Tom Brady needs as many reps in this offense with his weapons as possible if the Buccaneers want any chance of a deep run in the playoffs.
A lot of Buccaneers fans are wondering if the decision by the coaching staff to play Tom Brady in a meaningless game is the right decision.
The risk of injuries is there. This offensive line has allowed a few hits against Brady that have led to most of us holding our breath.
Still, the decision to play the GOAT in the regular season finale is the right one, even if most of us will be watching all of these reps with some serious caution.
The Buccaneers need to do everything in their power to find their mojo on offense again. This team has been held back by their inability to put points on the board all season. The defense, which has been one of the best in the NFL, has not seen a fitting compliment in pewter and red for most of the year, and this has to change if the Bucs have any hope of winning in the playoffs.
None of this is to say that Brady needs to play the whole game or even half of it, but the more safe reps between the top group against a hurting Falcons roster the better.
Momentum is a real force in the NFL. We all saw it back in 2020 when Brady and the Bucs won the Super Bowl. That team’s record looked better, but there were some disappointing losses in that year as well. A string of wins at the end of the season and some offensive tweaks led to history.
Everyone should be able to see the similarities between where that team was at and where this one sits. The fix isn’t all that off, and a few improvements to the chemistry and getting the players as comfortable in the system as possible before the playoffs could make all the difference.
Reps matter, the Buccaneers just need to be extremely careful with Brady if they want this gamble to work.
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