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A stingy Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense turned a rare encounter between the Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks into a mismatch on Sunday
Brady outscored Rodgers, but a young secondary Bucs was equally impressive setting the tone for a 38-10 rout of the previously undefeated Packers, who defeated after taking a 10-0 lead and limiting Tampa Bay just five offensive games in the first quarter
Rodgers threw two interceptions – Green Bay’s first turnover of the season – within three passes of the second quarter to turn the 10-point lead into a 14-10 deficit
Cornerback Jamel Dean fired first pick 32 yards for a touchdown Safety Mike Edwards ran the other 38 yards to the Packers 2 to set up another TD
« Jamel put on a hell of a play It was a huge game It sparked us, » Brady said
This was the first signing victory for 43-year-old Brady since signing with the Bucs (4-2) after a historic 20-year run with the New England Patriots, which included nine games for the NFL title and six championships
He got his favorite target from his days with the Patriots in the mix, throwing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski for a 28-10 halftime lead. It was Gronkowski’s first TD since December 2018 and the 79th for the quarterback / tight end tandem – tied for fourth on the all-time list with Miami’s Dan Marino and Mark Clayton
Brady also threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to rookie Tyler Johnson and Ronald Jones rushed for 113 yards and a pair of touchdowns for Tampa Bay, who didn’t return the ball, allowed a sack or committed a single penalty after being reported 11 times in a one-point loss to Chicago in their previous game
Rodgers’ two interceptions – his first with multiple picks since throwing three in a loss to Carolina on December 17, 2017 – came on throws aimed at Davante Adams, who had six catches in lead the team for 61 yards on his return from a hamstring injury that sidelined him by two games
« I didn’t feel like we ever got into a rhythm. Even with 10 points to start the game, we had some off-schedule games to keep the records alive, » Rodgers said. p>
« I felt great on both throws I missed one slightly on the inside today, the other just looked like a tight cover, » Rodgers added « It was frustrating games, especially up to 10-0 there, essentially giving them 14 points, obviously changed the dynamics of the game I don’t think we were very efficient before that We obviously weren’t very efficient afterwards «
Rodgers was 16th of 35 for 160 yards and no touchdowns after completing 705% of his passes and throws with 13 touchdowns and no interceptions in Green Bay’s first four games
Brady, meanwhile, finished 17 of 27 for 166 yards and two non-interception touchdowns Gronkowski led the Bucs with five receptions for 78 yards – his best game since ending a one-year retirement to join Brady in Tampa Bay
“I thought Tom and Rob had a great relationship We got the match we were looking for on the fade ball,” Arians said “Gronk did a hell of a job adjusting that ball and getting the touchdown J ‘just wish he had pointed it with his right shoulder, but his right shoulder hurts «
This was just the third time Brady and Rodgers faced each other in their long, successful careers
And while both insisted throughout the week that it wasn’t Brady vs Rodgers, the friends expressed mutual admiration for each other’s accomplishments while acknowledging that it would be fun to share the pitch with the Packers looking to go undefeated and the Bucs looking to gauge their progress against one of the best teams in the NFL
Brady noted how important it would be to minimize mistakes, which no quarterback has done better in the first five weeks of the season
In addition to becoming the first team in NFL history to score at least 150 points and commit zero sales in the first four games of a season, the Packers had only allowed three bags before Sunday
« It was a pretty frustrating day We went above and beyond, we got beaten You have to give the Bucs all the credit in the world They had a great game plan and they really presented it to us in all three phases « Packers coach Matt LaFleur said.
« We just have to make sure we stay united We have to bounce back If you really look critically throughout our week it wasn’t our best (practice week) and it showed today That’s what’s happening, « added LaFleur. » We’ll find out what we are We need to hit that reset button and bounce back »
Brady and Rodgers have shared their two previous clashes, with the Packers winning 26-21 in 2014 at Green Bay and New England winning 31-17 at home in 2018, while Brady playing for the Patriots
Packers: LT David Bakhtiari started in the third quarter with a chest injury, leaving Green Bay to play the rest of the game without his best offensive lineman S Darnell Savage (quad) missed part of the second half -time CB Kevin King (quadriceps) and RB Tyler Ervin (wrist) were inactive
Buccaneers: RB Leonard Fournette (ankle) sidelined for the second time in three games DL Khalil Davis (ankle) was also inactive due to injury
Tom Brady, Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Packers, Buccaneers
World News – California – Tom Brady beats Aaron Rodgers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers routed Green Bay Packers – TSNCalifornia
