For a second straight week, an unexpected road loss and a struggling offense has Tom Brady and Tampa Bay Buccaneers searching for answers.
The preseason NFC South favourites dropped to 3-4 following Sunday’s 21-3 defeat to a Carolina Panthers team that was starting a third-string quarterback, while being led by an interim head coach.
The Brady-led offence failed to produce a touchdown one week after not reaching the end zone until late in the fourth quarter of a 20-18 loss to the-then 1-4 Pittsburgh Steelers.
"It’s still there," said Brady of Tampa Bay’s need to self-evaluate. "We talked about execution the other day and it still comes up. I think we all just need to do our job better.
"There’s no easy way about it. They’re trying to keep us from doing our job, we’re trying to do it, and they’re doing a better job than we are. Anytime you score three points, that pretty much sums it up."
Though the Bucs still reside in a first-place tie in what’s been a weak NFC South thus far, they’ve now lost four of their past five games to place Brady in a spot he’s rarely been in during his storied 23-year career. The future Hall of Fame quarterback hasn’t been under .500 seven games into the season since the 2002 New England Patriots started 3-4, and he’s never had a losing record at any time after eight games.
"We’re not playing well," head coach Todd Bowles admitted. "We’re not playing well as individuals, we’re not playing well as a team, we’re not coaching it well. All the way around – we’re not scoring enough on offence and we’re not stopping them enough on defence.
"We have to wear this on our sleeve. They’ve got to be grown men. We’re going to see what we’re made of, (see) how many people can handle adversity, and this is about as dark as it’s going be right now."
While a defence that’s now gone three straight games without forcing a turnover and surrendered 173 rushing yards to the Panthers has played in a role in Tampa Bay’s tough stretch, much of the focus has been centred around the offence’s continued problems to consistently generate points. The Bucs were held under 20 points for the fourth time this season in Sunday’s loss; they scored fewer than 20 only three times while going 13-4 and earning the NFC’s second seed in 2021.
"We’re plenty capable of making plays, we’re just not making them consistently enough to score points," said Brady, who’s averaged a mere 6.0 yards per pass attempt during the current two-game losing streak. "We make a big play, make a bad play, make a big play, make a bad play. In football that’s just not good enough.
"You can’t play like that. You’ve got to string enough good plays together to get the ball into the red area and score points."
With a Thursday night home game against Baltimore next on the schedule, the Buccaneers will have a short time to try to find solutions to their current problems.
"We’re going to see what we have going forward," said Bowles. "See how many crumble in the dark and see how many people step up and start playing better, and start coaching better."
Jamaican Olympic gold medalist Roje Stona leaning towards potential NFL career shift: "I'm curious to see what I can do on the field..."
Roje Stona, Jamaica’s Olympic discus champion who created history in Paris this summer with a record-breaking throw of 70m, is contemplating a surprising career shift to the NFL. The 25-year-old, who became the first Jamaican to win Olympic gold in the shot put, is exploring the possibility of trying his hand in American football, a sport he has little experience in but significant curiosity about.
Prior to the Paris Olympic Games, the former Ruseas and St Jago High School student and Clemson University and University of Arkansas alumnus took part in NFL rookie training camps with the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints. Though unfamiliar with the game—he donned a football helmet for the first time during these sessions—Stona is intrigued by the opportunity to translate his athletic prowess to the football field. "If there’s like a 99 percent chance that I’ll make a team, then, obviously, I’ll go for it,” Stona shared in an interview with CNN Sport, acknowledging the risk to his athletics career, "but if it’s like one or two, though, I got to be realistic."
Having initially been inspired by Usain Bolt's Olympic gold at Beijing 2008, Stona gravitated toward athletics after a youth spent exploring various sports, including soccer, his first love. It wasn’t until high school that he found his true calling in track and field, particularly the discus throw. "I yanked it, it just dropped right out of 20 meters," he recalled of his first experience with the discipline.
Stona’s path to Olympic glory was further shaped by his collegiate career in the United States. At Clemson and later at the University of Arkansas, he was mentored by Ryan Crouser, a three-time Olympic shot put champion. Crouser’s guidance during Stona’s final year of collegiate eligibility instilled in him the confidence to push his limits, ultimately leading to his standout performance in Paris.
While his NFL aspirations remain in the exploratory stage, Stona is taking a calculated approach. With the NFL season already underway, he plans to prioritize rest and recovery after a demanding athletics season but admits his interest is piqued. "Everywhere I go, people don’t ask, ‘Hey, you’re a discus thrower?’ No, people don’t ask that!" Stona joked. “Especially in the States, they ask, ‘Do you play football?’”
Stona’s next steps will involve discussions with agents and coaches to assess the feasibility of an NFL career. "As soon as I get advice from agents and coaches, that will put me in a better position to make a very important decision or just be more decisive if it’s worth it or not,” he said. “If that part leads me there, then I’m going to give it my all because it’s kind of now or never. I’m curious as to what I can do on the field, and if I end up playing in the NFL, that would be a part of my legacy – I’d love to do that.”
NFL legend Brady to buy stake in Las Vegas Raiders
Tom Brady has been given approval by the NFL's team owners to buy a 5% stake in the Las Vegas Raiders.
The 47-year-old retired for the second time in February 2023, having won seven Super Bowls across 23 seasons in the NFL.
Speaking about his investment, Brady said he was "incredibly humbled and excited" to be given the opportunity to work with the Raiders.
"Throughout my NFL career, I've learned that at its core, football is a game of teamwork, resilience and a relentless pursuit of excellence," he wrote in a statement.
"The Raiders franchise and city of Las Vegas embody these same values, and I'm honoured to become part of that story."
Brady has kept himself busy since leaving the NFL as a player. In March of last year, he purchased a minority stake in the Las Vegas Aces before they went on to win the WNBA Championship.
Last August, he also became a minority owner of EFL team Birmingham City, in partnership with investment group Knighthead Capital Management.
On his latest acquisition, Brady needed 24 votes from NFL owners to get the green light but received a unanimous 32 during a meeting in Atlanta.
"I'm excited to contribute to the organisation in any way I can, honouring the Raiders' rich tradition while finding every possible opportunity to improve our offering to fans," he said. "And most importantly, WIN football games."
Brady isn't the only person pleased with his acquisition, with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell happy to see him back in the sport.
"It's great that Tom Brady wants to invest in the NFL," he said. "He cares deeply about this game, he believes in its future, and I think that's just a signal about it."
Cousins throws for 509 yards, 4 touchdowns in Falcons' OT win over Buccaneers
Kirk Cousins passed for a career-high 509 yards and four touchdowns, the last of them a 45-yard scoring pass to KhaDarel Hodge in overtime that gave the Atlanta Falcons an improbable 36-30 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.
After a wild fourth quarter that featured a blocked field goal, a fumble and an interception, Cousins and the Falcons (3-2) got the ball back at their own 20 with 1:14 remaining in regulation and no timeouts, trailing 30-27.
Cousins completed five passes to push Atlanta to the Buccaneers 29, then hustled to the line to spike the ball with a single second on the clock. In all the confusion, the Falcons were called for delay of game as they lined up for a tying field goal, but it didn't cost them.
Younghoe Koo knocked it through from 52 yards to force overtime, one week after he made a 58-yarder with 2 seconds left to beat the New Orleans Saints.
The Falcons won the coin toss in overtime and made sure Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers (3-2) didn't get their hands on the ball again. Cousins connected with Drake London on a couple of passes before throwing one over the middle to Hodge, who split the secondary and raced untouched to the end zone to end the game.
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