Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-20 New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees throws three picks as Tom Brady Bucs advances | NFL News

Tom Brady is heading for his 14th conference championship appearance of his career and a first with Tampa Bay; the Buccaneers travel to Green Bay to face the Packers next Sunday – live on Sky Sports NFL from 7pm

Drew Brees may have played his last game in the NFL as his Saints lost 30-20 to the Buccaneers in the playoffs

Drew Brees threw three interceptions in what would be the last game of his NFL career, as his New Orleans Saints were knocked out of the playoffs with a 30-20 division-round loss to the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay Sunday.

Brees (42) and Tampa quarterback Tom Brady (43) became the oldest QBs to make a playoff game, but it’s the latter who now advances to a 14th Conference Championship game. of his career – the six-time Super Bowl winner is the first with the Buccaneers after leaving the New England Patriots in the offseason.

• Buccaneer Passage: Tom Brady, 18/33, 199 yards, 2 TDs
• Rushed leader: Leonard Fournette, 17 carries, 63 yards
• First receiver: Leonard Fournette, five catches, 44 yards, 1 TD

None of the veteran callers performed particularly well in this one. Brady only completed 18 of his 33 attempts for 199 yards, although he threw two touchdown passes and ran another himself. He too, above all, did not return the ball.

Brees, meanwhile, was responsible for three of the Saints’ four total turnovers. They would prove costly mistakes, with Tampa Bay scoring three touchdowns in the back of the four takeaways.

Brees completed 19 of 34 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown to go with his three picks. He struggled throughout the game to throw the ball vertically onto the pitch, relying instead on short-distance gains that the Buccaneers defense was well equipped to defend.

• Saints passing: Drew Brees, 19/34, 134 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs
• Rushed leader: Alvin Kamara, 18 carries, 85 yards
• Leader reception: Tre’Quan Smith, three catches, 85 yards, 2 touchdowns

The only time New Orleans has been able to capitalize on the deep ball it was former Bucs quarterback and current Saints replacement Jameis Winston who provided a spark, finding Tre’Quan Smith on a 56-yard touchdown hit.

That game saw the Saints regain the lead, 13-10, after Brady ended a streak on the field to open the game by selecting Mike Evans in the end zone for a three-yard score – after the first interception of the match by Brees.

A three-field second from Ryan Succop on the night tied the game in the dying seconds of the first half, but the Saints started strong after the break, with Brees throwing a 16-yard touchdown pass. to Smith during their opening series.

However, on their next possession, New Orleans tight end Jared Cook dodged football, helping to organize a six-yard strike from Brady to Leonard Fournette to tie the game again at 20-20.

A 36-yard Succop field goal soon after saw the Bucs win three, before Devin White fell back with Brees’ second interception and Brady took full advantage by rushing for a score on the line. goal five minutes from time.

Trailing by 10, a desperate Brees threw in a third and final pick as Tampa Bay closed the game, avenging its two regular season losses to the Saints and marching to Green Bay for a meeting with the Packers in the NFC Championship game next Sunday.

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