Page 18 - Florida Sentinel 1-8-21

Sports
Bucs Beat Falcons
NFL Playoffs Start Saturday
44-27, Secure No. 5
Seed In NFC Playoffs
For just the fourth time in franchise history, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will finish a regular season with at least 11 wins, beating the Atlanta Fal- cons 44-27 on Sunday to fin- ish with an 11-5 record.
Tom Brady threw for a season-high 399 yards and four touchdowns, two each to Chris Godwin and Anto- nio Brown, as the Bucs pulled away from the Falcons with three fourth-quarter touchdowns.
Brown led the Bucs with 11 receptions for 138 yards, while Godwin needed just five catches for 133 yards. Brady finishes the season with a franchise-record 40 touchdown passes, at age 43.
The win secures the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoffs for the Bucs, who will face the Washington Football Team on Saturday night, set to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET on NBC.
After an ugly win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sun- day night, the Washington Football Team clinched the NFC East title despite a losing record, earning the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoffs.
ANTONIO BROWN AND TOM BRADY
The $250,000 Reason Tom Brady Kept Throwing To Antonio Brown
Tom Brady completed a series of passes to Antonio Brown late in the team's 44- 27 blowout of the Falcons that helped Brown earn a hefty bonus.
Brown's incentive, worth $250,000, would be satisfied by reaching one of three crite- ria: six touchdowns, 650 yards or 45 receptions. Brown entered the day with 34 receptions, 11 short of his financial goal.
Brady helped Brown get there with seven receptions in the fourth quarter — includ- ing three on the Bucs' final drive with just over two min- utes remaining.
The NFL playoffs are finally upon us and this year, they're going to have a decidedly dif- ferent look.
Not only will there be 14 teams in the postseason for the first time in league history, but there will also be some fresh faces and that's because the two longest playoff droughts in the NFL both came to an end this year.
Latest Update On Mike Evans' Knee Injury
MIKE EVANS
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got a big win Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, but they’re hoping they avoided an even bigger loss in the injury department.
Star wide receiver Mike Evans went down with a knee injury in the first quarter of Sunday’s 44-27 victory, and did not return to the game. After the game, Bucs head coach Bruce Arians seemed hopeful that Evans had avoided a serious injury, but a definitive diagnosis won’t be known until the results of an MRI are obtained.
At the worst, Evans would be out for just one game if the Bucs are able to beat the Washington defense.
Wild Card Weekend Saturday, January 9
(7) Colts at (2) Bills, 1:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
(6) Rams at (3) Seahawks, 4:40 p.m. ET (Fox)
(5) Buccaneers at (4) Washington, 8:15 p.m. ET (NBC)
Sunday, January 10
(5) Ravens at (4) Titans, 1:05 p.m. ET (ABC)
(7) Bears at (2) Saints, 4:40 p.m. ET (CBS/Nickelodeon/Ama- zon Prime)
(6) Browns at (3) Steelers, 8:15 p.m. ET (NBC)
Saints QB Drew Brees
Reportedly Expected To
Retire After The 2020 Season
In a report that shocked absolutely no one, ESPN’s Adam Schefter shares that Drew Brees is expected to retire following the 2020 sea- son. While this likely won’t surprise anyone within the New Orleans Saints fanbase, it could potentially verify expec- tations.
Brees dealt with extensive injuries this season, signed a deal with NBC this offseason in addition also reportedly heavily contemplated retire- ment after the Pro Bowl.
The New Orleans Saints have carried a bit of a “do it for Drew” attitude all season and now, if the reports are true, the suspicions as to why may have just been confirmed.
Brees just recently sur- passed 80,000 passing yards, becoming the first NFL quar- terback to do so. But the hall- mark of this potential final season will be his return from 11 rib fractures and a collapsed lung. Those injuries will drive the narratives of both his ulti- mate decision and his tri-
DREW BREES
umphant return. Especially as the Saints enter the playoffs and hope to make a Super Bowl run.
If “everyone” expects Drew Brees to retire this sea- son, then most people will hope he gets his chance to ride off in the sunset with his sec- ond Lombardi Trophy as he cruises into the Hall of Fame once eligible.
Brees is also on pace to finish his fourth straight sea- son leading the NFL in com- pletion percentage. Even though he likely won’t finish the year as the career leader in touchdowns thrown, his lengthy list of records are un- deniable and will still do more than enough to hold up his legacy.
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