Antonio Brown Catches His First Touchdown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Antonio Brown's first touchdown catch in Tampa Bay couldn't have come at a better time for the Buccaneers on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.
Bucs' quarterback Tom Brady found Brown sprinting past Falcons' cornerback Tyler Hall and connected with him for a 46-yard grab which ended up being the go-ahead score with 6:19 left in the game.
Immediately, Brown fell to the ground raising his arms up in celebration. Tampa Bay won 31-27 thanks to the touchdown. It was Brown's first touchdown catch since Sept. 2019.
“It’s been a long journey for me," Brown said. Anytime I get that opportunity, [I’m] always grateful [and] thankful to God. As soon as I caught it, I went straight to my knees and called God and gave praise. [I’m] extremely grateful to be here with Tampa Bay and have the opportunity to live out my dream and play football – it’s something I love to do."
Buccaneers' head coach Bruce Arians said the exact same play had been called earlier in the game by offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. The first time around Brady passed the ball to receiver Chris Godwin over the middle. This time, Brady hit Brown on the left side for the score.
"I love the call Byron [Leftwich] made," Arians said. "A.B. (Brown) blew by [the defense]. They both were wide open by five yards and it was just 'pick your poison.' I was really happy to see A.B. get in the end zone. It was good for him and good for all of us.”
The touchdown gave the Bucs the lead after Tampa Bay rallied back from a 17-0 deficit at halftime. Brady struggled in the first half completing just 10-of-16 passes for 70 yards but exploded in the second half throwing for 320 yards and two touchdowns.
While most watching the game in the first half likely gave up on the Bucs as they struggled to put together any successful drive, Brown knew Brady had been in this situation before and knew he would find a way to win.
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“Anytime you play with a guy like Tom, it’s encouraging. He’s seen it all [and] done it all," Brown said about Brady. "He’s been in so many games, so many situations so to be in a comeback with him is unbelievable. I’m grateful to be on the receiving side of it."
Brady said he loved seeing Brown finally end up in the endzone for the Bucs.
“Obviously as a teammate [and] someone who knows him pretty well, he’s done a lot of work to get to this point," Brady said about Brown. "Just proud of him, his focus [and] how he’s prioritized different things. A lot of guys in that receiver group have helped him and he’s making great contributions."
Since joining the Bucs, Brown has caught 30 passes for 310 receiving yards and one touchdown. Among active NFL players, Brown ranks third in receptions (871), fourth in receiving yards (11,573), and fourth in receiving touchdowns (76).
“He’s done a good job," Arians said about Brown’s contributions since joining Tampa Bay. "He’s doing the best with his opportunities. I was really glad to see him get in the end zone – he’s been doing extremely well."
