EXCLUSIVE: "He loves doubt" - Bucs insider reveals Tom Brady more motivated than usual ahead of playoff game vs. Cowboys

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady will host the Dallas Cowboys at the Raymond James Stadium in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs on Monday night. The Buccaneers are the slight underdogs heading into the game, a rarity for a team in the playoffs led by Brady.

Tom Brady has been a playoff underdog four times since 2019.

He is 4-0 SU and 4-0 ATS.

@Buccaneers +2.5 vs. Cowboys. https://t.co/5LZ9tdALnm

Buccaneers insider T.J. Rives made an appearance on the latest episode of Sportskeeda's "BallFather Podcast." He claimed that the Cowboys are favorites narrative will only fuel Brady's desire to win. He told host Reggie Roberts:

"He's one of those guys that loves motivation from every direction. He loves doubt. He loves to be motivated by doubt, doubt that you can still play at 45 years old. So I think it's a very valid point that it's an extra motivating factor."

Tom Brady's incredible playoff portfolio

Rives also pointed to Brady's incredible playoff record. This is the main reason why the Buccaneers should not be the underdogs heading into the game on Monday night:

"He has played 19 previous times in a first playoff game, either Wild Card weekend or after the bye in the divisional round. 19 times he's played a first playoff game in the playoffs.

"He's 16 and 3, Tom Brady. 16 and 3 with the New England Patriots and then the last two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And they won a home playoff game last year on the Wild Card weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles."

Rives added:

"He's won the most Super Bowls. You want to go against this guy if he's upright and he's healthy, which he is in a home playoff game in a winner take all, 60-minute game. Good luck. Good luck going against it."

This will be Tom Brady's first playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys. He has faced them seven times in his career and is yet to taste anything other than victory.

Brady's 7-0 record against Dallas will undoubtedly give the Buccaneers a psychological edge over the Cowboys. But will that convert into another playoff win? Only time will tell.

The latest episode of the BallFather Podcast will be out soon on YouTube. If you use any of the quotes from this article, please credit Sportskeeda.