The Ghost of Tom Brady continues to haunt the Falcons
FLOWERY BRANCH — Since the second half of Super Bowl 51, Tom Brady has haunted the Falcons.
He still looms over the Falcons a few years after he retired from the NFL as the Buccaneers quarterback.
The Bucs are in the midst of an unprecedented run in the NFC South, as they have won the past four division titles and have a chance to win their fifth. The Falcons (4-9) are set to face the Bucs (7-6) at 8:15 p.m. Thursday night at Raymond James Stadium.
The Bucs are tied for first place with the Panthers (7-6) with four games to play.
What’s been the key to the Bucs’ takeover of the NFC South?
“I think it really started with an excellent quarterback play, right?” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “It started with Tom Brady. Then spilled over to Baker (Mayfield).”
After his 20-year run with the Patriots, Brady signed with the Bucs in March 2020. They went 11-5 and finished in second place, behind the Saints, in his first season. The Bucs went on to win the franchise’s second Super Bowl title.
The Bucs went 13-4 and won the division title in 2021. They went 8-9, 9-8 and 10-7 in subsequent seasons to win the title. Brady was the quarterback from 2020 to 2022. The Bucs gave Baker Mayfield, who was discarded by Cleveland, a shot and he won the job in 2023 over Kyle Trask, who currently is on the Falcons’ practice squad.
Mayfield has made the most of the opportunity.
“What they’ve been able to do from the quarterback position the last couple of years has been outstanding,” Morris said. “And that’s what’s maintained the dominance for those guys and how they played, making them highly competitive every single year.”
Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss, the leading tackler on the team with 88, has spent his entire career in the NFC South. He played with the Saints from 2019-22 before signing with the Falcons in free agency and was on the last Saints NFC South title team.
Bruce Arians was the Bucs coach and passed the reins to Todd Bowles, who was his defensive coordinator.
Bowles, who started his coaching career at Morehouse in 1992 on Doug Williams’ staff, has continued the winning ways.
“They’ve got great stability at coaching,” Elliss said. “That unit has been together, the Bruce years aside, that group has really been together for a minute. It’s a team that you respect. It’s a team that has won this division for years and years.”
Also, Brady left them with a gift.
“Getting Tom and when you get that Super Bowl pedigree, you learn how to win,” Elliss said. “I think that’s kind of what’s happened over there. That’s the key. When you win, you learn how to win. They’ve still got a lot of people there that know how to win.”
The Bucs started 6-2 this season, but injuries started to mount. They have lost four of the past five games.
They recently got back running back Bucky Irving and wide receiver Chris Godwin. Wide receiver Mike Evans and left tackle Tristan Wirfs could return against the Falcons.
Though the Bucs are in a slump, the Falcons still consider the four-time defending NFC South champs dangerous.
“The receiver corps, it’s a unique situation because obviously they have a ton of talent from a receiver standpoint,” Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. “But because Mike has not played a ton this year, and he’s been out from time to time, (Emeka Egbuka) has taken a lot of those roles. He’s been featured in ways that, in the past, they featured Mike Evans.”
Egbuka had two touchdown receptions in the previous meeting against the Falcons.
“So, now with the full contingency here with Godwin, (Egbuka), Mike, and Tez (Johnson), all of them, you’re not quite certain how they’re going to feature each particular receiver,” Ulbrich said.
The Bucs also have a strong rushing attack at Mayfield’s disposal. Irving, Rachaad White and Sean Tucker have been productive this season.
The Bucs have evolved since the first meeting under new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard.
“I can really see it from the play-caller standpoint,” Ulbrich said. “Obviously when we played him, it was his first time out. And not to say it was bad by any means, because it wasn’t. I mean, they won the game. But you can really feel like he’s making this his own. He’s really starting to refine the scheme to match his personality.”
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
