2022 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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The 2022 season was the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
' 47th in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) in Tampa, Florida, their first under first-year
head coach A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...
Todd Bowles Todd Robert Bowles (born November 18, 1963) is an American professional American football, football coach and former player who is the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the head coach ...
, and ninth under general manager
Jason Licht Jason Licht (; born February 13, 1971) is an American professional football executive who is the general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL), a position he has held since 2014. Before joining the Bucs in 201 ...
. Bowles was elevated from the defensive coordinator position, which he held from 2019 to 2021. Tampa Bay won the
NFC South The National Football Conference – Southern Division or NFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season when th ...
, the first time in franchise history the Buccaneers won division titles in consecutive seasons. On February 1, 2022, quarterback
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
announced his retirement from the league. Brady had one season remaining on his contract with the Buccaneers. However, on March 13, after only forty days, he reversed his decision, and announced he would return for the 2022 season. Brady's announcement triggered a flurry of
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
signings, re-signings, and restructuring, including
Chris Godwin Rod Christopher Godwin Jr. (born February 27, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany L ...
,
Leonard Fournette Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL dra ...
,
Shaq Mason Shaquille Olajuwon Mason (born August 28, 1993) is an American professional football offensive guard who most recently played for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). Mason played college football for the Georgia Tech Yello ...
,
Russell Gage Russell Gage Jr. (born January 22, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tigers, ...
,
Carlton Davis Carlton Davis III (born December 31, 1996) is an American professional football cornerback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buc ...
, Ryan Jensen,
Julio Jones Quintorris Lopez "Julio" Jones Jr. ( ; born February 8, 1989) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Atlanta Falcons. He played college foo ...
and others. Jensen, however, would be placed on IR due to a knee injury during
training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events ...
. On March 30, a couple weeks after Brady's announcement, head coach
Bruce Arians Bruce Charles Arians (born October 3, 1952) is an American football executive and former coach in the National Football League (NFL). Since 2022, he has been a senior football consultant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Arians was previously the h ...
announced his second retirement from coaching and shifted to Senior Football Consultant. Defensive coordinator and former Jets head coach
Todd Bowles Todd Robert Bowles (born November 18, 1963) is an American professional American football, football coach and former player who is the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the head coach ...
was immediately named the successor to Arians. After two seasons with the club,
Rob Gronkowski Robert James Gronkowski (born May 14, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Gronk", Gronkowski played nine seasons for the Ne ...
announced his second retirement on June 21. The Buccaneers entered the 2022 season as defending
NFC South The National Football Conference – Southern Division or NFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season when th ...
champions and attempted to win their division in consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history. They also looked to achieve a playoff berth for the third consecutive season. After starting the season 2–0, the Buccaneers lost five out of their next six games, failing to improve upon their franchise-best 13–4 record from the previous season after a Week 8 loss to the
Ravens Ravens may refer to: * Raven, a species of the genus ''Corvus'' of passerine birds Sports * Anderson Ravens, the intercollegiate athletic program of Anderson University in Indiana * Baltimore Ravens, a professional American football franchise * B ...
. After a Week 15 loss to
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
, quarterback
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
posted his first eight-loss season as a starter. However, the Buccaneers clinched the NFC South title for the second consecutive season and a playoff berth for the third consecutive season after a Week 17 win over Carolina. The second half of the season, in particular, was highlighted by dramatic last-second victories against the
Rams In engineering, reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS)Saints In Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Anglican, Oriental Orth ...
, an overtime victory at
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
on
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
, and an
NFL International Series The NFL International Series is a series of American football games during the National Football League (NFL) regular season that are played outside the United States. The series has several sub-series: the NFL London Games in the United Ki ...
victory against
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
. Tampa Bay entered the playoffs as the fourth seed in the NFC and hosted the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
, but lost 31−14. After a loss to the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
in Week 18, Tampa Bay became the fourth team in NFL history to make the playoffs with a losing record in a full season, following the 2010 Seahawks, the 2014 Panthers, and the
2020 Washington Football Team The 2020 season was the Washington Football Team's 89th in the National Football League (NFL) and their first under head coach Ron Rivera. The season also marked the first time since their inaugural season as the Braves in 1932 that the team ...
. This also marked the only losing season for Tom Brady in his career as a starter. The 2022 season was to be the 34th and final year for longtime Buccaneers Radio Network announcer Gene Deckerhoff, however he reversed his decision during the offseason. On February 1, 2023, one year exactly after his initial retirement, quarterback
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
announced that he will retire from the league, "for good". The Buccaneers attempted an NFL record 751 passes in 2022.


Draft

Draft trades


Staff


Final roster


Preseason

The Buccaneers' preseason opponents and schedule were announced on May 12, 2022.


Regular season


Schedule

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.


Game summaries


Week 1: at Dallas Cowboys

Tampa Bay visited
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
on '' Sunday Night Football'', the second year in a row that the Buccaneers faced the Cowboys in primetime in Week 1. Tampa Bay defeated Dallas 19–3, behind a dominating defensive performance. Quarterback
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
, coming off an eventful offseason which saw him retire, unretire, then take an 11-day leave of absence during
training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events ...
, started his third season under center for Tampa Bay. Brady threw for 212 yards and one touchdown, and became the oldest starting quarterback in NFL history.
Leonard Fournette Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL dra ...
, however, was the offensive star of the night. Fournette rushed for 127 yards and caught two passes for 10 yards. New head coach
Todd Bowles Todd Robert Bowles (born November 18, 1963) is an American professional American football, football coach and former player who is the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the head coach ...
won his debut with Tampa Bay. Dallas took the opening kickoff and drove 54 yards in 14 plays to the Tampa Bay 32. Brett Maher kicked a 51-yard field goal for an early 3–0 lead. It would be the only points of the night for Dallas. Tampa Bay answered with a 44-yard field goal by
Ryan Succop Ryan Barrow Succop ( ; born September 19, 1986) is an American former professional football placekicker. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant by virtue of being selected by the Kansas Cit ...
and a 3–3 tie. The drive was sparked by a 24-yard catch and run by
Chris Godwin Rod Christopher Godwin Jr. (born February 27, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany L ...
, his first game back after suffering an ACL injury in 2021. Dallas went three-and-out and punted on their second drive. Brady found
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
on a 19-yard gain, then two plays later Fournette blasted for 17 yards to the Dallas 25. The drive stalled, however, and Succop's second field goal gave Tampa Bay a 6–3 lead. Offensive futility plagued Dallas, as they went three-and-out again. Later,
Dak Prescott Rayne Dakota Prescott (; born July 29, 1993) is an American professional football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, twice earning first-team ...
was intercepted by
Antoine Winfield Jr. Antoine Duane Winfield Jr. (born August 16, 1998) is an American professional football safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, earning unanimous All- ...
deep in Cowboys territory. However, Tampa Bay struggled in the red zone, and once again had to settle for a field goal. Leading 9–6, the Buccaneers got the ball with 1:46 left in the second quarter. Brady's 48-yard bomb to
Julio Jones Quintorris Lopez "Julio" Jones Jr. ( ; born February 8, 1989) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Atlanta Falcons. He played college foo ...
set the Buccaneers up at the Dallas 29 yard line. Succop's fourth field goal with 19 seconds remaining gave Tampa Bay a 12–3 halftime lead. Brady's 5-yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans in the third quarter was the only touchdown of the night. Brady found Evans on the left side of the endzone. Evans, falling backwards, reached up and grabbed the ball with one hand, and pulled it into his chest for the score. Trailing 19–3, Dallas was unable to mount any sort of comeback. Quarterback
Dak Prescott Rayne Dakota Prescott (; born July 29, 1993) is an American professional football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, twice earning first-team ...
left the game in the fourth quarter with a fractured thumb, and was replaced by
Cooper Rush Cooper Robert Rush (born November 21, 1993) is an American professional football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Central Michigan Chippewas, and was signed by the D ...
. The 3 total points by Dallas was their worst opening day score since 1989. Tampa Bay started the season off 1–0, and Brady himself improved to 7–0 all-time against the Cowboys. This was also Tampa Bay's first win at
AT&T Stadium AT&T Stadium is a retractable roof stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States. It serves as the home of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL), and was completed on May 27, 2009. It is also the home of the Cotton Bowl Classic ...
, and only their second ever road win over the Cowboys, with their first coming in
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
.


Week 2: at New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay snapped a six-game regular season losing streak to division rival
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
. A chippy, defensive struggle through three quarters, the Buccaneers capitalized on five second half Saints turnovers to pull away for a 20–10 victory. Quarterback
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
had just an average performance, throwing for only 190 yards and one touchdown pass.
Leonard Fournette Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL dra ...
was held to only 65 yards rushing on 24 carries. But the Buccaneers won the turnover battle, and two clutch field goals and a " pick-6" put the game out of reach. The Buccaneers offense was missing
Julio Jones Quintorris Lopez "Julio" Jones Jr. ( ; born February 8, 1989) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Atlanta Falcons. He played college foo ...
(knee),
Chris Godwin Rod Christopher Godwin Jr. (born February 27, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany L ...
(hamstring), and Donovan Smith (elbow), all out with injuries. The Saints took the opening kickoff, and drove 63 yards in 11 plays. The Tampa Bay defense stiffened in the red zone, and New Orleans settled for a Wil Lutz field goal and a 3–0 lead. Tampa Bay's first drive looked promising, as they drove to the Saints 26 yard line. Facing 3rd-and-1, Brady fumbled a bad snap, and the Saints recovered. The Saints managed one first down, but a
Taysom Hill Taysom Shawn Hill (born August 23, 1990) is an American professional football utility player for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). Hill is officially designated as a tight end, but was previously officially listed as a ...
run on third down was tackled a for a loss and the Saints were forced to punt. On the first play of the second quarter,
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
broke free on a busted coverage, and was wide open for a 41-yard gain down to the Saints 31. Facing a 4th & inches at the 8 yard line,
Leonard Fournette Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL dra ...
was stuffed for no gain. Tampa Bay's second drive came up empty, as they turned the ball over on downs. Neither team was able to get much going on offense in the second quarter. New Orleans led 3–0 at halftime. Tampa Bay finally got on the board in the second half.
Ryan Succop Ryan Barrow Succop ( ; born September 19, 1986) is an American former professional football placekicker. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant by virtue of being selected by the Kansas Cit ...
kicked a 47-yard field goal to tie the game at 3–3 with 6:49 left in the third quarter. On the ensuing drive, New Orleans drove to the Tampa Bay 20.
Mark Ingram II Mark Valentino Ingram II (born December 21, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football running back and current on-air personality for Fox Sports. He played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played ...
took a handoff for 9 yards to the 11 yard line, but the ball came loose and was recovered by Tampa Bay. The score remained 3–3. The fourth quarter began with Tampa Bay driving. The Saints forced a three-and-out, but were flagged for ''Too Many Men on the Field'' during the punt, and Tampa Bay got a free first down. Facing 3rd-and-5 at their own 29, Brady's pass attempt to
Scotty Miller Scott Thomas Miller (born July 31, 1997) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Bowling Green Falcons and was selected by the Tampa ...
fell incomplete. After the play, an argument broke out on the field, which escalated into a melee.
Marshon Lattimore Marshon Demond Lattimore (born May 20, 1996) is an American professional American football, football cornerback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes football, ...
exchanged heated words with
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
, then traded shoves with
Leonard Fournette Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL dra ...
.
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
tackled Lattimore to the turf and a fight between the two teams ensued. It was the second such altercation between Evans and Lattimore, after a previous one in 2017. Both Evans and Lattimore were ejected, the penalties offset. Jake Camarda's punt went off the side of his foot and netted only 26 yards.
Jameis Winston Jameis Lanaed Winston ( ; born January6, 1994) is an American professional football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles, becoming the youngest pl ...
threw deep to Chris Olave, but was picked off by
Jamel Dean Jamel Dean (born October 15, 1996) is an American professional football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers. College career After spending a semester at ...
in the endzone. The turnover appeared to spark the Buccaneers, as they drove 80 yards in 9 plays for the game's first touchdown. Brady found
Breshad Perriman Breshad Raynard Perriman (born September 10, 1993) is an American professional football wide receiver. He played college football for the UCF Knights and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. He has also ...
in the right corner of the endzone for a 28-yard touchdown pass and a 10–3 lead. Two plays later, Winston threw another interception, again picked off by
Jamel Dean Jamel Dean (born October 15, 1996) is an American professional football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers. College career After spending a semester at ...
. The turnover led to a Succop field goal, and a 13–3 lead with 5:55 left in regulation. Mike Edwards picked off Jameis Winston, his third straight interception thrown, and ran it back 68 yards for a touchdown to take control of the game with 4:23 to go. The Buccaneers held on for a 20–10 victory, started 2–0 for the second season in a row, and scored their first win over the Saints since week 1 of the 2018 season. One day after the game,
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
was suspended by the league for one game for his role in the altercation with
Marshon Lattimore Marshon Demond Lattimore (born May 20, 1996) is an American professional American football, football cornerback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes football, ...
.


Week 3: vs. Green Bay Packers

Tampa Bay hosted Green Bay in their home opener. The Tampa Bay offense was without wide receivers
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
(suspension),
Chris Godwin Rod Christopher Godwin Jr. (born February 27, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany L ...
(hamstring), and
Julio Jones Quintorris Lopez "Julio" Jones Jr. ( ; born February 8, 1989) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Atlanta Falcons. He played college foo ...
(knee). Quarterback
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to
Russell Gage Russell Gage Jr. (born January 22, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tigers, ...
with 14 seconds left in regulation. However, the ensuing two-point conversion attempt failed, and the Packers held on for a 14–12 win. Tampa Bay received the opening kickoff, and drove 48 yards in ten plays.
Ryan Succop Ryan Barrow Succop ( ; born September 19, 1986) is an American former professional football placekicker. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant by virtue of being selected by the Kansas Cit ...
kicked a 45-yard field goal, giving the Buccaneers a 3–0 lead. Green Bay controlled the rest of the first half offensively.
Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears foo ...
threw touchdown passes on Green Bay's next two drives, putting the Packers ahead 14–3. Late in the second quarter, Rodgers connected with Randall Cobb for 40 yards down to the Tampa Bay 22. Facing 3rd-and-goal at the 5 yard line, Rodgers completed a pass to Aaron Jones to the 2, but the ball was knocked away for a fumble.
Vita Vea Tevita Tuliakiono Tuipulotu Mosese Vahae Fehoko Faletau "Vita" Vea (born February 5, 1995) is an American professional football nose tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wa ...
recovered the loose ball in the endzone for a touchback, and the Tampa Bay defense snuffed out Green Bay's drive. The Buccaneers squandered a scoring opportunity in the final minute of the first half. Brady's pass to
Breshad Perriman Breshad Raynard Perriman (born September 10, 1993) is an American professional football wide receiver. He played college football for the UCF Knights and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. He has also ...
at the Green Bay 26 was subsequently fumbled and recovered by Green Bay. The Packers led 14–3 at halftime. Momentum shifted towards Tampa Bay, particularly the defense, in the second half. The Packers punted on six of their next seven drives, and were shutout in the second half. Midway through the third quarter, Rodgers was picked off by
Logan Ryan Logan Daniel Ryan (born February 9, 1991) is an American former professional football defensive back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons. He played college football for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights as a cornerback ...
near midfield. The turnover lead to a Buccaneers field goal, and the deficit was trimmed to 14–6. Tampa Bay got the ball with 3:04 left in the fourth quarter. Brady led the Buccaneers on decisive 13-play, 89-yard drive. Facing 3rd-and-goal at the Green Bay 1, Brady found
Russell Gage Russell Gage Jr. (born January 22, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tigers, ...
for a 1-yard touchdown pass with 14 seconds left. Tampa Bay lined up for a potential game-tying two-conversion attempt, but allowed the
play clock A play clock, also called a delay-of-game timer, is a countdown clock intended to speed up the pace of the game in gridiron football. The offensive team must put the ball in play by either snapping the ball during a scrimmage down or kicking ...
to run out, and were flagged for
Delay of game Delay of game is an action in a sports game in which a player or team deliberately stalls the game, usually with the intention of using the delay to its advantage. In some sports, the delay of game is considered an infraction if it is longer than ...
. After a five-yard penalty, the second two-point conversion attempt failed. Brady's pass intended for Gage was tipped and fell incomplete.


Week 4: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Tampa Bay hosted
Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...
on Sunday Night Football. The game was a rematch of
Super Bowl LV Super Bowl LV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2020 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the American Football Conferen ...
. In the week leading up to the game,
Hurricane Ian Hurricane Ian was a devastating tropical cyclone which was the third costliest natural disaster, weather disaster on record worldwide. It was also the deadliest hurricane to strike the state of Florida since the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, and ...
was predicted to impact the
Tampa Bay area The Tampa Bay area is a major metropolitan area surrounding Tampa Bay on the Gulf Coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, Florida, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater, Florida, Clea ...
. The Buccaneers staff, coaches, and players evacuated to Miami on Tuesday, and conducted practice at the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
facility. The storm put the status of the game in doubt. Tentative plans were made to relocate the game to
U.S. Bank Stadium U.S. Bank Stadium is an enclosed stadium located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. Built on the former site of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, the indoor stadium opened in 2016 and is the home of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Footbal ...
in
Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
. However, the storm made landfall further to the south, and the game was played at
Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Tampa, Florida, United States. It opened in 1998 and is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL) and the University of South Florida (USF) Bulls college football ...
as scheduled. Club management released a statement after the storm, "We are also very thankful that the Tampa Bay area was spared the most damaging consequences of this powerful storm (of Hurricane Ian)." They also thanked law enforcement officials and emergency personnel for monitoring and enhancing safety of residents around Tampa. During pregame ceremonies, first responders were honored for their service during the storm.
Rachaad White Rachaad White (born January 12, 1999) is an American professional football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska–Kearney Lopers before transferring to Mt. ...
fumbled away the opening kickoff, and Kansas City recovered. On the second play from scrimmage,
Patrick Mahomes Patrick Lavon Mahomes II ( ; born September 17, 1995) is an American professional football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Mahomes has led the Chiefs to seven consecutive AFC Championship Game app ...
found
Travis Kelce Travis Michael Kelce ( ; born October 5, 1989) is an American professional American football, football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NF ...
for a 16-yard touchdown pass, and built an early lead the Chiefs would never surrender. Mahomes threw for 249 yards and 3 touchdown passes as Kansas City overpowered Tampa Bay by a score of 41–31. With wide receivers
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
,
Chris Godwin Rod Christopher Godwin Jr. (born February 27, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany L ...
, and
Julio Jones Quintorris Lopez "Julio" Jones Jr. ( ; born February 8, 1989) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Atlanta Falcons. He played college foo ...
back in the lineup, the Tampa Bay passing offense improved over the previous week. Quarterback
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
threw for 385 yards and three touchdown passes. The Tampa Bay rushing attack, however, was futile. The Buccaneers rushed for only 3 yards on 6 attempts. Trailing 41–24 with 4:58 left in the fourth quarter,
Sean Murphy-Bunting Sean Murphy-Bunting (formerly Bunting, born June 19, 1997) is an American professional football cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Central Michigan Chippewas. Early li ...
intercepted
Patrick Mahomes Patrick Lavon Mahomes II ( ; born September 17, 1995) is an American professional football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Mahomes has led the Chiefs to seven consecutive AFC Championship Game app ...
, and returned the ball 33 yards to the Kansas City 34 yard line. Brady's 5-yard touchdown pass to
Leonard Fournette Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL dra ...
narrowed the deficit to 41–31 with 3:30 left. The Buccaneers got the ball back with 45 seconds left, but time ran out to mount any sort of comeback.


Week 5: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Tampa Bay hosted division rival Atlanta. The Buccaneers built a 21–0 lead through three quarters, and held on for a 21–15 victory.
Leonard Fournette Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL dra ...
was the offensive standout for the day. He rushed for 56 yards and one rushing touchdown, and caught 10 passes for 83 yards and one receiving touchdown. Both teams punted on their first possessions. On their second possession, Tampa Bay drove to the Atlanta 15 yard line.
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
's pass to
Cade Otton Cade Otton (born April 15, 1999) is an American professional American football, football tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played college football for the Washington Huskies football, Was ...
appeared to give the Buccaneers a first down, but the ball was spotted short of the line to gain. One the next play, facing 4th-and-inches,
Leonard Fournette Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL dra ...
was tackled for no gain, and Tampa Bay turned the ball over on downs. Tampa Bay got the ball back to start the second quarter. Facing a 3rd-and-3 at the Atlanta 37, Brady kept the drive alive with a 25-yard pass to
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
. Three plays later, Fournette was in the endzone with a 1-yard run. Tampa Bay took a 7–0 lead. On their next drive, Tampa Bay drove 84 yards in 13 plays.
Ryan Succop Ryan Barrow Succop ( ; born September 19, 1986) is an American former professional football placekicker. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant by virtue of being selected by the Kansas Cit ...
's 21-yard chip-shot field goal made the score 10–0. Inside the two-minute warning, the Falcons got to the Tampa Bay 25-yard line.
Antoine Winfield Jr. Antoine Duane Winfield Jr. (born August 16, 1998) is an American professional football safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, earning unanimous All- ...
sacked
Marcus Mariota Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota (born October 30, 1993) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks footb ...
for a loss of 9, pushing them back to the 34. With 24 seconds left in the half,
Younghoe Koo Younghoe Koo (; pronounced ; ; born August 3, 1994) is a South Korean-American professional American football, football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2020 after lead ...
's 52-yard field goal attempt into the wind sailed wide right. With 9 seconds left, Brady found Fournette for a quick completion to the 26, and he ran out of bounds with 3 seconds on the clock.
Ryan Succop Ryan Barrow Succop ( ; born September 19, 1986) is an American former professional football placekicker. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant by virtue of being selected by the Kansas Cit ...
kicked a wobbly 44-yard field goal as time expired in the half, and Tampa Bay led 13–0. In the third quarter,
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
threw deep to
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
, who broke free for a 40-yard gain all the way to the Atlanta 1-yard line. On the next play, Brady threw to Fournette for the touchdown, and followed it up with a two-point conversion pass to
Russell Gage Russell Gage Jr. (born January 22, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tigers, ...
. Tampa Bay led 21–0 at the end of the third quarter. Atlanta tried to rally in the fourth quarter, as Tampa Bay's offense went cold. The Buccaneers went three-and-out on three straight drives, while the Falcons put up two touchdowns to trim the deficit to 21–15. With 3:18 left in regulation, Tampa Bay faced a 3rd-and-3 at their own 43. Brady's pass was incomplete, but a defensive holding penalty on Atlanta gave the Buccaneers a first down. Three plays later, Tampa Bay faced another 3rd down. Tom Brady was sacked for a loss of 10, but
Grady Jarrett Grady Jarrett (born April 28, 1993) is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Clemson Tigers and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in th ...
was called for
roughing the passer In gridiron football, roughing the passer is a foul in which a defensive player makes illegal contact with the quarterback after the latter has thrown a forward pass. The penalty is 10 or 15 yards (for the NFL it is 15 yards), depending on the l ...
. Brady then made a crucial 9-yard completion to
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
for a first down just before the two-minute warning. Brady was then able to take a knee to seal the victory. The Tampa Bay defense held Atlanta scoreless through three quarters, sacked
Marcus Mariota Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota (born October 30, 1993) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks footb ...
five times, and held the Falcons to only 89 yards in the first half. The Buccaneers won their fifth straight against the Falcons, and Tom Brady remained undefeated individually against Atlanta. Tampa Bay improved to 3–2 on the season, taking the lead in the NFC South.


Week 6: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
's two-point conversion pass to
Chris Godwin Rod Christopher Godwin Jr. (born February 27, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany L ...
was knocked down at the goal line, and Tampa Bay fell 20–18 at Pittsburgh. The Buccaneers offense struggled, reaching the endzone only once, and going only 4-for-14 on third down conversions. The Buccaneers fell to 3–3 and into a tie for first place in the NFC South division. The Steelers took a 7–0 lead in the first quarter with
Kenny Pickett Kenneth Shane Pickett (born June 6, 1998) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers football, Pittsbu ...
's 6-yard touchdown pass to
Najee Harris Najee Mzee Harris ( ; born March 9, 1998) is an American professional American football, football running back for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide football ...
.
Ryan Succop Ryan Barrow Succop ( ; born September 19, 1986) is an American former professional football placekicker. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant by virtue of being selected by the Kansas Cit ...
kicked three first-half field goals, and the Buccaneers trailed 10–9 at halftime. Steven Sims ran the second half kickoff back 89 yards to the Tampa Bay 12 yard line. Pittsburgh added a field goal and stretched their lead to 13–9. Tampa Bay drove 69 yards in 14 plays. Despite a 1st-and-goal at the Pittsburgh 4 yard line, the Buccaneers had to settle for field goal. The Steelers led 13–12 at the end of the third quarter. With
Kenny Pickett Kenneth Shane Pickett (born June 6, 1998) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers football, Pittsbu ...
out of the game due to concussion protocol,
Mitchell Trubisky Mitchell David Trubisky ( ; born August 20, 1994) is an American professional football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels and was selected second ...
took over at quarterback for the Steelers. After a Tampa Bay three-and-out, Trubisky threw a 6-yard touchdown to
Chase Claypool Chase Claypool (born July 7, 1998) is a Canadian professional football wide receiver. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. He has also ...
. Trailing 20–12,
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
drove the Buccaneers 73 yard in 14 plays, including two fourth down conversions. On 1st-and-10 at the Pittsburgh 11, Brady completed to
Leonard Fournette Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL dra ...
for an 11-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion failed, and the score was 20–18 with 4:45 to go. Tampa Bay was unable to get the ball back, and the Steelers ran out the clock for the victory.


Week 7: at Carolina Panthers

Tampa Bay lost their fourth game in five weeks, and dropped to 3–4 on the season. Quarterback
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
fell to the Panthers for the first time since Week 4 of 2017, and fell to 3–4 in a season for only the second time in his career. The Buccaneers converted only two of twelve third down attempts and were stopped twice in three fourth down attempts. The Panthers win came days after trading
Christian McCaffrey Christian Jackson McCaffrey (born June 7, 1996) is an American professional American football, football running back for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal footbal ...
to the 49ers. The tone for the day was set early. On the third play of the game, Brady threw deep downfield to a wide open
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
. Evans was ten yards clear from any defender, but the ball was juggled off of his fingertips, and dropped incomplete at the 25 yard line. It would have been an effortless, walk-in touchdown, but the drive came up empty, and seemingly the Buccaneers never recovered. The first quarter ended scoreless. Carolina led 7–0 at halftime after a 20-yard
P. J. Walker Phillip "P. J." Walker Jr. (born February 26, 1995) is an American professional football quarterback for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Temple, and was signed as an undrafted free ag ...
touchdown pass to D. J. Moore near the back of the endzone. Late in the third quarter,
D'Onta Foreman D'Onta Foreman ( ; born April 24, 1996) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns, and was selected by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. He has also played ...
gassed the Buccaneers defense with a 60-yard rush down to the Tampa Bay 17. One play later, Chuba Hubbard was in the endzone with a 17-yard scoring run, and Carolina led 14–0. At the start of the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers finally reached the red zone. With a 1st-and-goal at the Carolina 8, Brady threw three incompletions, and they settled for a
Ryan Succop Ryan Barrow Succop ( ; born September 19, 1986) is an American former professional football placekicker. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant by virtue of being selected by the Kansas Cit ...
field goal. It would be their only points of the game.


Week 8: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Tampa Bay lost their third straight game, falling to
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
on ''
Thursday Night Football ''Thursday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''TNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that broadcast primarily on Thursday nights. Most of the games kick off at 8:15 Eastern Time (8:20 prior to ...
'' to drop to 3–5 on the season, their worst start since
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
. Quarterback
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
threw for 325 yards and one touchdown pass. Brady set the record for most career sacks (556), and lost a third straight start for the first time since
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
. The Ravens received the opening kickoff, but managed only one first down on the drive.
Justin Tucker Justin Paul Tucker (born November 21, 1989) is an American professional football kicker. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2012, spending 13 seasons with the ...
punted, and the ball was fielded at the 11 yard line.
Dee Delaney Dee Delaney (born February 20, 1995) is an American professional football safety for the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football for The Citadel Bulldogs and the Miami Hurricanes. Early life A native ...
, however, was blocked and ran into his own teammate causing return man
Jaelon Darden Jaelon Darden (born January 14, 1999) is an American professional football wide receiver and return specialist. He played college football at North Texas. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft. Ear ...
to muff the punt. The Ravens recovered the ball at the Tampa Bay 6 yard line, and the turnover led to field goal. On the next possession, Tampa Bay drove 75 yards in 8 plays, scoring their first opening drive touchdown all season.
Chris Godwin Rod Christopher Godwin Jr. (born February 27, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany L ...
's 44-yard catch and run set up
Leonard Fournette Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL dra ...
's 1-yard touchdown run. The Buccaneers added a field goal late in the first quarter, and led 10–3. In the second quarter, the Ravens failed on a 4th & 2 at the Tampa Bay 9 yard line, then had field goal attempt blocked as time expired. The Buccaneers held the 10–3 lead into halftime. The Ravens rushing attack wore out a tired Buccaneers defense in the second half. Trailing 27–16 with 2:16 left in regulation, Brady drove the Buccaneers 75 yards in 11 plays.
Julio Jones Quintorris Lopez "Julio" Jones Jr. ( ; born February 8, 1989) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Atlanta Falcons. He played college foo ...
caught an 8-yard touchdown pass with 49 seconds left, but the ensuing two-point conversion try failed. With the score 27–22, an onside kick attempt failed, and Baltimore held on for the victory.


Week 9: vs. Los Angeles Rams

Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to
Cade Otton Cade Otton (born April 15, 1999) is an American professional American football, football tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played college football for the Washington Huskies football, Was ...
with 9 seconds left in regulation to lift the Buccaneers over the visiting
Rams In engineering, reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS)NFC South The National Football Conference – Southern Division or NFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season when th ...
. During the game, Brady became the first player in NFL history to eclipse 100,000 passing yards (combined regular season & postseason), and he also achieved his 43rd career fourth quarter comeback, tying the mark set by
Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
. Tampa Bay defeated the defending
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
champion Rams, snapped a three-game losing streak to Los Angeles, and also avenged a divisional round playoff loss from the previous January. In a mostly defensive battle, the Tampa Bay defense held
Matthew Stafford John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs football, Georg ...
to only 165 yards passing, and held the Rams to 4-for-15 on third down conversions. Los Angeles received the opening kickoff, but went three-and-out and punted. On Tampa Bay's first drive, they drove 54 yards in 12 plays, reaching the Los Angeles 2 yard line.
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
was injured converting a crucial third down, but would return to the game after brief consolation with the trainers.
Ryan Succop Ryan Barrow Succop ( ; born September 19, 1986) is an American former professional football placekicker. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant by virtue of being selected by the Kansas Cit ...
kicked a chip-shot field goal, and Tampa Bay led 3–0. Early in the second quarter, the Rams were driving at their own 31 yard line. Stafford found
Cooper Kupp Cooper Douglas Kupp (born June 15, 1993) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Eastern Washington Eagles, winning the Walter Payton ...
in stride, who exploited a busted coverage. Kupp ran free for a 69-yard touchdown, and a 7–3 Rams lead. After the explosive score, neither team was able to get much going on offense. The Rams went three-and-out three times. Tampa Bay went three-and-out twice, then had a field goal attempt blocked. With 28 seconds left in the half, Succop's 38-yard field goal (his second of the game) made the score 7–6 at halftime. The second half started with a three-and-out by the Buccaneers, followed by a field goal for the Rams. Tampa Bay's lone highlight of the quarter was Jake Camarda's 74-yard punt, which helped flip the field position. Facing a 4th & 2 at the LA 45, Brady was sacked and turned the ball over on downs. The turnover led to a 34-yard Cooper Kupp reception (down to the 10 yard line), followed by a
Matt Gay Matt Gay (born March 15, 1994) is an American professional American football, football placekicker for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Utah Utes football, Utah Utes and was sel ...
field goal. Los Angeles led 13–6 at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Tampa Bay put together a 9-play, 30-yard drive. But a Holding penalty helped stall the drive, and they had to settle for a field goal attempt. Brady's 15-yard pass to
Leonard Fournette Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL dra ...
at the 9:05 mark pushed him beyond 100,000 career passing yards. On the next play, Succop kicked a 52-yard field goal, and trimmed the deficit to 13–9. The Tampa Bay defense forced a three-and-out, and the Buccaneers got the ball back at their own 41 with 5:43 to go. Brady swiftly moved the Buccaneers down field, including four quick passes to
Scotty Miller Scott Thomas Miller (born July 31, 1997) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Bowling Green Falcons and was selected by the Tampa ...
, and had a 1st & Goal at the Los Angeles 7. On 2nd & Goal, Brady threw a strike to an open Miller in the back of the endzone. Miller jumped high to make the catch, but the ball hit his facemask and was dropped incomplete. Brady's pass attempt on 3rd & Goal intended for
Cade Otton Cade Otton (born April 15, 1999) is an American professional American football, football tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played college football for the Washington Huskies football, Was ...
was swatted down at the goal line. That set up 4th & Goal at the 6. Brady was looking for
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
in the endzone, but he was double covered and the pass fell incomplete, nearly intercepted by
Jalen Ramsey Jalen Ramsey ( ; born October 24, 1994) is an American professional football cornerback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles and was selected by the Jacksonvill ...
. With two timeouts left, the Buccaneers turned the ball over on downs at the LA 6 yard line with 1:52 remaining. The Tampa Bay defense needed a stop in order to get the ball back.
Darrell Henderson Darrell Henderson Jr. (born August 19, 1997) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the Memphis Tigers, and was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft. Early life Hen ...
was tackled for no gain on first down, and Tampa Bay used their second timeout. On 2nd & 10, Cooper Kupp took a handoff wide to the right side, and after a gain of only 5 yards, gave himself up by sliding to the grass. He managed to stay in bounds - forcing Tampa Bay to call their final timeout - but was spotted well short of the line to gain. On 3rd & 5, Henderson took a handoff up the middle, but was tackled after only a minimal gain. The Rams punted with 54 seconds left on the clock, and
Jaelon Darden Jaelon Darden (born January 14, 1999) is an American professional football wide receiver and return specialist. He played college football at North Texas. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft. Ear ...
fielded the ball at the Tampa Bay 40. Tom Brady found
Cade Otton Cade Otton (born April 15, 1999) is an American professional American football, football tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played college football for the Washington Huskies football, Was ...
for a 28-yard gain on 1st down. Brady spiked the ball at the LA 32, then completed three quick sideline passes to advance the Buccaneers down to the 7 yard line. With 16 seconds left, Brady's pass to
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
in the endzone was incomplete, but
Derion Kendrick Derion Rayshawn Kendrick (born August 24, 2000) is an American professional football cornerback, currently playing in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams. He played college football for the Clemson Tigers and Georgia Bull ...
hooked his waist and drew a
pass interference In American and Canadian football, pass interference (PI) is a foul that occurs when a player interferes with an eligible receiver's ability to make a fair attempt to catch a forward pass. Pass interference may include tripping, pushing, pulli ...
penalty. On 1st & Goal at the LA 1, Brady took a shotgun snap into a play-action, took two steps to his right, then threw to tight end
Cade Otton Cade Otton (born April 15, 1999) is an American professional American football, football tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played college football for the Washington Huskies football, Was ...
on the right side. Otton jogged in nearly untouched for the game-winning touchdown with 9 seconds left.


Week 10: vs. Seattle Seahawks

NFL Germany games Running back
Rachaad White Rachaad White (born January 12, 1999) is an American professional football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska–Kearney Lopers before transferring to Mt. ...
rushed for 105 yards and
Leonard Fournette Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL dra ...
put up 57 yards and one touchdown on the ground as Tampa Bay defeated
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
21–16 at the inaugural Munich Game. It was Tampa Bay's first win in four appearances in the
NFL International Series The NFL International Series is a series of American football games during the National Football League (NFL) regular season that are played outside the United States. The series has several sub-series: the NFL London Games in the United Ki ...
, and the Buccaneers moved back into sole possession of first place in the
NFC South The National Football Conference – Southern Division or NFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season when th ...
. Linebacker
Devin White Devin Marcel White (born February 17, 1998) is an American professional football linebacker for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Tampa Bay Bucca ...
led the defense, recording eight combined tackles, two sacks, a tackle for loss, three quarterback hits and a forced fumble, just days after the death of his father. Seattle won the coin toss and elected to defer. Both teams went scoreless on their first two possessions. Tampa Bay had a three-and-out, and a missed field goal. Seattle punted both times, and the first quarter was scoreless. Tampa Bay was driving into Seahawks territory to start the second quarter. On 3rd & 10 at the Seattle 31, quarterback
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
found
Julio Jones Quintorris Lopez "Julio" Jones Jr. ( ; born February 8, 1989) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Atlanta Falcons. He played college foo ...
wide open on a
crossing route A route is a pattern or path that a receiver in gridiron football runs to get open for a forward pass. Routes are usually run by wide receivers, running backs and tight ends, but other positions can act as a receiver given the play. One popular ...
. Jones turned up field and was met at the goal line, but absorbed the hit and managed to skirt inside the pylon for a 31-yard touchdown pass. Tampa Bay took a 7–0 lead. After another Seattle three-and-out, the Buccaneers got the ball back with 12:05 left in the half. Brady drove the Buccaneers 86 yards in 13 plays, notching six first downs. Brady connected to
Chris Godwin Rod Christopher Godwin Jr. (born February 27, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany L ...
for a 19-yard gain, then found a wide open
Scotty Miller Scott Thomas Miller (born July 31, 1997) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Bowling Green Falcons and was selected by the Tampa ...
at the Seattle 5 yard line. Miller jumped high to make the catch, fell to the ground, bobbled the ball initially, then re-secured it for the reception. Two plays later,
Leonard Fournette Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL dra ...
was in the endzone with a 1-yard touchdown run. Tampa Bay took a 14–0 lead into halftime. The Seahawks got on the board in the third quarter, driving 38 yards in 8 plays. Jason Myers's 55-yard field goal made the score 14–3. On their next drive, Tampa Bay drove to the Seattle 22, highlighted by a one-handed catch by
Chris Godwin Rod Christopher Godwin Jr. (born February 27, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany L ...
. On 1st & 10 at the Seahawks 22, the Buccaneers turned the ball over on a busted
trick play A trick play, also known as a gadget play, gimmick play or trickeration, is a play in gridiron football that uses deception and unorthodox tactics to fool the opposing team. A trick play is often risky, offering the potential for a large gain or a ...
.
Leonard Fournette Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL dra ...
lined up in the
shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, peppergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which discharges numerous small ...
, took a couple steps to his right, then lofted a pass to
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
, who had lined up as a wide receiver to the left. Brady slipped on the slick turf and fell down on the play, and the ball was intercepted by Tariq Woolen.
Geno Smith Eugene Cyril "Geno" Smith III (born October 10, 1990) is an American professional football quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers, leading them ...
subsequently drove the Seahawks down to the Tampa Bay 9 yard line. Facing 2nd & Goal at the 9, Smith came under pressure and was sacked by
Devin White Devin Marcel White (born February 17, 1998) is an American professional football linebacker for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Tampa Bay Bucca ...
. The ball came loose and was recovered by Anthony Nelson to snuff out the drive. Tampa Bay continued to hold the lead at 14–3.
Rachaad White Rachaad White (born January 12, 1999) is an American professional football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska–Kearney Lopers before transferring to Mt. ...
broke free for a 29-yard blast, stiff-arming and shoving down defender
Quandre Diggs Quandre Diggs (born January 22, 1993) is an American professional football safety. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns, and was selected by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft. He played his first two years ...
, moving Tampa Bay to the Seattle 43 yard line to start the fourth quarter. Brady's 4-yard touchdown pass to
Chris Godwin Rod Christopher Godwin Jr. (born February 27, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany L ...
stretched the lead to 21–3 with 10:48 to go.
Smith Smith may refer to: People and fictional characters * Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals * Smith (given name) * Smith (surname), a family name originating in England ** List of people ...
threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, narrowing the deficit to 21–16 with 3:58 left. Trailing by 5 points and with all three timeouts left, Seattle elected to kick off to Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers chewed up the clock, achieving three first downs on the drive, and did not let Seattle get the ball back. Coming out of the two-minute warning, with the crowd singing "
Take Me Home, Country Roads "Take Me Home, Country Roads", also known simply as "Country Roads", is a song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver. It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number two on ''Billboard''s U ...
",
Rachaad White Rachaad White (born January 12, 1999) is an American professional football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska–Kearney Lopers before transferring to Mt. ...
iced the game with a decisive 18-yard run. Brady took a knee to run out the clock, and Tampa Bay won 21–16.


Week 12: at Cleveland Browns

Tampa Bay fell at Cleveland in overtime by the score of 23–17. Quarterback
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
threw for 246 yards and two touchdown passes, but the Buccaneers were held scoreless in the fourth quarter, and could not score on two overtime drives. Tampa Bay fell to 5–6, but still maintained their lead in the
NFC South The National Football Conference – Southern Division or NFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season when th ...
. Both teams scored touchdowns on their opening drives. Brady's 10-yard touchdown pass to
Chris Godwin Rod Christopher Godwin Jr. (born February 27, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany L ...
made the score 7–7 with 5:11 left in the first quarter. Cleveland added a field goal, then with 39 seconds left in the half,
Ryan Succop Ryan Barrow Succop ( ; born September 19, 1986) is an American former professional football placekicker. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant by virtue of being selected by the Kansas Cit ...
's 42-yard field goal tied the score 10–10 at halftime. In the third quarter, Tampa Bay drove 80 yards in 7 plays. A 28-yard reception by
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
, followed by a 14-yard catch by
Chris Godwin Rod Christopher Godwin Jr. (born February 27, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany L ...
set up a 5-yard touchdown pass to Ko Kieft. Tampa Bay took a 17–10 lead midway through the third quarter. The Tampa Bay defense forced Cleveland into three punts and a turnover on downs over their next four drives. Clinging to a 17–10 lead with 2:20 left in regulation, Tampa Bay punted from deep inside their own territory.
Jacoby Brissett Jacoby JaJuan Brissett (born December 11, 1992) is an American professional football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). Following a stint with the Florida Gators, he played college football for the NC Sta ...
found David Njoku at the back of the endzone with 32 seconds left for a touchdown. Njoku's one-handed catch tied the score at 17–17. Tampa Bay had one last possession, but poor clock management prevented them from getting into field goal range. Brady found
Julio Jones Quintorris Lopez "Julio" Jones Jr. ( ; born February 8, 1989) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Atlanta Falcons. He played college foo ...
for a 26-yard gain down to the Cleveland 48, but since head coach
Todd Bowles Todd Robert Bowles (born November 18, 1963) is an American professional American football, football coach and former player who is the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the head coach ...
had chosen not to call a timeout prior to the play, they were left with only 8 seconds on the clock. The game went to overtime tied 17–17. Tampa Bay won the coin toss and received. They crossed midfield, but the drive stalled due to a penalty, and they were forced to punt. After trading punts, Cleveland had the ball with 2:45 left in the overtime period. Brissett connected to
Amari Cooper Amari Cooper (born June 17, 1994) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide football, Alabama Crimson Tide, winning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top rec ...
, who broke free for a 46-yard gain to the Tampa Bay 3. Two plays later,
Nick Chubb Nicholas Jamaal Chubb (born December 27, 1995) is an American professional football running back for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected by the Cleveland ...
punched the ball in for the game-winning touchdown for Cleveland.


Week 13: vs. New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay trailed 16–3 with just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter, then scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes to win 17–16. Quarterback
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
found rookie running back
Rachaad White Rachaad White (born January 12, 1999) is an American professional football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska–Kearney Lopers before transferring to Mt. ...
for a 6-yard touchdown pass with 3 seconds left to lift the Buccaneers over the visiting
Saints In Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Anglican, Oriental Orth ...
. Brady surpassed
Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
with his 44th career fourth-quarter comeback, and extended his own record with his 56th game-winning drive (4th quarter or overtime). Brady also achieved his second career win after trailing by 13+ points with five minutes or less left in the fourth quarter of a game. Tampa Bay snapped a four-game home losing streak to
rival A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
New Orleans, and swept the season series for the first time since
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
. Tampa Bay received the opening kickoff, and drove 72 yards in 16 plays. On 3rd & Goal at the 3 yard line. Brady's
screen Screen or Screens may refer to: Arts * Screen printing or ''silkscreening'', a printing method * Big screen, a nickname for motion pictures * Split screen (filmmaking), showing two or more images side by side * Stochastic screening and Halftone ...
to
Leonard Fournette Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL dra ...
was stopped for no gain.
Ryan Succop Ryan Barrow Succop ( ; born September 19, 1986) is an American former professional football placekicker. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant by virtue of being selected by the Kansas Cit ...
kicked a chip-shot 21-yard field goal, and Tampa Bay took an early 3–0 lead. Early in the second quarter, Brady threw deep to
Scotty Miller Scott Thomas Miller (born July 31, 1997) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Bowling Green Falcons and was selected by the Tampa ...
, but the pass was broken up by Alontae Taylor. Two plays later, Brady tried to go deep to
Julio Jones Quintorris Lopez "Julio" Jones Jr. ( ; born February 8, 1989) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Atlanta Falcons. He played college foo ...
, but that ball was just out of his reach. New Orleans got on the board with an 8-play, 80-yard drive.
Andy Dalton Andrew Gregory Dalton (born October 29, 1987) is an American professional football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "the Red Rifle", he played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs, wher ...
's 30-yard touchdown pass to
Taysom Hill Taysom Shawn Hill (born August 23, 1990) is an American professional football utility player for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). Hill is officially designated as a tight end, but was previously officially listed as a ...
gave the Saints a 7–3 lead. With Tampa Bay driving near midfield inside the two-minute warning, Brady was intercepted by
Demario Davis Demario Davis (born January 11, 1989) is an American professional football linebacker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New York Jets in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft. He played coll ...
. The turnover led to a Wil Lutz field goal, and New Orleans led 10–3 at halftime. Like much of the first half, the third quarter was filled with frustration for Tampa Bay.
Rachaad White Rachaad White (born January 12, 1999) is an American professional football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska–Kearney Lopers before transferring to Mt. ...
lost a fumble, and that turnover led to another Saints field goal. A promising drive late in the third stalled at the Saints 40. It was 4th & 7, and Jake Camarda punted for a
touchback In American football, a touchback is a ruling that is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead on or behind a team's own goal line (i.e., in their end zone) and the opposing team gave the ball the momentum, or impetus, to travel ...
to start the fourth quarter (a net of only 20 yards).
Andy Dalton Andrew Gregory Dalton (born October 29, 1987) is an American professional football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "the Red Rifle", he played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs, wher ...
hit Chris Olave for a 26-yard gain on 3rd down & 3, then a ''
pass interference In American and Canadian football, pass interference (PI) is a foul that occurs when a player interferes with an eligible receiver's ability to make a fair attempt to catch a forward pass. Pass interference may include tripping, pushing, pulli ...
'' call on
Carlton Davis Carlton Davis III (born December 31, 1996) is an American professional football cornerback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buc ...
helped the Saints convert on another third down. Facing a 3rd & 2 at the 11, Dalton's pass to
Alvin Kamara Alvin Mentian Kamara (born July 25, 1995) is an American professional football running back for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers after transferring from Hutchi ...
fell incomplete, tipped by
Carl Nassib Carl Paul Nassib (born April 12, 1993) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and linebacker for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lio ...
. The Saints settled for another field goal, and stretched their lead to 16–3 with 8:02 left in regulation. On 1st & 10,
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
was sacked for a loss of 7. A shovel pass to
Rachaad White Rachaad White (born January 12, 1999) is an American professional football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska–Kearney Lopers before transferring to Mt. ...
then gained back the lost yards. Tampa Bay faced 4th & 10 at their own 25 with 7:14 left when the Saints stopped the clock for an injury timeout. Brady insisted on going for it on fourth down, but was overruled by head coach
Todd Bowles Todd Robert Bowles (born November 18, 1963) is an American professional American football, football coach and former player who is the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the head coach ...
. The decision drew boos from the crowd. Jake Camarda's 45-yard punt was fielded by Rashid Shaheed who returned it 17 yards to the NO 47. The Tampa Bay defense forced a three-and-out. After a short gain on first down, Mark Ingram caught a short pass to the right, but retreated out of bounds a yard short of the mark to make. Dalton's quick pass on 3rd & 1 went through the hands of
Marquez Callaway Marquez Antonio Callaway (born March 27, 1998) is an American professional football wide receiver. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers and began his NFL career with the New Orleans Saints. Early life Callaway attended and pl ...
, and the Saints punted.
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
took over with 5:21 on the clock, and put together a 10-play, 91-yard scoring drive. After moving downfield with relative ease, a costly '' holding'' penalty on Donovan Smith pushed Tampa Bay back into a 2nd & 20 at the New Orleans 45. Brady then threw a deep bomb downfield to
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
. What likely would have been a 45-yard touchdown reception was broken up at the goal line by
Paulson Adebo Saiid Paulson Adebo (born July 3, 1999) is an American professional football cornerback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal and was selected by the New Orleans Saint ...
, but Adebo was flagged for ''
pass interference In American and Canadian football, pass interference (PI) is a foul that occurs when a player interferes with an eligible receiver's ability to make a fair attempt to catch a forward pass. Pass interference may include tripping, pushing, pulli ...
''. The penalty gave the Buccaneers a 1st & Goal at the 1. Brady found
Cade Otton Cade Otton (born April 15, 1999) is an American professional American football, football tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played college football for the Washington Huskies football, Was ...
in the right corner of the endzone for a touchdown, and cut the deficit to 16–10. With 3:00 left in regulation, and still holding all three of their timeouts (plus the two-minute warning), Tampa Bay kicked off to New Orleans (
touchback In American football, a touchback is a ruling that is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead on or behind a team's own goal line (i.e., in their end zone) and the opposing team gave the ball the momentum, or impetus, to travel ...
).
Alvin Kamara Alvin Mentian Kamara (born July 25, 1995) is an American professional football running back for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers after transferring from Hutchi ...
took a handoff on first down for a 3-yard gain, and Tampa Bay took their first timeout. On second down,
Andy Dalton Andrew Gregory Dalton (born October 29, 1987) is an American professional football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "the Red Rifle", he played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs, wher ...
was sacked by
Carl Nassib Carl Paul Nassib (born April 12, 1993) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and linebacker for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lio ...
for a loss of 10. Tampa Bay burned their second timeout, and the Saints faced 3rd & 17 at their own 18. Dalton threw a strike deep downfield to
Taysom Hill Taysom Shawn Hill (born August 23, 1990) is an American professional football utility player for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). Hill is officially designated as a tight end, but was previously officially listed as a ...
, who made the grab at the 43, but as he came down,
Jamel Dean Jamel Dean (born October 15, 1996) is an American professional football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers. College career After spending a semester at ...
and
Keanu Neal Keanu Neal (born July 26, 1995) is an American former professional football player who was a safety for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Atlanta Falcons. He played college football for the Florida Gators ...
converged on him, and Neal knocked it out of his hands incomplete.
Blake Gillikin Blake Thomas Gillikin (born January 21, 1998) is an American professional football punter for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions. Early life A former residen ...
punted from inside the 5, and Tampa Bay took over at their own 40 with 2:29 left. Brady made quick completions to
Jones Jones or Joneses may refer to: People and fictional characters *Jones (surname), a common Welsh and English surname * List of people with surname Jones, including fictional characters ** Justice Jones (disambiguation) ** Judge Jones (disambiguati ...
, Godwin, and Otton, then Fournette's 10-yard handoff advanced Tampa Bay to the NO 31. Three plays later, Julio Jones made a leaping grab at the 5 yard line, setting up 1st & Goal. Brady found Godwin in the endzone with 16 seconds left, but the touchdown was negated due to another '' holding'' penalty on Donovan Smith. Three plays later, Brady found
Rachaad White Rachaad White (born January 12, 1999) is an American professional football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska–Kearney Lopers before transferring to Mt. ...
on a pivot route to the right, and White dove across the goal line to score with 3 seconds left.
Ryan Succop Ryan Barrow Succop ( ; born September 19, 1986) is an American former professional football placekicker. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant by virtue of being selected by the Kansas Cit ...
, kicked the extra point, and Tampa Bay won the game 17–16, having never used their last timeout.


Week 14: at San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay fell to San Francisco 35–7. Rookie quarterback
Brock Purdy Brock Purdy (born December 27, 1999) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa State Cyclones football, Iowa St ...
, who was Mr. Irrelevant, threw for 185 yards and two touchdown passes, and ran for one touchdown. Tampa Bay slipped to 6–7 on the season, but still maintained their lead in the NFC South. On the first play of the game,
Brock Purdy Brock Purdy (born December 27, 1999) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa State Cyclones football, Iowa St ...
was sacked hard by a blitzing
Keanu Neal Keanu Neal (born July 26, 1995) is an American former professional football player who was a safety for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Atlanta Falcons. He played college football for the Florida Gators ...
, the result of a botched audible. However, Neal was flagged 15 yards for ''
roughing the passer In gridiron football, roughing the passer is a foul in which a defensive player makes illegal contact with the quarterback after the latter has thrown a forward pass. The penalty is 10 or 15 yards (for the NFL it is 15 yards), depending on the l ...
'', and the 49ers were awarded a first down. Five plays later,
Deebo Samuel Tyshun Raequan "Deebo" Samuel Sr. (born January 15, 1996) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and w ...
was in the endzone for a touchdown, a lead the 49ers would never surrender. Each of Tampa Bay's first half drives came up empty.
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
threw a 68-yard touchdown pass to
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
, but it was nullified by a '' holding'' penalty on Donovan Smith. Trailing 21–0 with 28 seconds left in the half, Anthony Nelson picked off Brock Purdy, but the interception was nullified by yet another penalty. One play later, Purdy connected with
Brandon Aiyuk Brandon Aiyuk (; born March 17, 1998) is an American professional football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Sierra College and Arizona State and was selected by the 49e ...
for a touchdown, and a 28–0 halftime lead. Brady threw two interceptions in the second half. Tampa Bay avoided the shutout, with Brady throwing an 8-yard touchdown to
Russell Gage Russell Gage Jr. (born January 22, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tigers, ...
in the third quarter.


Week 15: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Tampa Bay jumped out to a 17–0 lead over the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
, but faltered in the second half, and lost 34–23. Despite the loss (their third loss in four weeks), they maintained their lead in the weak NFC South.
Carlton Davis Carlton Davis III (born December 31, 1996) is an American professional football cornerback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buc ...
intercepted
Joe Burrow Joseph Lee Burrow (born December 10, 1996) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes football, O ...
on the fifth play of the game, setting up a Buccaneers field goal, and an early 3–0 lead. With Cincinnati's offense struggling in the first half,
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
threw two touchdown passes in the second quarter (to
Russell Gage Russell Gage Jr. (born January 22, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tigers, ...
and
Chris Godwin Rod Christopher Godwin Jr. (born February 27, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany L ...
), to make the score 17–0. The Bengals got on the board with a field goal as time expired in the half. Tampa Bay led 17–3 at halftime. Tampa Bay fell apart in the second half. A botched fake punt led to a Cincinnati field goal. Tom Brady threw an interception, lost two fumbles, then threw another interception. The Bengals scored 34 unanswered points, and overpowered Tampa Bay en route to a 34–23 victory. Tampa Bay fell to 6–8, and Tom Brady notched his first loss after leading by 17+ points in a home game.


Week 16: at Arizona Cardinals

Christmas Day games Tampa Bay visited
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
on Sunday Night Football. It was the third game of a
Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A liturgical feast central to Christianity, Chri ...
tripleheader, as well as Tampa Bay's first appearance on
Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A liturgical feast central to Christianity, Chri ...
. The Buccaneers overcame two turnovers and a 10-point fourth quarter deficit, to force overtime.
Ryan Succop Ryan Barrow Succop ( ; born September 19, 1986) is an American former professional football placekicker. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant by virtue of being selected by the Kansas Cit ...
, 4-for-4 on the night, kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime, and Tampa Bay won 19–16. The Buccaneers snapped a two-game losing streak, won their first road game since Week 2, and kept their lead in the NFC South. Tampa Bay took the opening kickoff and drove 55 yards in 5 plays for the first score. Quarterback
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
missed
Julio Jones Quintorris Lopez "Julio" Jones Jr. ( ; born February 8, 1989) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Atlanta Falcons. He played college foo ...
in the endzone, and had to settle for a
Ryan Succop Ryan Barrow Succop ( ; born September 19, 1986) is an American former professional football placekicker. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant by virtue of being selected by the Kansas Cit ...
field goal. Back-up quarterback
Trace McSorley Richard Thomas "Trace" McSorley III (born August 23, 1995) is an American football coach and former professional football quarterback. He is currently the assistant quarterback coach for the Penn State Nittany Lions. He played college football f ...
started for Arizona, his first career start. Facing 3rd & 6 at the Tampa Bay 13, McSorley was sacked on a blindside blitz by Anthony Nelson and fumbled away the ball. Tampa Bay was driving to start the second quarter. Brady found
Julio Jones Quintorris Lopez "Julio" Jones Jr. ( ; born February 8, 1989) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Atlanta Falcons. He played college foo ...
for a 10-yard touchdown pass, but it was nullified due to a penalty. They once again had to settle for a field goal, and took a 6–3 lead. After a Cardinals three-and-out, Tampa Bay got the ball near midfield. Brady's bomb to
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
was intercepted at the 2-yard line by Marco Wilson, snuffing out another touchdown opportunity. With 4 seconds left in the half,
Matt Prater Matthew Phillip Prater (born August 10, 1984) is an American professional football placekicker. Regarded as one of the best long distance kickers in NFL history, he held the NFL record for longest field goal (64 yards) from 2013 until 2021 and ...
's 53-yard field goal attempt bounced off the upright and fell in good. The score was tied 6–6 at halftime. Neither team was able to get much going on offense during a scoreless third quarter. Tom Brady threw his second interception of the night. Marco Wilson picked off Brady on another pass intended for Mike Evans. Five plays later,
Trace McSorley Richard Thomas "Trace" McSorley III (born August 23, 1995) is an American football coach and former professional football quarterback. He is currently the assistant quarterback coach for the Penn State Nittany Lions. He played college football f ...
went deep to
Marquise Brown Marquise "Hollywood" Brown (born June 4, 1997) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at College of the Canyons before transferring to the O ...
for a 47-yard gain, down to the Tampa Bay 20. The Buccaneers defense stiffened, and a minute into the fourth quarter, Prater kicked his third field goal. Arizona had their first lead of the night at 9–6. Tampa Bay went three-and-out and punted right back to Arizona.
Pharoh Cooper Pharoh Cooper (born March 7, 1995) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks, and was selected by the Los Angele ...
's 28-yard return set the Cardinals up at the Tampa Bay 33. James Connor burned the defense with a 22-yard touchdown run. Arizona led 16–6 with only 10:47 left in regulation.
Leonard Fournette Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL dra ...
sparked the Tampa Bay offense to life. A 44-yard catch and run screen pass set the Buccaneers up at the Cardinals 23. Brady's 3-yard touchdown pass to
Rachaad White Rachaad White (born January 12, 1999) is an American professional football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska–Kearney Lopers before transferring to Mt. ...
cut the score to 16–13 with 8:03 to go. On their next drive, Arizona faced a 3rd & 1 at the Tampa Bay 42 with 4:53 left. McSorley's pitch to
Keaontay Ingram Keaontay Ingram (born October 26, 1999) is an American professional football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and USC Trojans. Early life Ingram gre ...
was fumbled away and recovered by
William Gholston William Gholston (born July 31, 1991) is an American professional football defensive end. He played college football at Michigan State, and was selected by the Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft. During the 2025 Miami Swim Wee ...
. The turnover led to a Buccaneers field goal and a 16–16 tie. The game went to overtime tied 16–16. Arizona won the coin toss and received. They achieved one first down, but were ultimately forced to punt. Brady drove Tampa Bay 66 yards in 9 plays for the game winning score. Crucial pass completions to
Russell Gage Russell Gage Jr. (born January 22, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tigers, ...
and
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
set up a 40-yard game-winning field goal by
Ryan Succop Ryan Barrow Succop ( ; born September 19, 1986) is an American former professional football placekicker. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant by virtue of being selected by the Kansas Cit ...
.


Week 17: vs. Carolina Panthers

Quarterback
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
threw for 432 yards, rushed for a touchdown, and threw three touchdown passes to
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
. The Buccaneers defeated Carolina 30–23 and clinched the
NFC South The National Football Conference – Southern Division or NFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season when th ...
title. Evans extended his own record, becoming the first wide receiver in NFL history with 1,000+ receiving yards in each of his first nine seasons. The Buccaneers once again rallied from a double-digit deficit, trailing by as many as 14 points in the first half, then later erasing an 11-point fourth quarter deficit to take the victory. Carolina took an early 7–0 lead with a 17-yard touchdown pass from
Sam Darnold Sam Richard Darnold (born June 5, 1997) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans football, USC Trojans, winn ...
to
Tommy Tremble Thomas Steven Tremble (born June 2, 2000) is an American professional football tight end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected by the Panthe ...
. Tampa Bay's first drive ended with a fumble by
Chris Godwin Rod Christopher Godwin Jr. (born February 27, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany L ...
in Carolina territory. After the turnover, the Tampa Bay defense forced a three-and-out. Carolina led 7–0 at the end of the first quarter. Tampa Bay was driving into Carolina territory to start the second quarter. A 14-play drive of over six minutes came up empty, as
Ryan Succop Ryan Barrow Succop ( ; born September 19, 1986) is an American former professional football placekicker. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant by virtue of being selected by the Kansas Cit ...
missed a 53-yard goal attempt.
Sam Darnold Sam Richard Darnold (born June 5, 1997) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans football, USC Trojans, winn ...
found D. J. Moore for a 24-yard touchdown pass, and the Panthers extended their lead to 14–0. Tampa Bay got the ball with just over 3 minutes left in the half, and finally got points on the board. Brady found
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
in stride for a 63-yard touchdown pass, Evan's first since Week 3. On the ensuing drive, Darnold fumbled away a bad snap, and
Devin White Devin Marcel White (born February 17, 1998) is an American professional football linebacker for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Tampa Bay Bucca ...
recovered the ball at the Carolina 13. Succop kicked a 22-yard field goal, and Carolina led 14–10 at halftime. The third quarter was scoreless for both teams.
Sam Darnold Sam Richard Darnold (born June 5, 1997) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans football, USC Trojans, winn ...
went deep to Stephen Sullivan, but the ball was intercepted at the 2 yard line by
Sean Murphy-Bunting Sean Murphy-Bunting (formerly Bunting, born June 19, 1997) is an American professional football cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Central Michigan Chippewas. Early li ...
. Starting at their own 2, Tampa Bay put together a 15-play, 90-yard drive, taking over seven minutes off of the clock. For the second time, however, a long drive came up empty as Carolina blocked Succop's 26-yard field goal attempt. After the blocked field goal, Carolina drove 91 yards in 7 plays.
Shi Smith Shiyun M. Smith (born October 26, 1998) is an American former professional football wide receiver and punt returner. He played college football at South Carolina. Early life Smith attended Union County High School in Union County, South Caroli ...
's 19-yard touchdown catch put the Panthers up by 11 with 14:50 left. Less than a minute later, Brady connected to
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
deep for a 57-yard touchdown, his second big touchdown of the day. After a failed two-point conversion, the score was 21–16 in favor of Carolina. The Tampa Bay defense forced a Carolina punt, and the Buccaneers offense got the ball back at their own 8 yard line with 9:53 left. Brady drove the Buccaneers 92 yards in 8 plays for the go-ahead score. Brady found Evans for a 30-yard touchdown, his third of the game. Tampa Bay led 24–21 with under 7 minutes remaining. The two teams traded punts, and Carolina got the ball with 2:32 to go at their own 13. Anthony Nelson sacked Sam Darnold, forcing a fumble. Nelson recovered the loose ball at the 6 yard line. Two plays later, Brady was in the endzone with a 1-yard QB sneak. Tampa Bay took a 30–21 lead at the two-minute warning. Carolina managed a field goal and cut the lead to 30–24. After a failed onside kick, Carolina had one last possession with 26 seconds to go. A
hook and lateral The hook and lateral, also known colloquially as the hook and ladder, is a trick play in American, Canadian football and indoor American football. The hook and lateral starts with the hook, which is where a wide receiver runs a predetermined dist ...
failed to score, and Tampa Bay held on for the victory.


Week 18: at Atlanta Falcons

Tampa Bay faced Atlanta in their regular season finale. Going into the game, the Buccaneers - winners of the NFC South a week earlier - were locked into the fourth seed in the NFC for the
playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
, rendering this game largely inconsequential. Quarterback
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
started the game, playing in the first quarter, and part of the second quarter. On the opening drive, Brady drove the Buccaneers 70 yards in 10 plays. An 8-yard touchdown pass to
Kyle Rudolph Kyle Daniel Rudolph (born November 9, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the No ...
gave Tampa Bay an early 7–0 lead.
Blaine Gabbert Blaine Williamson Gabbert (born October 15, 1989) is an American professional football quarterback. He played college football for the Missouri Tigers before leaving early for the 2011 NFL draft after his junior year. He was selected by the Jack ...
took over at quarterback with 4 minutes left in the second quarter. Gabbert threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to
Russell Gage Russell Gage Jr. (born January 22, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tigers, ...
, giving Tampa Bay a 17–10 halftime lead. In the second half, Atlanta pulled away for a 30–17 victory. The Buccaneers benched their starters and put third string quarterback
Kyle Trask Kyle Jacob Trask (born March 6, 1998) is an American professional football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators and was selected by the Buccaneers in th ...
in to finish the game. During his partial stint,
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
broke his own NFL record for most pass completions in a single season (490). With the loss, Tampa Bay became the fourth team in NFL history to make the playoffs with a losing record, Brady finished with his first career losing record, and Brady also lost his first game against Atlanta in twelve meetings.


Standings


Division


Conference


Postseason


Schedule


Game summaries


NFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (5) Dallas Cowboys

In a reversal of Week 1, the Buccaneers struggled to find answers to the Cowboys defense that held the Buccaneers to just 14 points. As the Buccaneers tried to respond to the Cowboys striking first, Tom Brady threw a costly red-zone interception, which gave the ball back to the Cowboys and the Buccaneers defense began to struggle. The Buccaneers gave up two more touchdowns and were forced to punt for the majority of the game. As the Buccaneers trailed 18–0 at halftime, they were forced to punt again to begin the second half, and proceeded to allow another touchdown scoring drive to the Cowboys to make the game 24–0 in the Cowboys favor. The Buccaneers got on the board after Tom Brady threw a touchdown pass to Julio Jones, but failed the two-point conversion attempt. While Cowboys' kicker Brett Maher missed the first four extra points, Maher made the last one to make the game 31–6 in the Cowboys' favor. In the final minutes of the game, the Buccaneers scored their last touchdown of 2022 via a Tom Brady pass to Cameron Brate, but the outcome was already decided in favor of the Cowboys. To make matters worse for Tampa Bay amid their season-ending loss, wide receiver Russell Gage was carted off with an injury to his neck and back and was hospitalized. The loss ensured Tom Brady would not finish his career undefeated against the Cowboys and dropped him to 7-1 as a starter against Dallas. This was the first Buccaneers loss in the first round of the playoffs since a 24–14 loss in the 2007 Wild Card round to the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
, who would coincidentally go on to defeat Brady himself in
Super Bowl XLII Super Bowl XLII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
. This was also Tom Brady's final NFL game, as he announced his final retirement on February 1, 2023.


Awards

* NFC Offensive Player of the week ** Week 17:
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
* NFC Defensive Player of the week ** Week 10:
Devin White Devin Marcel White (born February 17, 1998) is an American professional football linebacker for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Tampa Bay Bucca ...
* NFC Special Teams Player of the week ** Week 9: Jake Camarda * NFC Defensive Player of the month ** September:
Devin White Devin Marcel White (born February 17, 1998) is an American professional football linebacker for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Tampa Bay Bucca ...
* FedEx Air Player of the Week **Week 17:
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...


References


External links

* {{2022 NFL season by team
Tampa Bay Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater i ...
Tampa Bay Buccaneers seasons
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
NFC South championship seasons 2020s in Tampa, Florida