Tom Brady Records Touchdown in First Drive with Buccaneers
Tom Brady brought the Buccaneers to the house in his first drive in a Tampa Bay uniform.
In the Bucs' season-opening matchup against the New Orleans Saints, Brady capped off a nearly-five-minute drive with a quarterback sneak for his first Tampa Bay touchdown. The score gave the Buccaneers an early 7-0 lead and resulted in a Brady ball-spike in the end zone.
Brady, 43, is making his Tampa Bay debut in his 21st NFL season after leaving New England in the offseason. With the Patriots, Brady became a six-time Super Bowl champion and three-time league MVP.
When he decided to join the Buccaneers, Brady wrote that playing for Tampa Bay would be "a change, a challenge, an opportunity to lead and collaborate, and also to be seen and heard." He added that he has things to prove to himself.
In his first completion with the Buccaneers, Brady showed off his pinpoint accuracy on a deep pass to Chris Godwin for a 29-yard gain. He later finished the drive with the two-yard quarterback sneak for Tampa Bay's opening score.
Meanwhile, Brady recorded his first interception in a Tampa Bay uniform early in the second quarter after Marcus Williams caught a pass intended for Mike Evans. Brady then began the third quarter with his second interception of the game, which Janoris Jenkins brought 36 yards to the end zone to give the Saints a 24-7 lead.
Brady finished the game with three total touchdowns, two interceptions and 239 yards in a 34-23 Buccaneers loss.