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TAMPA, Fla. — Nonetheless wearing full uniform, even after a number of of his teammates had already departed for the evening, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady stared dejectedly on the ground of his locker Thursday evening at Raymond James Stadium.
Together with his arms folded and his face flushed, Brady nonetheless very a lot wore the sting of the Bucs’ 27-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens — their fifth loss previously six video games — which dropped him to 3-5 as a starter for the primary time in his storied 23-year NFL profession.
Backup Blaine Gabbert sat subsequent to him, providing phrases of consolation, whereas fellow quarterback Ryan Griffin and quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen took turns patting him on the again.
“I do know he is actually exhausting on himself,” proper deal with Tristan Wirfs mentioned throughout from Brady’s locker, 30 ft away. “We’re all actually exhausting on ourselves. We’re gonna do our greatest to get this factor fastened cuz this ain’t a enjoyable feeling proper now.”
“No person’s pointing the finger at Tom Brady,” extensive receiver Mike Evans mentioned. “It is an entire group. A group sport. The last word group sport. It is not only one participant. It by no means has been.”
Moments later, Brady took the rostrum.
“I do not suppose you’ll be able to erase what occurred the final eight weeks,” he mentioned. “We have gotta dig deep, see what we’re all about, come to work, attempt to enhance and provides ourselves a greater probability to win.”
At 45 and within the final yr of his contract with the Buccaneers, this may very well be his final NFL season, having already retired as soon as for 40 days this offseason. It is a actuality his teammates are all very a lot conscious of, making the Bucs’ rash of losses in 2022 devastating.
“I hope he performs so long as he can,” Wirfs mentioned. “I might like to play with him perpetually. I like Tom. I want the whole lot was going as good as attainable for him, if it’s the final yr for him, or no matter. We’re simply attempting to ball, and it is irritating when stuff’s not working and you do not have the reply in entrance of you.”
Evans added, “He is one of the best to ever do it. I imply, he hates shedding. That is all he is aware of is profitable and being 3-5 will not be adequate, so we have gotta flip it round and shortly.”
They have been unable to place factors on the board all season. They managed to attain on a 1-yard landing run on the opening drive — their first opening-drive TD all yr — and grabbed a 10-3 lead within the first quarter. However they would not discover the tip zone once more till 53 seconds left in regulation, when Brady discovered Julio Jones on an 8-yard strike. It was the pair’s first landing of the season, with Jones, who was imagined to play an enormous function of their offense, lacking the previous three video games with a knee damage.
Defensively, issues unraveled within the second half after prime outdoors linebacker Shaq Barrett left the sport with an Achilles damage, which sources informed ESPN the group fears will finish his season. The Bucs surrendered three touchdowns after that, and the offense could not preserve tempo.
“It is undoubtedly robust,” linebacker Lavonte David mentioned of shedding video games with Brady. “Simply the issues he’d one over his profession. The kind of man he’s, the kind of man he’s, the kind of soccer participant, the kind of chief he’s – undoubtedly exhausting. He is feeling all the identical feelings we really feel. We undoubtedly gotta attempt to flip this factor round as a result of we have got the fellows to do it. However it’s gotta come from someplace.”
The Bucs can have an extended weekend to regroup and coach Todd Bowles mentioned the group would mull attainable modifications.
“We’re going to speak about the whole lot this weekend,” Bowles mentioned. “If you find yourself not taking part in nicely, the whole lot is on the desk for us, and we’ll talk about it as a employees.”
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