up in critical situations.
Brady has to hide the team’s flaws and play near-perfect football to win victories, as New England Patriots fans will testify. Even Bill Belichick has to acknowledge that the Lombardi Trophy would not have returned to Foxborough so many times if it hadn’t been for some late-game heroics from arguably the greatest clutch athlete in history.
Unfortunately for Brady, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a devastating injury blow in their season-opening victory against the Dallas Cowboys, forcing their revered captain to carry an even heavier burden going forward.
In their victory against the Cowboys, the Buccaneers didn’t come out unharmed.
Brady had little problem tearing up a Cowboys defense that had a lot to prove heading into Week 1. The 44-year-old quarterback threw for 379 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions, one on a Hail Mary try and the other on a bobbled grab attempt by Leonard Fournette. Antonio Brown, Chris Godwin, and Rob Gronkowski looked unstoppable, which doesn’t bode well for the rest of the NFL secondary.
The Buccaneers’ triumph, though, came at a price.
While attempting to tackle Dallas wideout CeeDee Lamb, starting cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting suffered a horrific arm injury. Because the third-year pro looked to be in evident agony, he was declared out for the rest of the game.
The 24-year-old defensive back sustained a dislocated right elbow, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, and will be out for many weeks.
According to Stroud, “[Bruce] Arians stated x-rays were negative and that the injury isn’t season-ending.” “However, with this kind of injury, Murphy-Bunting is expected to miss at least a month.”
Because of Sean Murphy-horrific Bunting’s injury, Tom Brady is carrying extra weight on his shoulders.
Given the Buccaneers’ poor secondary depth, Tom Brady and the offense will have less room for mistake going ahead. | Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
With one of their starting cornerbacks already out, the Buccaneers have an uphill battle in their quest to become the first team to win back-to-back championships since Tom Brady and the Patriots in 2003-04. Tampa Bay had a weak cornerback depth chart before into the season, so Murphy-injury Bunting’s was a huge blow to a secondary that was ripped apart by Dak Prescott.
While the second-round pick from 2019 will return at some point, his injury may force the defense to regress somewhat. Jamel Dean and Ross Cockrell started the night on the bench for a reason, as Tampa Bay fans saw on Thursday. As a result, with one of their key players out for at least a month, the Buccaneers must demonstrate that they can still shut down rival attacks.
And there’s no denying that the Murphy-Bunting injury puts more strain on TB12’s shoulders.
Brady and the offense cannot afford to have any bad days if the defense takes even a little step back. After all, the Buccaneers needed a last-second field goal from Ryan Succop to avoid a home defeat to begin the season. The offense has to take better care of the ball (two interceptions and two lost fumbles aren’t going to win you a title), convert in the red zone, and get more out of the rushing game.
Brady is ultimately responsible for ensuring that Byron Leftwich’s unit runs at maximum efficiency. He must play efficient, error-free football, avoid dangerous choices, and, above all, remain out of harm’s path. TB12 must be at his best now more than ever for the Buccaneers, but he has plenty of experience carrying the burden.
Should supporters of the Tampa Bay Lightning be concerned about the team’s defense?
On offensively, Tampa Bay boasts a frightening starting lineup. Brady, Gronk, and AB are among a star-studded ensemble that should continue to do significant damage. And if the running game improves, more big-play chances may present themselves.
That doesn’t ensure the Buccaneers will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl again. The secondary, despite all of the quality on the defensive line and at linebacker, is a huge question mark.
In his first game back after suffering a horrific injury of his own, Prescott completed 42 of 58 throws for 403 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. All night, Lamb and Amari Cooper were open against a defensive backfield that didn’t have a single starter over the age of 24.
On most Sundays, Carlton Davis should be OK, but the rest of Tampa Bay’s cornerbacks are clearly a step below him. Don’t be shocked if the Buccaneers find themselves in more shootouts if the secondary doesn’t improve soon.
Only time will tell whether a 44-year-old Tom Brady can continue to defy Father Time and perform miracles with the game on the line over a 17-game season.
Pro Football Reference provided all statistics.
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