Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cruise Past Detroit Lions 47-7 Behind Brady's Four TDs

All week long, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced tough questions about the team's recent slow starts. Entering Saturday, the Bucs hadn't scored any points in the first quarter since the end of November.

Quarterback Tom Brady responded to those questions the only way he knew how to: 348 passing yards and four passing touchdowns in the first half alone. The Bucs scored a franchise-record 34 points in the first half and never looked back.

With the win, the Buccaneers clinch a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2007. In his 300th career regular-season game, Brady was nearly perfect in his performance completing 22-of-27 passes.

Brady spread the football around as all four touchdown passes were caught by four different Bucs. Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Evans led the way with 181 yards on just 10 catches catching two touchdowns. Evans broke his own team record catching his 13th touchdown reception this season.

Brady didn't even see the field in the second half as back-up quarterback Blaine Gabbert played the rest of the way.

Lions' running back D'Andre Swift fumbled the ball and Lavonte David recovered early in the second half. Gabbert threw his first touchdown pass since 2018 finding tight end Rob Gronkowski for 25 yards. Tampa Bay led 40-0 at the 14:50 mark of the third quarter.

The Lions' lone touchdown of the game was scored midway through the third quarter when Jamel Agnew returned Bradley Pinion's punt for a 74-yard punt return touchdown.

Gronkowski caught his first touchdown of the game on the opening drive of the game on a 33-yard pass to the longtime teammate. It was the first time since the team’s Week 10 win over the Carolina Panthers that they scored points in the first quarter, let alone the first drive. The Bucs were facing 3rd and 9 early and likely would have punted if it weren’t for Lions’ defensive end Everson Griffen jumping offside.

The hot start continued on the team’s second drive as the deep ball was working for Brady and the Bucs. The veteran quarterback hit Chris Godwin for 25 yards over the middle then found Evans for the 27-yard touchdown pass. With the touchdown catch, Evans became just 1 of 7 players in NFL history with 8,000+ receiving yards and 60+ receiving touchdowns in their first seven seasons.

Brady finished the first quarter with 179 yards and two touchdowns completing 9-of-11 passes. Brady was perfect on deep passes. 4-of-4, for 140 yards and the two scores in the first quarter.

The second quarter opened with Leonard Fournette scoring for the second straight week. Fournette ran the ball five times for 39 yards on the drive which resulted in a 4-yard rush up the middle for the touchdown.

The Bucs went 91 yards in just over four minutes, scoring for the fourth time in the first half. Brady found tight end Tanner Hudson for 36 yards then Evans caught a 22-yard pass. Running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn made a nice cut to pick up 14 yards on first down then rushed for another 12 yards on the next play. Brady threw his third touchdown hitting Godwin who made an impressive one-handed seven-yard pass.

While Fournette scored the lone rushing touchdown, Vaughn led the way running the ball 15 times for 62 yards. In addition to rushing for 34 yards, Fournette caught three passes for 32 yards.

Brady's fourth touchdown pass of the first half was caught by Antonio Brown, which was his second touchdown catch as a member of the Buccaneers.

It was a completely different first half for the Buccaneers who only totaled 60 yards last week against the Atlanta Falcons. This time around, the Bucs totaled over 300 total yards in the first half alone and finished the afternoon with a franchise-record 588 yards on offense.

Despite slow starts all season long, Brady and the Bucs finally started off hot and it paid off for Tampa Bay who is heading to the playoffs for the first time in 13 years.