Six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady plays his 300th regular-season game today, trying to lift Tampa Bay into the NFL playoffs, the Buccaneers among seven teams that can clinch berths.
The 43-year-old quarterback and former New England Patriots star leads the Bucs to Detroit seeking a victory to clinch Tampa Bay’s first post-season appearance since 2007.
The penultimate week of the campaign kicked off yesterday with Minnesota at New Orleans, making the COVID-19-disrupted season the NFL’s first with games played on all seven possible days.
Photo: AFP
It concludes on Monday with Buffalo, division champions for the first time in 25 years, at New England, already eliminated from the post-season chase.
In between, answers will come about the playoff lineup and Brady is set to reach a milestone in Michigan, the same state where he was a college star and where he made his NFL debut off the New England bench in 2000.
“Yeah, I think it’s pretty cool,” Brady said of reaching 300 games. “I don’t get caught up too much in statistics and those types of things, but football has just been a very important part of my life for a long time.”
Among non-kickers and punters, Brady ranks third on the NFL all-time games played list, trailing only receiver Jerry Rice’s 303 and quarterback Brett Favre’s 302, and Brady does not see himself retiring any time soon.
“I’m very blessed to be 43 years old and still doing it,” he said. “It’s definitely a challenge for me still. There’s physical challenges, there’s mental challenges, there’s emotional challenges. I just love doing it. It’s pretty cool that I’m still able to do it and still have a team that’s supportive of me being out there, and I want to go out there and do the best I can for them.”
Brady is seeking his 12th consecutive season in the playoffs — he has the longest run by any quarterback in the Super Bowl era — and he is going against the NFL’s worst scoring defense.
If the Buccaneers (9-5) fall to Detroit (5-9), they can still clinch a playoff berth if Chicago (7-7) lose at Jacksonville (1-13) tomorrow.
Green Bay (11-3), New Orleans (10-4) and Seattle (10-4) have already ensured spots in the National Football Conference playoffs, with the Bucs, Arizona, Washington and the Los Angeles Rams hoping to join them.
Washington (6-8) host Carolina (4-10) tomorrow needing a victory plus a New York Giants (5-9) loss at Baltimore (9-5) to seal the National Football Conference East division crown and a playoff spot.
The Rams (9-5) clinch a post-season berth by winning tomorrow at Seattle, or with a Chicago loss or a victory by Arizona (8-6), who entertain San Francisco (5-9) today, and need a win and a Chicago loss to seal a playoff spot.
Reigning Super Bowl champions Kansas City (13-1), the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3) and Buffalo (11-3) have already clinched American Football Conference playoff berths, while Cleveland, Tennessee and Indianapolis — all 10-4 — hope to join them.
Cleveland need a victory tomorrow at the New York Jets (1-13) and a loss by Baltimore, Miami or Indianapolis to seal a playoff berth for the first time since 2002.
Indianapolis can clinch a spot tomorrow by beating hosts Pittsburgh and having either Baltimore or Miami lose.
Tennessee need a victory tomorrow at Green Bay or a loss by either Miami or Baltimore to reach the playoffs, and can take the American Football Conference South title with a win and an Indianapolis loss.
First-round playoff byes for the top overall record in each conference are also up for grabs.
Kansas City can clinch the American Football Conference bye into the second round by winning at Atlanta (4-10) tomorrow or with losses by either Pittsburgh or Buffalo.
Green Bay can secure the National Football Conference first-round bye with a home triumph over Tennessee and a loss by Seattle.
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