Tom Brady looks like Tom Brady again in Tampa’s first half vs. Panthers
For at least a half against the Carolina Panthers, Tom Brady looked anything but washed up.
A week after having his age, and his ability, openly questioned in a dismal loss at New Orleans, the future NFL Hall of Famer looked pretty spry early in Sunday’s 31-17 win.
With Brett Favre in Tampa to watch the game, Brady put on a first-half performance that probably looked really familiar to New England Patriots fans.
In the first two quarters, Brady was 17-of-23 for 198 yards and a touchdown.
After a particularly pretty out route to Justin Watson — a pass the required strength and touch, and was delivered perfectly — Fox announcer Mark Schlereth said what a lot of people were probably thinking.
TB-12 has a lot of football left.
“Can you throw it any better than that?” Schlereth said rhetorically. “People are writing the obituary. I get that Father Time gets everybody, but right now Tom Brady has Father Time on the canvas and he’s getting near-faulted. This guy has plenty of juice left in that right arm.”
Brady did about everything right in the first half, except seriously under-throw a wide open receiver on a flea flicker. The long gain should’ve been a touchdown. That came after Tampa Bay stopped a Panthers fake punt attempt while ahead 14-0.
The Bucs eventually scored anyway and led 21-0 at half.
Note: Brady finished 23-of-35 for 217 yards and a touchdown. He had two touchdown passes dropped.
This story was originally published September 20, 2020 at 2:36 PM with the headline "Tom Brady looks like Tom Brady again in Tampa’s first half vs. Panthers."
