NFL icon Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed overtime to defeat the Arizona Cardinals on Christmas Day and set up a ‘championship game’ in Week 17.
The Buccaneers laboured to a 19-16 win over the Cardinals in Arizona on Sunday, with kicker Ryan Succop making three field goals - including the winning kick. Meanwhile, Brady completed 32-of-48 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown to go with a pair of interceptions as he struggled once again.
Regardless, the Buccaneers moved to 7-8 on the season and remarkably still sit atop the NFC South. It means, if they win their next game, the Bucs will host a playoff game in the Wild Card round.
Brady is used to winning and reaching the playoffs easily, but the 2022 season has seen the seven-time Super Bowl champion struggle on a regular basis. After the game, he pointed to the work of running back Leonard Fournette as well as Succop.
The win in Arizona was certainly not pretty, but Brady attempted to put a positive spin on the context of where the Bucs are in the playoff picture. Ultimately, if they defeat the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, they secure the division title.
“Leonard played very hard, he was on a mission: to dodge tackles, play hard and win,” Brady said at the post-match press conference. “The whole team we fought hard.
“A 7-8 record is not what we wanted, but we have a chance next week to fight for the championship.”
Brady continued to look on the bright side and heralded the resilience of his Buccaneers in terms of winning close games. The 45-year-old added: “We keep it close in the fourth quarter, we know we’ve got a shot.”
The Bucs may have struggled throughout the season, but Brady still - somehow - has a shot of securing an eighth Super Bowl ring. If they defeat the 6-9 Panthers on New Year’s Day, the Bucs will secure the NFC South title and book their place in the playoffs.
