Published 10:43 IST, January 18th 2021
Tom Brady to play 14th conference final in 21 years as Bucs face Packers for NFC title
NFL legend Tom Brady will make his 14th conference final appearance next week after the Bucs defeated the Saints to set up a clash against top seed Packers.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers are heading to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 2002 after Tom Brady and co. defeated the New Orleans Saints on Sunday night (Monday IST). The Bucs had signed veteran Brady to make a deep playoffs run, and their plans came to fruition at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome after a defensive masterclass led them to a win. Tampa Bay will now face Aaron Rodgers led top-seed Green Bay Packers in the NFL title contest next week
Tom Brady conference championships: Bucs return to NFC Championship game, Brady to make 14th appearance
Tom Brady might have left the New England Patriots, but his exploits haven't stopped since his move to Tampa Bay. With Sunday night's win over New Orleans Saints, the 43-year-old veteran quarterback will make his 14th conference final appearance, in what has been a glittering career, with a new chapter starting with the Bucs. Tampa Bay were butchered by the Saints in their previous two games, with Brees' Saints outscoring their opponents 72-26. Drew Brees has had six touchdowns combined in both games, while Tom Brady has managed two touchdowns and five interceptions.
The Bucs will face off against the Packers, where Tom Brady will face off against MVP favourite Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field. The 43-year-old made 13 conference finals in 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, winning an astonishing six Super Bowl titles. The Bucs walloped the Packers, 38-10 back in Week 6, forcing Rodgers into his worst game of the season.
In the Bucs vs Saints clash, Brady completed 18 of 33 passes for 199 yards, two touchdowns through the air, one on the ground and no interceptions. Bucs running backs Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones combined for 169 yards from scrimmage while Tampa Bay received three takeaways that led to touchdowns.
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Tom Brady vs Aaron Rodgers: Bucs vs Packers battle for NFC title
The Tampa Bay Bucs also achieved some history of their own on Sunday night, becoming the ninth team in NFL history and the first since the New York Giants in 2007 to defeat an opponent in the playoffs after being swept by it in the regular season. Brady is a career 9-4 in league championship games, but he's 3-3 in those games on the road. Brady is also 4-2 all-time against the Packers and 1-1 at Lambeau. Rodgers has lost three straight conference championships and will be looking to end that run next week.
(Image Courtesy: Tampa Bay Bucs Twitter)
Updated 10:43 IST, January 18th 2021