Primed For Victory
January 13th, 2023
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BY IRA KAUFMAN
The Bucs released their initial injury report of the week and guess who wasn’t on it?
The franchise.
If you’re wondering why so many pundits are picking the Bucs to pull off a mild upset Monday night, look no further than the mismatch under center. Tom Brady has won 35 postseason games. Dak Prescott has won one.
Uno.
Eighteen weeks into an erratic season, Brady is healthy — and so are Tampa Bay’s chances of advancing to the divisional round. While chaos swirls around America’s Team, Tampa’s team is getting more healthy and more confident.
Brady’s impeccable résumé in big games provides the Bucs with considerable swagger against a Dallas team that posted four more wins during the regular season.
Despite the disparity in the records, the time feels right to bring on the Cowboys. Their owner can’t shut up and this matchup is beginning to look like a silent night for the visitors.
Each day, a new rumor circulates about Mike McCarthy’s future in Big D. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is linked to a different head coaching vacancy every few hours. Micah Parsons is pissed off he didn’t make someone’s All-Pro team.
Soaking it all in is No. 12, winner of 74 percent of his postseason starts. You can’t overstate Brady’s incomparable success on the biggest stages. He ranks No. 1 all-time with 35 playoff wins. Joe Montana is second … with 16.
Brady is the last quarterback Quinn wants to see in January.
Quinn orchestrated the Legion of Boom defense for the 2014 Seahawks, who were seeking back-to-back championships. A repeat appeared likely as Seattle led the Patriots 24-14 in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl before Brady shredded the NFL’s No. 1 defense en route to a 28-24 triumph.
That was a mere appetizer for Brady, who led New England back from a 28-3 deficit against Atlanta in the Super Bowl two years later as Quinn looked on helplessly as Falcons head coach.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn
In those two memorable Super Bowl comebacks, Brady completed 36-of-44 passes for 376 yards and 3 touchdowns — all after the third quarter. No wonder Quinn has been warning Parsons and the rest of the Cowboy defense that no lead is safe against Brady.
“This is a quarterback who is so mentally quick and has seen so many things, we’ll have to be at our best,” Quinn says. “I don’t know if anyone has ever done it better in terms of identifying where to go with the ball against the coverage.”
The Cowboys have a strong pass rush, ranking second in the NFC with 54 sacks, but Quinn is a realist. Brady’s ultra-quick release makes it very difficult to get him on the ground.
“There are ways to affect the quarterback and get him to move off his spot,” he says.
Coming off his first losing regular season, Brady has the look of a winner in this wild-card duel. But if things go awry, this could well turn out to be Brady’s final game as a Buccaneer, so appreciate him while you can.
We shall not see his like again. Nobody will.
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Ira with his good friend and JoeBucFan.com draft guru Sean Sullivan, general manager of Bill Currie Ford and host of the Best In Class podcast. Sean will help you personally in any way he can. Just ask!!!
January 13th, 2023 at 10:48 am
The pressure is on us, not the Cowboys, and that is because of Brady. I think we are up to it but we won’t know until Monday night. Feeling good but not great.
January 13th, 2023 at 10:57 am
This article reminds me of the most disgusting quote of all time from Bobby Knight when he said if getting r@ped is inevitable lay back and enjoy it.
January 13th, 2023 at 10:58 am
I prefer to look at actual matchups over historical data.
I mean if we are going to look at historical data, Tom Brady is absolutely horrible ATS on night games.
So that historical data would suggest that we clearly lose since the Boys are favored.
January 13th, 2023 at 11:02 am
Would feel better about this if our gameplan was one that kept the Cowboy D on the field with no chance of substitutions. As it is, I expect another plodding offensive attack that relies on the non existent ground game and a lot of 3rd and long situations. The D will have to save Leftwurst from his own stupidity. Not looking forward to this game…..
January 13th, 2023 at 11:07 am
The pressure is on Tampa???? 100% disagree! We entered the playoffs sub .500! Cowboys are “America’s Team” and so Brady or not, the pressure is on Dallas… Tampa? They are playing with house money? We just happen to have the best dealer ever in the NFL …. TB12!
Bring on monday! I am ALL IN!
January 13th, 2023 at 11:10 am
Why would week #18 for this team be any different than weeks #1 thru#17?
If we win, this will probably be another nail biter decided in the last 2 minutes.
January 13th, 2023 at 11:18 am
I am not a big believer in talking about how many wins Brady has in the post season and the fact that we are pretty healthy as a team. Remember on the offensive side of the ball we have Byron Leftstiff. We could easily be falling asleep in the second quarter unless he has an epiphany. According to this past debacle of a season, Byron’s play calling might rear it’s ugly head and send the Buc’s on an extended vacation, sooner rather than later.
January 13th, 2023 at 11:19 am
Geno711. Yep. Some game/player matchups would be nice. Is Diggs going to be on Evans exclusively? Is Davis going to cover Lamb in man? I don’t think Dean can cover him. I like Deans vertical coverage but he’s stiff laterally. Gage could be big in this one going against Dallas’s 3rd or 4th cover guy. I don’t think Diggs can cover Evans without help. Gotta watch the TEs for Dallas. Schultz is a tough cover.
January 13th, 2023 at 11:20 am
I beg to differ….. the pressure is definitely on the Cowboys….”America’s Team”…..their poor performances in the post seasons……coaching hot seat…..favorite….the Bucs underdogs at home with a losing record…
PRESSURE/ COWBOYS
January 13th, 2023 at 3:13 pm
Kentucky, nice take. There’s some cover 3 and even cover 4 schemes that can work but they have to be used sparingly and with some disguise. BL: Defense can do it but will need to play lights out on 2nd & 3rd down. Go Bucs!
January 13th, 2023 at 3:21 pm
IMHO, Pressure is on the Cowboys, not us!
We are the team with the poor record, so even though we are a division champion, Dallas is favored, even with the game played here in Tampa.
January 13th, 2023 at 3:22 pm
IMHO, Pressure is on the Cowboys, not us!
We are the team with the poor record, so even though we are a division champion, Dallas is favored, even with the game played here in Tampa.
After all, they have a much better record overall than we do
January 13th, 2023 at 4:05 pm
Pressure is definitely on Dallas.
Brady can win despite lefty.
Need a big defensive effort.
No getting bored or jogging.
January 13th, 2023 at 4:48 pm
Good stuff as always, Ira.
Brady is like the scrawny lil lunch-yard bully. Nobody is scared of his physique, but he somehow always manages to steal their lunch money – sometimes, right before the lunch bell rings.
He’s just a winner, and that’s why I enjoy watching Brady, even though he’s just a slow, plodding, scrawny little runt per current NFL standards of athleticism. He just wins.
GO BUCS!!!
January 13th, 2023 at 5:37 pm
What are the odds that Bucs first offensive play is a run up the left middle?
January 14th, 2023 at 12:24 am
“In those two memorable Super Bowl comebacks, Brady completed 36-of-44 passes for 376 yards and 3 touchdowns —” 4th qtrs
Amazing!
“this could well turn out to be Brady’s final game as a Buccaneer, so appreciate him while you can.
We shall not see his like again.” –Amen
Thx for the perspective Ira.