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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to play the Washington Football Team this Saturday in their first playoff appearance since 2007. While Washington's postseason drought wasn't as long, this is their first playoff game since 2015.
Tom Brady's Buccaneers ended up second in the NFC South, winning a total of 11 games after consistent disappointment in recent years. This is the reason Tampa Bay brought in Brady, who threw a whopping 40 touchdown passes at 43 years old.
Washington won the NFC East with only seven victories in the regular season, beating out the similarly mediocre New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys, However, behind a strong defense, Washington proved it could compete with the best teams in the league with a run late in the season, including a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers after the Steelers started 11-0.
Led by a six-time Super Bowl champion in Brady, the Buccaneers are in a great position to send Washington home after just one playoff game. While Chase Young is ready to get after Brady, the experience the future Hall of Famer brings to the table is immense, and the Buccaneers have a lot of offensive weapons around him to make life tough on the Washington defense.
Here are four bold Buccaneers predictions for this Wild Card matchup.
1. Tom Brady will throw at least three touchdowns
The Buccaneers didn't have much of a running game this season, instead relying on the 43-year-old Brady to lead a high-powered passing attack. Tampa Bay scored 30.8 points per game (No. 3 in the NFL) behind the second-ranked passing offense, with only the mighty Kansas City Chiefs ranking higher in terms of passing yards.
In addition to his 40 touchdown passes, Brady threw for 4,633 yards. With weapons such as Mike Evans (more on him in a second), Antonio Brown, Chris Godwin, and Rob Gronkowski, Brady has no shortage of options when running this dynamite offense.
2. Mike Evans will play a limited role in the offense
Mike Evans was recently seen active in practice after injuring his knee this past Sunday, so it looks like there's a chance he will be able to play.
But just how much will Evans play if he goes?
Brady would surely prefer Evans to be out there as much as possible as another top target for him. However, keeping Evans safe should also be a priority for Bruce Arians and the Buccaneers. The prediction here is Evans will suit up and be active, but he'll play a limited role in the offense.
The hope then is Evans would be able to play more as Tampa Bay goes deeper in the playoffs, though, obviously, nothing is guaranteed.
3. Rob Gronkowski will haul in a touchdown
Former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has always been one of Tom Brady's favorite offensive targets. Earlier in the season, Gronk recognized his role as a blocker and an individual who opens the offense for Brady to lead his offense down the field. Gronk caught his first touchdown pass in the sixth game of the season, with Brady targeting him anywhere from one to seven times in the games leading up to his first touchdown.
However, the NFL has seen a different Gronk in the second half of the season, as he caught six touchdowns after his first touchdown against the Green Bay Packers, along with being targeted more consistently by Brady. Gronk has to be a red-zone target against Washington, as his chemistry with Brady may prove to be overwhelming to the Washington defense.
4. Buccaneers will beat the Washington Football Team by at least 10 points
With Antonio Brown and Chris Godwin reeling in four touchdowns in the last three games of the NFL regular season, the Bucs are going into the first round of the playoffs with a lot of momentum. Winning the last four games of the regular season had to serve as a morale boost for the Buccaneers and their offense. Their defense will need to step up and stop Alex Smith's offensive attack, but if everybody plays their role on the defensive end, it will alleviate pressure on the offensive end and allow Brady to play his game.
Losing to the Tennessee Titans in the playoffs in his last year as a Patriot, Brady will do everything in his power to extend the Buccaneers' season for as long as possible this time around. Brady and his offense will be a lot for Chase Young and his talented Washington defense to handle. The NFL knows what happens when Brady gets in the zone, and the veteran quarterback is going to lead Tampa Bay to victory this weekend.
