Tom Brady and the Buccaneers (-2) struggled to maintain a quality rhythm for much of their matchup with the Packers on Sunday.
Through almost four quarters, Tampa Bay had six points against one of their biggest NFC rivals. Brady himself seemed to lean on Russell Gage as a receiver but otherwise couldn’t help lift the Buccaneers the way he usually does.
That is until the final possession. Go figure. In the last three minutes, with Tampa Bay down 14-6, Brady marched the Buccaneers right down the field on a 13-play, 89-yard drive. When it came to a big-time third and goal play, it sure seemed like Tampa Bay just barely (if at all) got the snap off before a Brady-to-Gage touchdown:
FIRE THE CANNONS! 💣💥
📺: #GBvsTB on FOX pic.twitter.com/mYc3GQJ21C
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 25, 2022
Oh, well!
The Buccaneers would next have to tie the game with a two-point conversion. Unfortunately, while they seemed to have the right play called — a Leonard Fournette handoff — this time, they couldn’t get the snap off before a delay of game:
Pretty inexcusable. Tom Brady with a delay of game penalty on the game-tying 2-pt attempt…at home. Looks he would have walked right in. Can’t happen at the #NFL level. #BucsVsPackers pic.twitter.com/5aoKsi8r3z
— SportSource Analytics (@SportSourceA) September 25, 2022
That five-yard penalty would, unfortunately, blow the Buccaneers’ apparent perfect play call dead. And, from a distance, their chances at tying the game were predictably low:
❌ DENIED ❌ #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/iCiQn9qq63
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 25, 2022
Oof. What a brutal way to lose the game when you had a chance to win. A 14-12 Packers win that felt like Brady’s Buccaneers blew when they had the opening.
Tampa Bay will probably be OK in the long run, but that’s a tough way to suffer your first loss of the year — especially to another NFC heavyweight.
NFL fans crushed Tom Brady and the Buccaneers for their delay of game
that delay of game was on Brady for trying to change the play at the last second
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 25, 2022
Oh my they called delay of game on Brady! I’m going to go buy a Powerball ticket.
— Luke Russert (@LukeRussert) September 25, 2022
That was all on Brady allowing a delay of game.
— O.J. Spivey (@OJPhilly) September 25, 2022
Completely inexcusable for Brady to get a delay of game coming out of the score on two point conversion. You can’t make that mistake. I’m glad they did.
— Dr. Dubster (@thedubsterr) September 25, 2022
Inexcusable delay of game penalty by Brady/Bucs offense. Stunning that it actually happened.
— Jake Asman (@JakeAsman) September 25, 2022
Totally unacceptable by Brady to get a delay of game there
— NFL Beat Writers (@32BeatWriters) September 25, 2022
How do you get a delay of game on a 2 point conversion. Poor clock management by Brady
— Jake LaRochelle (@JakeLaRochelle_) September 25, 2022
That’s on Brady no for the delay of game?
— Chris Williamson (@CWilliamson44) September 25, 2022
Bucs with a delay of game on a 2 point conversion. You never see that from Brady
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) September 25, 2022
