Getty Tom Brady and the Buccaneers are headed to the NFL playoffs.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are headed to the NFL playoffs and made it to the postseason with one week to spare in the regular season. After the Bucs’ win over the Lions, Tom Brady called it a “bonus” to be able to make the postseason in his first season in Tampa Bay.
“It’s great to be 10-5. …We were 7-5 at the bye week then won three straight,” Brady noted in his postgame press conference. “So, it’s been really important. You know, we got another big one next week against Atlanta and then whatever happens after that is a bonus for all of us.”
The Lions are one of the worst teams the Buccaneers will face this season, and Brady took full advantage of their struggles putting up monster numbers before heading to the sideline. Brady threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns while completing more than 80 percent of his passes.
Brady on the Playoffs: ‘There’s Only Going to Be One Team That Ends Up Happy’
Brady’s comments on the Bucs’ run to the postseason were brief as the quarterback emphasized the team still has one more game remaining on the schedule. He was asked if the Bucs had a better chance of winning on the road in the playoffs with most teams having little home-field advantage, but Brady was not ready to discuss anything beyond their matchup against the Falcons.
“You know, we got a home game next week against Atlanta, so that’s what I’m thinking about,” Brady noted. “I’m going to try to go out and play great football next week. Didn’t play very good in the first half in Atlanta, and I only played one half today [vs. Lions]. So, I got to go out there and play well next week.”
Brady briefly addressed the playoffs noting that the majority of teams end up disappointed. The quarterback wants the Bucs to focus on “improving as a team” in the next two weeks before their playoff matchup.
“There’s a lot of guys that have worked hard to get to this point,” Brady added. “10 wins gets you something this year in the NFL. It gets you a spot in the playoffs. There’s going to be a bunch of teams that make it this year, and there’s only going to be one team that ends up happy. So, the more time we can spend improving as a team, improving as a quarterback that I need to do, then the better it is for us.”
The Bucs Are Currently the No. 5 Seed in the NFC
If the playoffs started today, the Buccaneers would be the No. 5 seed and would go on the road to take on No. 4 Washington. This could change depending on the outcome of the Rams-Seahawks Week 16 matchup.
Tampa Bay will likely either face the NFC East or NFC West champion with New Orleans wrapping up the NFC South title with their win over Minnesota. Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians likes his team’s chances of making some noise in the postseason.
“Anything can happen,” Arians admitted, per Buccaneers.com. “I’ve been a sixth seed, gone all the way to the Super Bowl and won it, right here in this stadium.”
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