It finally looked like the Buccaneers were going to have some life. Tom Brady found Mike Evans over the top for an incredible 51-yard gain early in the fourth quarter Thursday, placing the ball right between the star wideout’s hands.
Then the drive stalled. Brady couldn’t complete a pass from Baltimore’s 13-yard line, and wound up scrambling for one yard on 3rd down. Those three sad plays personify Tampa Bay’s failings this season.
The Ravens defeated the Buccaneers 27-22 on “Thursday Night Football,” and once again, Brady struggled. The greatest of all-time completed 26-of-44 passes for 325 yards and a touchdown, though the Buccaneers only found the end zone on their first and final drives of the game.
After the game, Brady was the last player to take off his pads, seated solemnly at his locker while his teammates changed.
Brady’s passing skills haven’t declined to the extent of other Hall of Fame quarterbacks who limped to the finish line, such as Ben Roethlisberger or Peyton Manning. Brady can still zip the ball into tight windows and make excellent throws.
But the whole package isn’t coming together. It appears that Brady still doesn’t trust his offensive line, and struggles to step up in the pocket while facing pressure. But most notably, he just doesn’t seem to be jibing with his pass-catchers, some of whom are well past their primes.
Look no further than Kyle Rudolph, the 12-year veteran who’s played sporadically this season. Despite his obvious limitations, the two-time Pro Bowler found himself in the lineup with the Bucs in the red zone, and Brady targeted him in the end zone on third down.
But the throw was out of Rudolph’s reach. As Al Michaels pointed out on the broadcast, he’s clearly lost a step — or two.
Brady went to Evans on the next play, but somehow, they weren’t on the same page. Evans never turned around, and the pass fell incomplete.
On third down, the pocket collapsed, and Brady lumbered forward for one yard.
Previously, it usually took just one play to get Brady going. But nothing can be counted on anymore.
He’s out of sync, along with the rest of his team. The Bucs are deserving of their 3-5 record.