Buccaneers HC addresses latest narrative surrounding Tom Brady
When the photos surfaced of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady at New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's wedding, most people knew it would get brought up if the Buccaneers lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6. And sure enough, here we are. The Buccaneers lost to the Steelers, 20-18, on Sunday after entering […]
When the photos surfaced of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady at New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's wedding, most people knew it would get brought up if the Buccaneers lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6.
And sure enough, here we are.
The Buccaneers lost to the Steelers, 20-18, on Sunday after entering the game as 10-point favorites, therefore, Kraft's wedding broke the proverbial levees.
It's gained a ton of steam, too. Especially when coupling the wedding with the fact Brady missed a walkthrough and traveled separately from his teammates.
While it's easy to connect all the dots and pin a good chunk of blame on Brady, that isn't what contributed to the loss. Poor offensive line play, poor coaching, and a defense that was allergic to getting third-down stops were the main catalysts behind the loss.
But at the same time, Brady certainly wasn't the guy we've seen dominate the league over the last two seasons.
Regardless, head coach Todd Bowles put the narrative of Brady's wedding attendance as the reason for his -and the Buccaneers offense- poor performance.
"He works as hard as anybody," Bowles said Monday when asked about the perception of Brady receiving special treatment. "There's been a few guys that's missed some meetings and some practices for some special thing that just doesn't get publicized because they're not him.
"It kinda comes with the territory. You don't worry about it too much."
When asked if Brady is as locked-in as ever, Bowles' response was simple.
"Yes."
It's impossible to argue the optics are anything but bad in this situation. Especially considering what the Buccaneers and Brady went through during the offseason – even if it was all organic and internal.
However, the idea that Brady's poor performance was strictly a result of attending a weekend wedding is short-sighted and a knee-jerk reaction at best.
And it's a good thing Bowles put it to bed on Monday.
You can check out Bowles' full presser, below:
Featured image via Michael Longo/For USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK
