TAMPA, Fla. — One week after Tom Brady threw two interceptions in a losing debut with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brady led four touchdown-scoring drives — two that came off turnovers — to defeat the Carolina Panthers 31-17 for his first Buccaneer win at Raymond James Stadium.
Brady completed 23 of 35 passes for 217 receiving yards and a touchdown to improve to 1-1 in the NFC South. Brady is now 49-13 all-time coming off a loss.
Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans, who managed just one catch last week and struggled to get on the same page as Brady, caught seven passes for 104 receiving yards and a touchdown. Evans carried much of the load without the Bucs other Pro Bowl wideout, Chris Godwin, who could not clear the concussion protocol, as did newcomer Leonard Fournette, who slashed his way to 103 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries.
But the defense — whom Brady largely capitalized on in his 20 seasons with the New England Patriots — gave the future Hall of Famer the biggest boost of all. After holding Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara in check last week but failing to force a turnover, they notched four against the Panthers.
On the Panthers’ opening drive, safety Jordan Whitehead made a diving interception on a screen pass intended for Christian McCaffrey. Brady then hit Evans for 50 yards on a skinny post route, setting up a 7-yard touchdown run by Ronald Jones.
Then on the Panthers’ second possession, rookie safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. burst off the edge to sack Bridgewater and force a fumble with Jason Pierre-Paul making the recovery. Brady then used a pump-fake to hit Mike Evans off his back-shoulder for a 23-yard touchdown.
With 4:59 left in the second quarter, Brady tossed it to Fournette, who tossed it back to Brady for a 36-yard flea-flicker, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by Leonard Fournette. The Bucs’ third takeaway came on the Panthers’ first drive of the second half, with Lavonte David forcing and recovering a fumble by Robbie Anderson. But on the very next play, Brady attempted to hit Rob Gronkowski on a crossing route — the pass sailed instead — with Donte Jackson notching the interception.
Brady would have had a fourth touchdown in the fourth quarter — off a Carlton Davis interception, the Bucs’ fourth takeaway of the game — but LeSean McCoy dropped a Brady end zone pass, forcing the Bucs to settle for a 33-yard field goal, before Fournette delivered a gashing 46-yard run to put the game away.
