Buccaneers @ Jets
Final Score: Buccaneers 28, Jets 24
Writer: Dan Adams (@dadams0323 on Twitter)
This game was shaping up as one of the bigger upsets of the season as the Jets jumped out to an early lead and led 24-10 in the second half. Tampa Bay appeared to be out of synch with Tom Brady struggling to lead scoring drives without all of his offensive weapons operating at full strength. It was looking bleak for the Buccaneers, especially when receiver Antonio Brown decided to end his Tampa Bay career by shedding most of his equipment and running off the field. Brady is still Brady though, and he rallied the Tampa Bay offense to 18 second-half points, including a 93-yard drive completed in under two minutes to put the Bucs up for good. While Tampa was figuring out their offense the Jets’ offense began stalling out, with a stuffed quarterback sneak on 4th-and-2 being particularly emblematic of their late-game offense. Tampa won 28-24, but the real story leaving this game is Brown’s departure from the team.
BA addresses the status of Antonio Brown: pic.twitter.com/gC7D8Csin2
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 2, 2022
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Quarterback
Tom Brady: 34/50, 410 yards, 3 TD, INT, Sack
This felt like a pretty routine game for Tom Brady. He quietly accumulated a great stat line and led the Bucs on a nine-play, 93-yard drive to win the game without any timeouts. Brady was willing to take a lot of shots downfield anytime his receivers had single coverage, which resulted in a few near misses to Mike Evans and a terrible interception when Brady and Evans weren’t on the same page and Brady threw behind Evans.
BIG PICK FOR THE ROOK @matayo_echols!!#TBvsNYJ on FOX pic.twitter.com/DhR1vuIQfg
— New York Jets (@nyjets) January 2, 2022
Brady made up for it later though, throwing a perfect downfield pass to Cyril Grayson, placing the ball just over the outstretched arms of the defender, to put the Bucs up with almost no time left on the clock.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME CYRIL 🤯
📺: #TBvsNYJ on FOX pic.twitter.com/TkkI1N6YUs
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 2, 2022
Brady’s other two touchdowns were short passes at the goal line, one to Evans and Cameron Brate each. It would have been a bigger statistical day if Brady had connected on a few more timing throws, but given that he’s working with some newer players due to injuries he can have a pass for those misses. Overall, Brady would probably like a few of the deeper throws back but once the game hit the fourth quarter he and the rest of his offense took over and executed close to flawlessly when it mattered most.
Running Backs
Ronald Jones: 10 carries, 26 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 1 yard
Ke’Shawn Vaughn: 8 carries, 31 yards | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 14 yards
Le’Veon Bell: 3 carries, 5 yards | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 30 yards
Ronald Jones got the start today but really failed to do much with the opportunity. He didn’t make any major mistakes but he also couldn’t seem to create any yards beyond what was blocked for him, and his limitations in the passing game kept him off the field as Tampa mounted their comeback. Le’Veon Bell operated as a third-down back and flashed some of his old receiving skills on a few checkdowns from Brady. Bell still looks like a mismatch when linebackers are trying to stick with him in coverage.
.@TomBrady to @LeVeonBell for the first down! #GoBucs
📺: #TBvsNYJ on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/ApeqNqgyc7— NFL (@NFL) January 2, 2022
Bell also added a two-point conversion on Tampa’s final touchdown. Ke’Shawn Vaughn was the third back into the game and he also handled the two-minute drills. He looked to be the best runner of the three and appeared far more comfortable than Jones when it came to running routes. Given Bell’s age and the coaching staff’s known dislike of Jones, Vaughn has a real chance to take over this backfield if he continues to play well.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Mike Evans: 7 targets, 4 receptions, 47 yards, TD
Antonio Brown: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 26 yards
Tyler Johnson: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 50 yards
Cyril Grayson: 8 targets, 6 receptions, 81 yards, TD
Breshad Perriman: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 41 yards
Rob Gronkowski: 10 targets, 7 receptions, 115 yards
Cameron Brate: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 5 yards, TD
Antonio Brown was a featured part of the offense in the first half, earning five targets including several plays designed to get the ball to him quickly in space. Unfortunately, for reasons currently unknown, Brown walked off the field after throwing some of his equipment into the stands, and coach Bruce Arians said after the game that Brown will no longer be a member of the Buccaneers. Hopefully, Brown eventually gets the help he needs. Mike Evans had an alright game after coming into this week dealing with a hamstring injury, making a juggling catch down the sideline for a nice gain, and using his frame to catch a short touchdown at the goal line on a well-thrown back shoulder fade.
M1️⃣K3️⃣ for 6️⃣
📺: #TBvsNYJ on FOX pic.twitter.com/OsLX8ekwAb
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 2, 2022
Rob Gronkowski was the best pass-catcher for the Bucs, routinely taking short receptions and turning them into bigger plays by throwing defenders off himself. Few things are as fun to watch as Gronk deciding that another pro football player will be no match for him in the open field. After Brown’s departure, Cyril Grayson was the man who stepped up to fill the void. Grayson made a few nice catches, though none were better than his game-winning touchdown, and has a strong case for having earned the number two receiver role going forward. Breshad Perriman and Tyler Johnson also pitched in with big receptions in the fourth quarter, and Cameron Brate contributed a short touchdown when he boxed out his defender on a short route at the goal line.
LFG ‼️
📺: #TBvsNYJ on FOX pic.twitter.com/tSofAKGvc0
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 2, 2022
New York Jets
Quarterback
Zach Wilson: 19/33, 234 yards, TD, Sack | 2 carries, 0 yards
Zach Wilson had a solid but unspectacular day. His offensive line was outplayed and that forced him to stick to the short passes. Wilson showed some nice pocket presence and escapability but didn’t have any success throwing downfield even when he broke out of the pocket. He flashed some nice arm strength, easily throwing the ball downfield even when rolling to his left, and aside from one bad throw that should have been intercepted he made good decisions. But the lack of big plays made it hard for the offense to score in the second half and Wilson didn’t do anything with his legs despite appearing to have a rushing lane several times. One of the biggest plays of the game was an attempted quarterback sneak on fourth-and-two, which Wilson failed to convert. This was a positive game for Wilson as he avoided the game-breaking mistakes against a tough defense but as he develops he’ll need to learn how to add in the big plays while still playing smart.
Running Backs
Michael Carter: 3 carries, 54 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 9 yards
Austin Walter: 14 carries, 49 yards
Ty Johnson: 5 carries, 35 yards, TD | 4 targets, 3 receptions, 47 yards
Michael Carter had a big run early in the game and would have had a long touchdown if not for a diving defender that just barely caught Carter’s ankle to trip him up.
55 yards for @8kMike!! #TBvsNYJ on FOX pic.twitter.com/nRJaXTHlBS
— New York Jets (@nyjets) January 2, 2022
Unfortunately, Carter left the game with a concussion shortly thereafter and would not return. Austin Walter took over as the early-down back and had one nice run where he found a hole and burst through it, but was mostly limited to just consistent short gains. Ty Johnson did a lot of damage on a few screens and looked explosive when he caught the ball in space, regardless of how he got there.
🗣 HUGE RUN TY#TBvsNYJ on FOX pic.twitter.com/Y6SYHsBSah
— New York Jets (@nyjets) January 2, 2022
Johnson also cashed in a short touchdown at the goal line by impressively powering through a tackle attempt in the backfield and powering his way into the end zone.
The Jets extend their lead over the Bucs 👀@NFL | #TakeFlightpic.twitter.com/Ywl8jcBsmM
— FanSided (@FanSided) January 2, 2022
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Braxton Berrios: 12 targets, 8 receptions, 65 yards, TD | 2 carries, 12 yards, TD
Kenny Yeboah: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 36 yards
Keelan Cole: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 35 yards
Jeff Smith: 4 targets, 1 reception, 13 yards
Daniel Brown: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 29 yards
Braxton Berrios was the best player on the field in the first half. He scored the first touchdown of the game on a cool reverse play at the goal line, and it was only a little disappointing that he didn’t try to throw for the touchdown instead of running it in himself.
THIS PLAY DESIGN *chef's kiss*@HNYNUT_BERRIOS puts us on the board first!#TBvsNYJ on FOX pic.twitter.com/YUNesolemM
— New York Jets (@nyjets) January 2, 2022
Berrios added a receiving touchdown by catching a short pass and diving for the pylon before the defender could push him out of bounds.
.@HNYNUT_BERRIOS has a rushing TD and a receiving TD in the first 17 minutes of this game.#TBvsNYJ on FOX pic.twitter.com/xGmztBogoe
— New York Jets (@nyjets) January 2, 2022
Berrios was the only receiver for the Jets consistently able to create separation, and once he had the ball he showcased the quickness that has made him a dangerous kick returner this year. He was clearly the best offensive weapon active for the Jets and he didn’t get much help from the other receivers. Kenny Yeboah made a nice sliding catch but was otherwise quiet. Jeff Smith had a bad drop and Keelan Cole was more effective on special teams than on offense.
— Dan Adams (@dadams0323 on Twitter)