Tom Brady finds Mike Evans for 3 TDs as Bucs win NFC South

Tampa, FL – The Buccaneers overcame a double-digit deficit to beat the Carolina Panthers 30-24 on Sunday to win the NFC South for the second yr in a row and ticket Tom Brady to the playoffs for the 14th straight season .

The Bucks had not come again from a 14-point deficit or extra all through a season marred by a sluggish begin and a non-existent vertical passing sport. In the meantime, Brady and Mike Evans’ non-touchdown streaks stretched to 11, the longest of the Bucks’ franchise receiving careers.

However after falling behind 14-0 on Sunday, three landing passes from Brady to Evans modified all the things.

The primary was a 63-yarder who was air-mailed to Evans. The rating gave Evans his 1,000 receiving yards for his ninth straight season, the second-most in NFL historical past, behind solely Tim Brown and Jerry Rice. That landing fully modified the momentum with 2:18 within the first half.

Outdoors linebacker Devin White recovered a Sam Darnold fumble on the Carolina 17-yard line, and the Bucks reduce the Panthers’ result in 14-10 on a 22-yard area objective from Ryan Sacop. did.

Cornerback Sean Murphy Bunting intercepted Darnold at Tampa Bay 2 on the Panthers’ first drive of the second half, however on the Bucks’ ensuing drive, a 26-yard area objective try by Sacop was blocked by CJ Henderson. it was carried out.

The Bucks fell to a 21-10 deficit after Darnold threw a landing strike to Sea Smith to start out the fourth quarter. However Brady instantly responded with a 57-yard heave on Evans, the primary time a 45-year-old QB has thrown two 50-yard touchdowns in the identical sport since 2016. conversion failed to chop the Panthers result in 21-16 with 13:49 remaining.

Brady had but to discover a high receiver, connecting with Evans for his third 30-yard landing to present the Bucks the lead with 6:47 remaining. , Tampa Bay had a 24-21 lead.

After one other Darnold fumble, adopted by Leonard Fournette’s rating, which was faraway from the board after a overview, Brady sneakily punched the quarterback off the objective line with two minutes remaining, shouting “Brady! Brady! Brady!” he urged. Chants from the group.

Carolina added a area objective with 59 seconds remaining to make it 30-24.

On Sunday, the Bucks marked their first victory in eight video games of the season, surrendering greater than 20 factors to the opposition.

Brady and the Bucks nonetheless have one sport left in subsequent week’s Atlanta Falcons, however their playoff positions are cemented it doesn’t matter what. The division winner will enter the primary spherical of the playoffs towards both the Philadelphia Eagles or the Dallas Cowboys.