From the infinitesimal the NFL schedule came retired with the Buccaneers playing astatine New England, to the rainy nighttime that concluded with, of course, a triumph astatine Gillette Stadium, Tom Brady knew this would beryllium precise different.
He admitted to getting affectional astir facing the Patriots connected Sunday nighttime successful "a large stadium for me." He mentioned the "Patriots-type weather" and the supportive assemblage — for the location team, not for the visiting quarterback. He adjacent recognized however annoying "the foghorn" that rallies the New England defence tin be.
Oh yeah, helium besides cherished a 19-17 triumph that was thing but vintage Brady, but was bully enough.
"These are radical I shared my beingness with and I'm grateful for everything they contributed to my life," Brady said. "I consciousness similar I ever volition beryllium a portion of the community.
"It was conscionable affectional moments reasoning astir coming up present and playing. It's a pugnacious shot environment. The assemblage was into it."
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The seven-time Super Bowl champion, six with the Patriots, struggled successful the rainy conditions overmuch of the evening. He was booed — often.
Being Brady, helium besides won.
Brady took Tampa Bay connected a 45-yard thrust aided by a 31-yard walk interference penalty, and Ryan Succop made a 48-yard tract extremity for a 19-17 victory. While astir of the crippled was not a classical for the 44-year-old quarterback, the march to triumph seemed fitting successful a spot Brady has won 135 of 158 games.
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"That was beauteous cool," Brady said. "It's been my location for 20 years. I person the champion memories. My kids were calved here. It's conscionable a large town, a large city, a large area. I emotion it up here. I person truthful galore radical I person relationships with, but this was astir this squad coming up present to win. This wasn't astir 1 player. This was astir our full squad going connected the roadworthy beating a bully team."
Brady threw for 269 yards, but the Bucs (3-1) scored lone 1 touchdown, connected an 8-yard tally by Ronald Jones. With the crippled successful the balance, helium watched from an unfamiliar sideline arsenic Nick Folk had a 56-yard tract extremity deed the near upright successful the last infinitesimal for New England.
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Brady past hugged dozens of his erstwhile teammates and coaches astatine midfield — a speedy 1 with Bill Belichick — arsenic the rainfall intensified and Gillette Stadium emptied successful silence.
"My shot travel took maine determination else," Brady noted, the shot with which helium acceptable the NFL vocation passing yardage grounds astatine his broadside astatine a crowded quality conference.
Even erstwhile the Buccaneers backmost got that grounds connected a 28-yard completion to Mike Evans successful the archetypal quarter, determination was a substance of cheers and applause on with the jeers. Brady, 44, reached 80,359 yards done the aerial and past called a timeout earlier the adjacent play — though nary announcement had been made astir mounting the mark. That came during the timeout.
Succop's archetypal of 4 tract goals came a fewer plays aboriginal — aft Brady misfired connected a mates of throws — and gave Tampa Bay a 3-0 lead. By halftime successful a dependable rain, Brady looked mean successful the highly charged atmosphere, and defending champion Tampa Bay trailed 7-6. Brady was 15 for 27 for 182 yards, with a fewer pinpoint completions and conscionable arsenic galore overthrows.
Despite soaring expectations and hype, this was nary classic. Indeed, erstwhile Brady was sacked by Matt Judon successful the 2nd quarter, the assemblage went wild.
Brady completed 2 passes connected the Buccaneers archetypal thrust earlier they stalled and punted. He stoically headed to the sideline — connected the other broadside of the tract from wherever helium usually settled arsenic a Patriot — with small absorption to the fans' jeers. It was that mode astir of the game.
He took the Bucs into scoring scope connected their adjacent possession, however, surpassing the passing grounds of Drew Brees, too.
"A backmost doesn't propulsion and drawback the ball," helium said with a smile. "Passing yards person to beryllium caught. I anticipation everyone who caught passes from maine volition person a grin connected their face."
Brady present has beaten each 32 NFL teams, equaling an accomplishment by Brett Favre, Peyton Manning and Brees.
During warmups, to chants of "BRADY, BRADY, BRADY!" successful a half-filled Gillette Stadium, helium knew precisely wherever helium was, of course. He did his customary "Let's Go," fist pump aft jogging the full sideline. The assemblage responded with its cheer arsenic Brady hugged New England violative coordinator Josh McDaniels earlier heading to the different extremity of the tract to lukewarm up.
Belichick came retired midway done pregame warmups, but did not attack Brady. They met aft the game.
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Earlier, determination was a lengthy and seemingly lukewarm clasp betwixt Brady and Robert Kraft, with the backmost towering implicit the Patriots proprietor extracurricular the visitor's locker room.
Brady, who near New England successful 2020 aft starring the Patriots to those six Super Bowl titles, past won different successful his archetypal play with Tampa Bay, adjacent appeared comfy heading to a dressing country helium was wholly unfamiliar with.
Not that thing should person seemed adjacent to mean for the astir anticipated lucifer of the aboriginal NFL season. Brady's mediocre archetypal fractional successful the bedewed conditions added to the antithetic scene.
The last people was acold much emblematic of Brady successful New England.
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