Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers eliminated from the NFL playoffs by the Los Angeles Rams
No Super Bowl this season for Tom Brady. The best quarterback in NFL history lost Sunday at home with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Los Angeles Rams (30-27) in the National Conference semifinals. Still, Brady hasn’t gone far from a new feat. The « Buccs », led 27-3, managed to equalize at 27-27, when there were only 42 seconds left to play, helped by three losses of balls from their opponents in the second half.
End of career for Brady?
But, in the short time remaining, Matthew Stafford, the QB of the Rams, delivered two passes to his receiver Cooper Kupper (including one from 44 yards) which placed the Californians within reach of a field goal. Matt Gay, the LA kicker, was quick to send his team to the conference final next Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.
Stafford delivered a solid performance with 366 yards and two touchdowns. His agreement with « Kupp », the best receiver in the NFL this season, was once again perfect since the latter caught nine passes for 183 yards, including one for a 70-yard TD. Brady himself made a copy of 329 yards, for a touchdown, an interception and a fumble.
Did the former Patriots star play the last game of his career this Sunday? The debate is now launched and, according to relatives of Tom Brady, surveyed by the American media, retirement would be a possibility. Sunday, after the loss against Los Angeles, the quarterback of Tampa Bay was content to declare that there was » not thought much about it yet” and that he was going “take things day by day and see where we are « .
In the other conference semi-final played on Sunday, the end of the game was even crazier. With 13 seconds remaining, the Buffalo Bills led 36-33 and had their ticket to the last four and a clash against the Cincinnati Bengals in the American Conference final. But the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, their top quarterback, managed to equalize and then win after overtime (42-36).
The two teams did not separate on the score (14-14 at the break, 23-21 for KC at the end of the third quarter). The Chiefs took the first option on victory by leading 33-29 with 1’02” remaining, on a 64-yard pass from Mahomes for Tyreek Hill. But, less than a minute later, Buffalo was in the lead, thanks to a touchdown from Gabriel Davis (36-33), his fourth of the evening (plus 201 receiving yards), served by an impeccable Josh Allen (329 yards, four TD’s, no interceptions).
Patrick Mahomes (370 yards, two TD’s) and Kansas City then sublimated. In the space of just three actions, the Chiefs found themselves in position to hit a field goal from 49 yards, which Harrison Butker did not miss, sending both teams into overtime. Kansas City attacked first and didn’t waste their chance. A touchdown from Travis Kelce sent his team to the conference finals for the fourth consecutive year, against Cincinnati next Sunday.
