It's January and the Bucs are still playing meaningful football which is unheard of in these neck of the woods. Things are definitely different than this time last year. For many Bucs fans, they're used to looking forward to the Combine and talking about draft prospects. After last season's let down of a season while going 7-9, Tampa parted ways with quarterback Jameis Winston after his horrendous but yet historical 30-for-30 season and replaced him with future Hall of Famer and 6-time Super Bowl Champion, Tom Brady, after his departure from New England after 20 seasons.
Now, the Bucs are knocking on the doorstep of the Super Bowl, if they can indeed beat the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau that is. Granted the Bucs did defeat the Packers back in Week 6, but as Coach Arians has stated earlier in the week, "both teams are not the same teams from the previous matchup." And those sentiments indeed ring true as both teams were missing key players that have since returned (with exception to Antonio Brown who wasnt with the team as of Week 6 nor will he play in this contest as he has officially been ruled out with a knee injury). Local sports radio host and former Buccaneer, Ian Beckles, echoed "the team who wins the rush game will win the NFC Championship". Beckles was also quoted saying, "whoever wins the NFC Championship will be the winner of the Super Bowl".
Could the Bucs have the same success had they decided to retain Winston? Unfortunately, the harsh reality is "NO". If we're going to be honest about our feelings on the situation, the Bucs needed someone of Brady's calibur to excel them to the next level without the costly turnovers. Had the Bucs decided to continue the marriage with Winston, the Bucs also would have lost several key pieces (on both sides of the ball) to their success.
With Brady, the defense has grown as well. They have been able to practice against one of the greatest quarterback of all-time. That right there is growth due to the Brady Effect. Both sides have learned how to maintain their discipline in key moments, which also has been key to their success. Let's not forget to mention the 40 touchdowns passes while coming close to erasing the "5,000 passing yards" excuse that many enjoying using for validation purposes.
Sunday will indeed be a defensive game, but the Bucs will have the Brady Effect on their side. Can Brady make history once again and make his tenth Super Bowl appearance?
Comments