East Rutherford, NJ, Jan 3 (BUS): Antonio Brown appears to be frustrated and angry. So, walk away.
From Pirates Bay Tampa. His career will likely be in the NFL, according to the Associated Press.
The Buccaneers’ mercury wide receiver was fired after an odd shirtless exit from the field before Tom Brady led the Bucs 93 yards out in the final minutes for a 28-24 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday.
Coach Bruce Arians said Brown missed the team after the match.
He’s no longer Bock, Arians said. “Okay? That’s the end of the story. Let’s talk about the players who went out and won the match.”
Brown’s collapse came mid-game late in the third quarter with Tampa Bay trailing 24-10. He seemed agitated while talking to Mike Evans, who tried to calm his teammate. But Brown took off his towel, shirt, gloves and shirt – he threw the gloves and shirt into the stands – and then walked bare-breasted down the sideline and into the end zone. He then waved to the fans as they ran across the end zone and into the tunnel at MetLife Stadium.
It appeared to be a display of frustration by Brown, who had three grabs for 26 yards.
“I’m not talking about it,” Arianes said. “He’s not part of the Buc family.”
Brown was suspended last month for three games for breaching COVID-19 league protocols. He also has a history of interpersonal and odd behavior issues.
“It’s a tough situation,” Brady said. “Everyone should do what they can to help him in the ways he really needs. We all love him. We care deeply about him. We want to see him at his best. Unfortunately, it won’t be with our team. … I think everyone should be compassionate and empathetic.” Too much about some of the very difficult things that are happening.”
Brady reached out to Cameron Pratt for a 4th drop and a 4th goal shortly after Brown was knocked out, and QB ended Boss’s run with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Cyril Grayson 15 seconds left.
The Bucs stuffed Jets QB Zach Wilson into fourth and second at 7 without a profit as New York bid for victory. New York coach Robert Saleh said the play should have been a reversal of Braxton Berrios’ wide future, but Wilson had the offside option based on appearance.
“We did a really bad job of communicating that,” Saleh said, adding that it only “makes you sick” because delivering the Prius was likely to be his first touchdown.
Instead, he returned the ball to Brady and Bucks with 2:12 left.
That was more than enough time.
Brady walked the Buccaneers (12-4) down the field in nine plays, passing a pass to Grayson—who had been promoted from the coaching staff—for the green-lighted score. It was Brady’s third pass in the game and the 40th of the season, joining him with Drew Brees as the only players to throw 40 times in consecutive seasons.
He finished 34 of 50 for 410 yards, three TDs and an interception for Tampa Bay, who brought back the Arians after he tested positive for the coronavirus earlier in the week.
Levon Bell ran into a two-point conversion against his former team, forcing New York to need relegation. But the planes (4-12) ran out of time.
“We’ve been through some crazy situations before, but it was a very special situation to come back and win that match,” said Arians.
The game featured the largest age gap between starting quarterbacks since at least 1950, with 22-year-old Wilson facing 44-year-old Brady.
The Jets took a two-point lead on the Ty Johnson track for 1 yard that capped their opening lead in the second half.
After Brown and Brady’s TD ran out to Brate, Ryan Succop kicked a 27-yard field goal to cut New York’s lead to 24-20 with 7:36 remaining to the left.
Saleh said, “It is unfortunate that we will talk about the last sequence of events there, but I thought our guys were great today. They deserve better.”
Planes fly early
New York led 7-0 in an impressive match to culminate in an impressive opening run. Michael Carter ran back and lined up in the wilderness – with Wilson behind the right guard – taking a straight shot and turning it over to Berrios, who went untouched.
Carter was running 55 yards early in the drive to get the planes to the Buccaneers 12.
Brady and Bucks walked straight down the field in their opening possession with Evans — coming back after missing last week’s game with a hamstring problem and spending time on the COVID-19 roster this week — getting a 4-yard touchdown pass to tie in at 7.
Wilson, who was aged 19 from 33 for 234 yards and a TD, responded with a right-back with a 9-yard TD pass to Berrios for a 14-7 lead.
It was an expensive 13-game, 74-yard fly, though both Carter (a concussion) and George Vant’s left tackle (left knee) both hit and didn’t return.
39 yards of Succop made it 14-10.
Brandin Echols intercepted Brady in Tampa Bay’s last possession in the first half and returned it 30 yards to the Jets 48. New York converted it to points on Eddie Pinheiro’s 51-yard goal one second on the left.
More history
Brady, who improved to 31-8 against the Jets, also tied Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers as the lone players with three seasons of 40 or more passes from TD.
injuries
Buccaneers: RB Ronald Jones (ankle) and DB Rashard Robinson (thigh) did not return after leaving in the second half.
Jets: In addition to Carter and Vant, TE left Dan Brown in the second quarter with a thigh injury and hasn’t returned.
next one
Pirates: End the regular season by hosting the Carolina Panthers next Sunday.
The Jets: He wraps up his season in Buffalo next Sunday against East Asian rival Bills.