The aftermath: Week 13 – Tampa Bay/New Orleans

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17, New Orleans Saints 16 (Dec. 5)

I watched Tom Brady’s brilliance, picking apart the Saints defense. They looked like they didn’t belong on the same field. Brady had the presence of a Marvel Avengers superhero. With ice in his veins, he orchestrated a drive, at 45 years old, that would have been magical at any age. He could not be stopped! Vintage Brady, I tell ya!

Except that it was the 4th quarter of the game that required a superhero because his offense was dominated by the rival Saints in this must-win game. and a must-win with the rival Saints.

I was slightly leaning towards the Bucs, but I had no dog in the fight as I watched the game as a fan. I stayed on the edge of my seat. I was living it again as a player, except I was in a cigar lounge. I knew what it felt like to win a division game and how important it was to me and the team to put ourselves in position to go to the playoffs. I also know how much it means as a fan. It’s all about getting into the playoffs.

Once in the playoffs, all bets are off. I don’t care what your record is. You win, you continue. Or you go home. You have to make it count – every rep, every practice. Winning the division, by any means, is critical. Monday night’s performance, at this point of the season, is exactly when you see what a team is made of. I wasn’t fooled that the Bucs offense was electrifying, and I knew that with Brady at the helm all they needed was a chance.

This why Brady matters. It’s about who can handle situational football better. Which the Saints did not. The Bucs did enough to win. I am not sure how far they can go, but they are leading the division. So more power to the Bucs.

I do need to say something about Brady. Maybe he has earned the right for it to be like this – or maybe no one can every earn the right to be like this. I saw Brady throw an interception. A nasty one – a real mistake. He threw it, and he walked back to the sideline. No harm, no foul. Not one person said anything to him. But later, he gets sacked, or the receiver runs a route not to his liking.  A pass is dropped …  Brady is completely different on the sidelines. He slams his helmet – there’s yelling and cursing at his teammates. And tablets, tossing tablets like he can buy them all. Which, of course, he can.

The pass he threw to Julio Jones was a little off, but Julio had an amazing catch to put them in position to score. I didn’t see Julio get upset, in fact I don’t really see any of the Bucs players do any of the actions that Brady has.

I am a fan of Brady’s, and maybe he can do what other people can’t, but I would like for him to be remembered as a fierce QB, not a person who looks like Kyler Murray acting up the field or sideline whenever someone else makes a mistake. The body language doesn’t lie. The videos don’t lie. This is the game within the game that many fans may not see. Being a pro athlete, this is something we look at. It is about respect and camaraderie; we all know that Brady gets a lot of leeway as a HOF, and to be honest he deserves some leeway. But where is the line? This is such a critical part of the season. The team is banged up, but you need all hands on deck. What kind of leader brings out the best in their team?

Their offense isn’t good but it has been good enough. Next week is a real test against a tremendous 49ers’ defense out in San Francisco. It may be a long day by the other bay. I hope the Bucs defense continues to play better and better, to give Brady a chance. 

Former defensive end Stylez White played for the Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears and Orlando Predators. He was on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defense from 2007 to 2010.