Tom Brady laments 'bad execution' as Bucs' comeback vs. Packers falls flat

26.09.2022, 19:47 sportingnews.com

Tom Terrific looked every bit like a 45-year old competing in a young man's game on Sunday against the Packers. But in the game's waning moments, Brady found life in that aging arm. He led the Buccaneers on a ferocious 13-play, 89-yard drive, bringing them on the doorstep of a momentous rally. Brady found Russell Gage with a 1-yard laser to get Tampa Bay within two points. TOM BRADY CLUTCH TOUCHDOWN.(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/uppF8rxpYP— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) All the Bucs needed was a two-point conversion. That's when Brady and Tampa Bay's offense proceeded to have the biggest of brain locks, getting docked five yards for a delay of game penalty. Pretty inexcusable. Tom Brady with a delay of game penalty on the game-tying 2-pt attempt…at home. Looks he would have walked right in. Can’t happen at the #NFL level. #BucsVsPackers pic.twitter.com/5aoKsi8r3z— SportSource Analytics (@SportSourceA) The Bucs' miscue brought the ball back to the 7-yard line. And even Brady couldn't pull the rabbit out of his hat twice, with his subsequent pass attempt falling harmlessly to the turf. MORE: Jalen Hurts or Lamar Jackson for MVP? Sunday's defeat represented a real missed chance for Tampa Bay, which was missing Mike Evans (through suspension) and Chris Godwin (through injury). And the Bucs were left to rue their numerous shortcomings once the whistle finally blew. “It’s concerning,” said coach Todd Bowles. “We didn’t have to have those guys to win this ballgame. We just needed to play smarter. We weren’t waiting for anybody to come onto the field and save us. We had chances to win this game. Talent had nothing to do with the way we shot ourselves in the foot.” Brady was similarly blunt. “I just looked up and we had … just a bad execution,” Brady said. “That’s really what it is. “ .. There were a lot of other times we had bad execution, and I think the reality is when you do that, you don’t have the opportunity to score points. There were too many plays when we were behind the sticks and not good on third down. Penalties, turnovers and missed opportunities. The defense played great. We’ve got to play better on offense.” Gotta be better, we'll be ready to go Sunday. @Buccaneers pic.twitter.com/5bKBFhol9S— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) MORE: Daniel Jones-Eli Manning connection, explained When asked about whether the offense did well enough to get itself the dub on Sunday, Brady was reflective. “We have plenty of talent to score points, and when you’re not doing it, it kind of just snowballs. You feel the pressure. It’s hard. We’ve just played terrible on offense the first three games. ... The defense played well again (Sunday). ... I’m sure they’re frustrated with the offense. We’re not pulling our weight, so we’ve just got to figure it out.”