Tom Brady and the Buccaneers have clinched a spot in the playoffs and their seeding is locked in too. However, that begs the question of whether the team is resting their starters or not.
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The Buccaneers season hasn’t been something to cheer about this year like it has the other two years Brady was piloting the ship. The offense has been extremely mediocre, and the team has struggled to find a groove all year long.
However, they are catching momentum at the right time. They won their last two games, and in a division-clinching win against the Panthers, the offense finally seemed to come alive.
Tom Brady threw for over 400 yards and three touchdowns while Mike Evans topped 200 yards and 3 touchdowns while Chris Godwin added another 100+ receiving yards.
The team enters week 18 against the Falcons with no stakes. They are confirmed to enter the playoffs as the 4th seed as a result of winning the NFC South division with a weak record.
Also Read: C.J Uzomah Injury Update: Will He Play The Season Finale Against The Dolphins?
Is Tom Brady playing today? Will the Buccaneers play their starters?
With nothing on the line, most teams would prefer to rest their starters for the final game of the year so they go into the playoffs fresh and healthy.
However, Brady has defiantly said that he will be playing the week 18 game. So, why aren’t the Bucs resting their starters? Well, for starters, rather than caring about health, the Bucs are more concerned with gaining momentum going into the playoffs.
After finally coming alive last week, the Bucs’ offense will look to build on their performance and clean up whatever they can.
“We can get better at a lot of things, so right now, we plan on playing him,” head coach Bowles said according to ESPN. “We’ll see how the week goes going forward, but we can get better at a lot of things that we need to work on, and we don’t need our foot off the gas.”
Brady also doesn’t want to miss any games. “I haven’t missed a game other than my ACL (injury in 2008), and then in 2016, I missed the first four games,” Brady explained, as per USA TODAY Sports. “Other than that, I’ve played them all.”
It’s a bold decision, but the team is hoping that it can pay off. Of course, some starters are resting as the Buccaneers’ inactive report contained Carlton Davis, Vita Vea, and Donovan Smith.
Also Read: How is Wildcard determined in the NFL?
