ESPN Analyst says Bucs would’ve been better off with Jameis Winston than Tom Brady

ESPN Analyst says the Buccaneers would’ve been better off without Tom Brady

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers debut for Tom Brady didn’t go quite as the veteran had hoped and many are leaving him for dead after the performance.

Tom Brady, a six-time Super Bowl winner, joined the Buccaneers this offseason with the goal of chasing after one more championship at the age of 43. Unfortunately, the first game of the season for him with the team saw him throw two interceptions, including a pick-six on the way to a 34-23 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Brady finished the night completing 63.9 percent of his passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions and one rushing touchdown.

Following the game, many Buccaneers fans were already ready to turn on Tom Brady and those vibes trickled through to even national media members.

ESPN Analyst Max Kellerman said the loss to the Saints proved that Tom Brady is no longer elite and that the Buccaneers would’ve been better off with Jameis Winston at the helm, rather than the 43-year-old veteran.

Tom Brady is aging, but let’s just stop with the nonsense

Yes, Tom Brady is aging. It’s clear that some of the throws he used to make with ease don’t come quite as easily anymore. It’s clear that he isn’t the same physically as he once was 5-10 years ago and even before that, but let’s stop with the nonsense.

What about the throws he did make? His deep ball looked crisp. He still can fit the ball into tight coverage. He still showed accuracy.

Yes, he made a couple of mistakes. He threw that pick-six and Bruce Arians was quick to point out that it was his quarterback’s fault post game, but let’s stop pretending that he should just be left for dead following one subpar performance.

Brady still threw for nearly 250 yards and accounted for three touchdowns. His offensive line was putrid and there were certainly times where his wide receivers- and the officials, for that matter- didn’t help him out, either.

This isn’t to say that Tom Brady is an MVP-caliber quarterback. But it is to say that we need to stop pushing the panic button and getting ready to jump off the ship on the basis of one game.

The Buccaneers didn’t have a preseason. They didn’t have an opportunity to see how this offense- with several new pieces- would operate during a live game and they were tasked with facing one of the NFC’s best teams on the home field.

Give it a few games and see how things develop.

You’re still talking about a quarterback who has proven to have an accurate arm- still possessing strength- with one of the greatest football minds in the league and he has a ton of play-makers around him.

Kellerman can leave Tom Brady for dead after Week 1 if he wants to, but anyone who watched the game knows that offense showed glimpses of what it can become and that there’s potential there for much more as this team gets into a rhythm.