The Tampa Bay Buccaneers squared off with the Arizona Cardinals in a prime-time Christmas day clash on Sunday. So the recently-single Tom Brady spent the holiday on and around the football field. But that didn’t take away his holiday spirit at all. Hours before the clash, Brady time-traveled for a unique place.
The Buccaneers broke the deadlock in OT to overcome the Cardinals by a whisker. But along with the game, this Christmas day will be remembered for dialing back the clock.
Tom Brady dials back the clock
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Normally, Tom Brady would send a Christmas greeting with a snap of his family. But maybe because of the fact that he recently became single or spent the day alone away from his loved ones, the NFL legend decided to take the fans to his past. The Buccaneers QB shared a picture from his childhood as his holiday greeting to the world.
Brady shared a post by his company ‘Brady Brand’ on his Instagram stories. The post had a black and white photograph from the seven-time Super Bowl champion’s childhood with a Santa hat. “‘Tis the season,” the company wrote in the caption of the post.
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Just hours after sharing this unique greeting with the fans, Brady took the field against the Cardinals in a must-win Christmas showdown. Away from the family on a holiday with a playoff spot on the line for the Buccaneers, the game had all the ingredients to become a classic. And it didn’t disappoint.
A Christmas classic for the Buccaneers
The Buccaneers were the favorites going into the week 16 clash with the Cardinals. But the hosts did not give their guests an easy ride at all. The 6-8 Buccaneers had to sweat against the 4-10 Cardinals to make it 7-8. The Tampa Bay defense made two stands, one at the end of regulation and another at the start of OT, to deny the home team any points. That gave a chance to the Bucs’ offense to win the game with a field goal.
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Tom Brady had a decent game but wasn’t anywhere near the standards he has set over the years. The QB threw 281 passing yards in the game with 32 completions. He did throw a touchdown pass to the third-round rookie running back Rachaad White. But the QB also threw two interceptions that could have cost the team the game.
As Brady goes back home to celebrate a late Christmas with his kids, he will be content with the result. And he will keep an eye on the next two games against two division rivals, especially the week 17 clash with the Carolina Panthers. That is where the playoff spot will be locked.
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