Did Tom Brady miss practice and meetings to attend Robert Kraft's wedding? Bucs reporter reveals truth behind QB's reported absence
Tom Brady had quite the week leading up to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers matchup versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. Many have taken note of his activities after seeing him rip into his offensive line during Tampa Bay's 20 -18 loss to the Steelers. As a result, people are starting to think that maybe Brady is responsible for the Buccaneers' woes, rather than his offensive line.
There has been suggestions that Tom Brady didn't practice on Wednesday, went to Robert Kraft's wedding on Friday and traveled separately to Pittsburgh. Seeing him shout at his linemen was too much for some to watch. One fan lashed out at the quarterback in the tweet below:
#TomBrady didn’t practice Wednesday, went to a wedding Friday, no team walk thru on Saturday and flew on his private jet to #Pittsburgh
And now he’s screaming at his offensive lineman.
That’s the leadership you want from your QB.
#Steelers #HereWeGo https://t.co/5lPbmazjBX
However, longtime Buccaneers reporter Rick Stroud came to Tom Brady's defense, responding to the fan's comments:
"He practiced all three days, Chief. Missed a Saturday walk-through and meetings. Joined the team for meetings Sat night in Pittsburgh. Offensive line deserved that and more the way they’re playing."
He practiced all three days, Chief. Missed a Saturday walk through and meetings. Joined the team for meetings Sat night in Pittsburgh. Offensive line deserved that and more the way they’re playing. twitter.com/tomlin_sense/s…
Brady threw for 243 yards passing and a touchdown in the loss to Pittsburgh. It was a disappointing loss that puts Tampa Bay at 3-3. The defeat has raised several questions about the Buccaneers.
Why this loss to the Steelers was so concerning for Tom Brady and the Buccaneers
The Buccaneers losing to the Steelers is not something out of the ordinary. Previous meetings had Pittsburgh 9-2 against Tampa Bay and now 10-2. But the Steelers are not the same prospect as in previous years. The Buccaneers lost to a Pittsburgh team who were 1-4 entering the game. The Steelers were reeling after a 38-3 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 5. They also had three starting defensive backs and several other significant players out injured, like Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Tom Brady was open-minded in his criticism of Tampa Bay's recent performances. Here's what he said in a post-game interview:
“We didn’t earn it. We didn’t earn the win. It’s a game of earning it, and it’s a game of playing well and performing well. And we’re just not doing a good job of that. I don’t think we’ve done it for six weeks. I think we’re all playing less than what we’re capable of, and we’ve all got to look at ourselves in the mirror and figure out why.”
The Buccaneers are not paying to their potential and are struggling on the field. They were extremely fortunate to have beaten the Atlanta Falcons, largely due to a dubious roughing the passer call. They were only able to break through against the New Orleans Saints after Marshon Lattimore was ejected from the game in the fourth quarter of Week 2. Now there's this disappointing loss to the Steelers.
Tom Brady now has eight touchdown passes in six games. This is three fewer than any other six-game stretch in his time with Tampa Bay. That being said, there's time to right the ship as we're nearing the halfway point of the season. We'll see if Brady and the Buccaneers can figure it out before it's too late.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Buccaneers.com and H/T Sportskeeda.