Getty Tom Brady dashes for a first down against the New York Giants on Nov. 22.
It’s been rivalry week for Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.
The latest came on Saturday, Nov. 27, as his alma mater, No. 5 Michigan, downed No. 2 Ohio State 42-27. Brady shared his joy of watching the Wolverines win on Instagram. Michigan hadn’t beaten the Buckeyes since 2011.
“Let’s go baby, go Blue,” Brady exclaimed as Wolverines running back Hassan Haskins sealed the win.
Brady led Michigan to a win over Ohio State in 1999 as a senior. It’s not the first time Brady trolled Ohio State this season. He did it ahead of the Bucs game against Chicago, which drafted recent Ohio State star Justin Fields at quarterback.
Next, Brady will turn his attention back to another old rival, the Indianapolis Colts, which the Bucs will face on Sunday.
“It’s a team I’ve played a lot of games against and pretty meaningful ones,” Brady told the media on Thursday, Nov. 25. “I don’t think any of those will have an effect on this game this weekend. It’s a totally different opponent. It’s a totally different style of play. It’s going to be a great game.”
Brady Sends Humorous Farewell Message to Drew Brees
Brady dished his first helping of trolling old rivals on Thanksgiving Day when he appeared in a farewell video for Drew Brees.
The New Orleans Saints honored Brees at halftime of Thursday’s 31-6 loss to Buffalo. Brady and Brees crossed paths many times in the Big 10 for college and followed by lengthy NFL careers. Brady led the Bucs past the Saints 30-20 in the Divisional Round last season, ending Brees’ career.
“Thank you for retiring. Don’t ever come back,” Brady began in the video message.
Tom Brady’s message to Drew Brees: Thank you for retiring. Don’t ever come back. #Saints
Because of the heavy booing by Saints fans, Brady’s further comments, likely more affirming, weren’t audible on video.
Brady has spoken highly of Brees in the past, including when Brees officially announced his retirement last spring. They also met on the field following the Bucs divisional win last winter.
Brady: ‘No Excuses’ Against Indy
Rivalry more or less began for Brady with a win over the New York Giants on Monday, Nov. 22. Brady admitted the Giants are his favorite team to beat because of two Super Bowl losses to them.
The Bucs win ended a two-game skid just days before Thanksgiving with a road game on the horizon against a red-hot team. For the Bucs to make it two wins in a row, the defending Super Bowl champions can’t let circumstances get in the way, Brady said on Thursday.
“A lot of things can be made of it, a lot of excuses can be built in, but we’ve got to just push forward and go try to get a win on the road,” Brady said.
Brady won’t have many excuses in the injury department on offense. Tight end Rob Gronkowski returned against the Giants, and top receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin look ready to go at Indianapolis after dealing with injuries this week.
“We’ve got to just keep executing well — run game, pass game. Really doesn’t matter what we do. When we don’t move the ball, it’s usually our execution, which we need to fix,” Brady said.