Tom Brady and Buccaneers prove they don’t need Antonio Brown anymore
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced a unique problem in Week 17. Antonio Brown stormed off the field midway through the game against the New York Jets to end his time with the team.
Chris Godwin is already out with a season-ending injury and Brown had stepped up in his absence. But both Godwin and Brown being out meant two of the team's top three receivers were now gone right before the postseason.
That did not matter at all in the Wild Card Round against the Philadelphia Eagles. Tom Brady and the Buccaneers cruised to a 31-15 victory that saw Tampa jump out to a 31-0 lead. A few key players made Brown's absence an afterthought.
Buccaneers don't miss Antonio Brown after all
The key to the team's success is Brady. That has never been a surprise. But he still needs weapons around him to chase a Super Bowl.
Mike Evans led the way with nine receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown. He is the most elite receiver on the Buccaneers squad, and he proved it once again when it mattered most.
31-0 lead, Tom Brady scores another, this one goes to Mike Evans and the crowd chants "M-V-P" for Brady.
He deserves it this year @AP_NFL
https://t.co/p63Py8EBrX
Evans has been in the NFL since 2014 and has at least 1,000 receiving yards every season. He also has well over 100 targets in each career season, proving he is a reliable option for whoever lines up under center in Tampa Bay.
But he was not alone on Sunday. Brady found tight end Rob Gronkowski five times for 31 yards and a touchdown. Gronkowski being healthy is arguably the most important thing for the Buccaneers given his historic connection with Brady. If the quarterback needs to be bailed out, he can usually find the tight end boxing out a defender ready to make a tough catch.
Tampa Bay was also without Leonard Fournette against the Eagles. The absences kept piling up and Brady was able to adapt. Backup running back Giovani Bernard had five catches and Ke'Shawn Vaughn had two in addition to his 53 rushing yards. Both backs also added touchdowns on the ground.
Brown was a talented, yet troubled piece of a much larger puzzle in Tampa Bay. Brady spent years with lackluster talent at receiver in New England, so even having Evans is a huge step up from what he has been used to in the past.
Brady completed passes to nine different players. That shows he is more concerned about winning than making a receiver happy. The offense, now that Brown is gone, seems to be buying in, and it resulted in an easy victory to cruise into the Divisional Round.
Brady did his best to back Brown and get him signed with the Bucs. But he also knew problems could arise. The veteran has stayed level, and no one in Tampa Bay is worried about Brown's tirade anymore.