“That old man tap dancing” – Tom Brady gets called out by Bengals’ Eli Apple as feud continues after Week 15 capitulation
One of the most surprising outcomes of Week 15 in the NFL was the Cincinnati Bengals defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 34-23. Tampa Bay held a 17-0 lead, and Tom Brady suffered the third defeat of his career in games where he led by 17 points.
Bengals now have a one-game lead over the Ravens in the AFC North after trailing 17-0 but defeat the Bucs 34-23
Tampa Bay remains having a one-game lead in the NFC South over the Panthers, Saints, and Falcons
Following the victory, Bengals defensive back Eli Apple was asked about Brady and didn't hold back in the interview. He explained how the Bengals were able to create turnovers.
Apple said:
"Got to get that old man tap dancing, man. Got to get him out of the pocket and get him uncomfortable."
When asked about Brady's first-half performance, Apple added:
"He was fairly OK, but not good enough to win."
The #Bengals locker room thanking Tom Brady for that bulletin board material this week...
@EliApple - "He was fairly okay, but not good enough to win." https://t.co/k34zEBxefL
The Bengals defense forced four turnovers for Brady and one on four consecutive drives. He threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles.
Leading up to the game, Brady spoke about the matchup on his podcast, Let's Go!. He said that their defense was "fairly tough," and some players took it as sensitively as Apple.
Brady said:
“Great team. Great young quarterback, fairly tough defense. Good skill players. They do a lot of things well. We’re going to have to put everything we’ve got into it,” Brady said last week.
Eli Apple and BJ Hill with a couple messages for Tom Brady. Hill obviously heard the “fairly tough” comment this week. https://t.co/6CGe9FbZ6L
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers still sit in first place in the AFC North despite losing to the Cincinnati Bengals
Despite losing a game they should have won this weekend, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers still sit in first place in the NFC South.
Look, this isn’t going great, so as a palate cleanser let’s look at the NFC South standings https://t.co/Yx0HnH9j6h
At 6-8, the Bucs have a better record than the Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons - all of whom sit 5-9, one game behind TB.
Tampa Bay will have two divisional games left this season. They'll host the Panthers next Sunday and end the season on the road vs. the Falcons.
Cincinnati improved to 10-4 and sits in first place in the AFC North after defeating the Bucs. They sit just one game ahead of the 9-5 Baltimore Ravens. The win was extremely crucial for Cincy, as they sat in first place with just one game.
A win for TB would have been better for their chances of winning the division, which they are still expected to do.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Eli Apple, Olivia Ray, Tom Brady, Let's Go!, and H/T Sportskeeda