Tom Brady's Buccaneers Debut Goes Downhill After Early Touchdown
BOSTON (CBS) -- Tom Brady's career in Tampa Bay got off to the perfect start on Sunday. Literally.
But then? Then it went downhill. Quickly. And steeply.
Playing in his first game for a team other than the Patriots since 1999, Brady took the field with the Buccaneers in New Orleans, getting the football at his own 15-yard line after the Bucs' defense forced a Saints punt for his first Tampa possession. Aided by a couple of pass interference penalties, Brady ended up sneaking across the goal line from the 2-yard line.
Brady executed to perfection a play he's run countless times before: the QB sneak.
Brady took the snap and burrowed behind his defensive line, falling forward into the end zone to give the Buccaneers a first-quarter lead. Brady celebrated with a violent spike of the football.
The touchdown sneak capped off a nine-play, 85-yard drive that took almost five minutes off the clock. Brady's stat line by the end of that first drive: 2-for-2 for 37 yards, plus two rushing yards and a touchdown.
On a day when Brady's replacement in Foxboro ran wild, the 43-year-old showed that he can still get things done on the ground when needed.
After that, though, things went south.
The rest of Brady's first half wasn't quite so enjoyable. He threw an interception when he and Mike Evans were on the wrong page. He took a sack and a penalty for intentional grounding, entering halftime just 8-for-12 for 76 yards.
Coming out of halftime, Brady and the Bucs got the football ... but then they gave it right back. Brady's pass to Justin Watson was picked off by Janoris Jenkins, who caught the ball with a full head of steam and trotted untouched to the end zone with a 36-yard pick six.
Brady did lead the Bucs right back down the field, ending that ensuing drive with a touchdown pass to O.J. Howard. Their next drive stalled out, leading to a field goal to cut New Orleans' lead to seven points late in the third quarter. But the Saints scored 10 points to put the game out of reach late, winning 34-23.
Not making matters much better? Brady's head coach, Bruce Arians, pinned the blame for both picks on the QB.
Brady finished 23-for-36 for 239 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, with three sacks and an intentional grounding penalty. He looked a bit down, sitting on the bench as the Saints drained clock late, seeing his Tampa debut not going at all like he envisioned all summer long.
