A week in the NFL: Tom Brady solidifies himself as the GOAT
As we all watched the clock tick down to triple zeros on the board last night, we saw all-pro QB Tom Brady clarify his status as the greatest football player to ever live. It was all an anomaly as we saw him celebrate winning another Super Bowl, another Super Bowl MVP, and his not so festive post game celebrations. Even if he wasn’t as excited behind the curtains, we can all take a look at his 20 plus year career and say that this might be the greatest resume of any football player ever.
When Tom Brady was going into the 2020 NFL offseason, he had one of the biggest decisions of his life to make. Either stay with the team that has been with you your whole career or go to a new team to try and make them contenders for the first time in over a decade. The New England Patriots was the team that Tom stuck with his whole career from being a sixth round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft by them to being the backup to once star QB Drew Bledsoe. It was all a blur before his eyes after that. Bledsoe got hurt, Brady took over, won 6 titles, and the rest is history. After the 2019-2020 season, though, Brady was not happy with the Patriots organization and was looking for a change in scenery. This is where his retirement home finally comes into play.
As the news broke on a crisp day in March of 2020, it was almost a shock to football fans everywhere around the country. Tom Brady was moving teams for the first time in his long career. Brady was heading to Tampa Bay, Florida where he would meet up with all-pro wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin along with a veteran-led defense. Even if it was just Tommy going down to Florida at this point in time, the other wave of players to come in was just a couple of days away. We saw tight end Rob Gronkowski come out of retirement to play with the Buccaneers along with running backs Lenoard Fornettue and LeSean McCoy coming down to Tampa to give it a shot at running for a title. It was all coming together for Tampa until they were hit by a major roadblock week one and were thrown back down to reality.
Going into week one, it was an instant clash of the titans. With Tom Brady and New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees playing each other already, we already knew that the 2020 NFL season would be a fun one. Even if it seemed like a great matchup, the Saints dominated and the Bucs went home empty handed for the first time this season.
After a great start after their first game, the Bucs went into week 13 against the Kansas City Chiefs looking for a statement win for the first time this season. It wasn’t even close after the first half and the Chiefs ran away with it by a score of 24-21. All of these losing experiences gave Tampa the edge, though, as they ran away with the momentum after this game.
After some monumental late season wins to secure a wild card playoff spot, Tampa was on a four game winning streak going into their matchup with the Washington Football Team in the wild card round of the playoffs, and they did not disappoint. Even if Washington QB Taylor Heinicke was trying to keep Washington in the game, Tampa eventually squeezed out a win by a score of 31-23. After this game, the Bucs would run into a familiar opponent, though, as they would need to throw the kitchen sink and all into this matchup.
As the Bucs rolled into New Orleans for the first time since week one, the rise of emotions started to come up. Would this be the last Brady vs. Brees matchup ever? Would Tampa sneak out a win yet again or get blown out again? Well, all of this aside, this game was a defensive battle for both teams. With Drew Brees throwing an interception on what seemed to be every possession, it was clear who was winning this matchup. The Bucs got the win by a score of 30-20 and would look to defeat a injury-plagued Green Bay Packers team in the NFC Championship.
As the sun rose on a cold and calm day in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the heaters were being started and the fans outside of Lambeau Field were starting to accumulate. It was a cold day in Title Town but it just seemed a little different. It seemed like the Packers weren’t ready, yet again, for the Buccaneers high flying defensive front 7 and it was just not the game the Packers want to remember. The Bucs came out swinging, and even with a late comeback push, the Bucs came away with their first NFC Championship win in over 15 years. As they got to the finale, they met a familiar foe.
After two long weeks without football, Super Bowl LV was finally here. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were set to face off in one of the most hyped up matchups of the decade. It looked like the Chiefs were favored in this one, but after the first whistle blew, it was clear that the Bucs came to play. The defense of the Bucs was getting pressure every play on defense and the offense could not stop with their productions. Rob Gronkowski scored two first half touchdowns and the Chiefs could not find an answer after this. The Bucs would go on to win their first Super Bowl since 2002 by a score of 31-9.
Even though the Bucs went through one of the toughest seasons in NFL history, they came out on top as Super Bowl champs, solidifying Tom Brady’s role as the GOAT of football.
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Adam is a senior at FHC and is now in his third year on the FHC Sports Report with this year being his first as editor in chief. Adam plays football in...