In what was a surprisingly competitive game, the Buccaneers were able to pull out an eight-point road win over the Washington Football Team. This game was defined by outstanding quarterback play from both Tom Brady (381 yards and 2 passing TDs) and Taylor Heinicke (306 yards, 1 passing TD, and 1 rushing TD). Tampa Bay was able to get out to a fast start, building a 9-0 lead by the end of the first quarter and extending that lead to 18-7 by halftime. The Football Team's offense while surprisingly productive early on struggled to finish off drives, one of which ended in a costly interception. The second half included plenty of points as well, as both offenses continued to rely on their strong air attacks. Unfortunately for Washington, they struggled to slow down the Tampa Bay offense enough in the fourth quarter after trimming the lead to 18-16. Brady was able to lead the Buccaneers to 13 fourth quarter points which were enough to hold off the Football Team.
For Washington, it was a different team than we saw in the regular season. The defense which had been ranked third in the entire NFL, led by their impressive defensive line, struggled to get pressure on Tom Brady. Rather than relying on their more base looks that had been successful throughout the year, Washington attempted to disguise coverages and pressures. However, none of this fooled Brady who seemed sharp most of the night. Washington also missed at least two key turnover opportunities by dropping potential interceptions in both halves. Washington's offense was extremely one-dimensional but productive. Taylor Heinicke played tremendously and engineered an effective air attack while being able to contribute with his legs as well, extending plays and avoiding pressure. Even after suffering a left shoulder injury, he was able to lead a touchdown drive to close bring the Football Team within 5 points in the fourth quarter. However, the lack of an effective ground game doomed the Football Team as they were unable to control the ball and keep it away from an effective Tampa Bay offense. With this loss, Washington is eliminated from the NFL playoffs and will pick 19th in the upcoming NFL draft.
Tampa Bay's defense while not great, was serviceable. They were unable to really slow down Heinicke through the air but it was not for a lack of trying. They were able to get serious pressure on Washington's quarterback, but Heinicke simply was able to work around it. Even without Devin While the Buccaneers' defense was able to hold Washington to under 100 yards on the ground, which helped keep themselves from getting stuck in long, clock-eating drives. The offense was able to score points but was not super sharp either. Drops plagued the Tampa Bay offense including three by Chris Godwin. Other times it seemed as if Brady and his receivers were not on the same page. The running backs, namely Leonard Fournette, played a key role in the passing game with 4 catches for 39 yards out the backfield, with some of those catches going for key first downs. The running game was also very effective with Fournette going for 93 yards on 19 carries with a rushing touchdown. Tampa Bay advances to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs and will face either the New Orleans Saints or the Los Angeles Rams.
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