Bucs can clinch playoff spot

QB Brady would get new team to postseason with victory over Lions

Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are rolling into the Motor City with a chance to clinch a spot in the playoffs.

“This is why we play, to put your team in a place and give yourself an opportunity to compete for a championship,” Brady said.

The six-time Super Bowlwinning quarterback and the Bucs (9-5) are a victory away from earning a spot in the postseason for the first time since 2007.

“I call them ‘Hat and T- Shirt’ games,” Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians said. “You get a hat and a T-shirt when you get in the playoffs. It’s a great feeling for those guys. That was the goal this year — it was to get in the dance.”

The out-of-contention Detroit Lions (5-9) will likely be very accommodating Saturday at fan-free Ford Field.

Detroit will be led by Robert Prince, its third head coach, because interim coach Darrell Bevell became the NFL’S first head coach to miss a game because of COVID -19 protocols. The Lions will also be without defensive coordinator Cory Undlin and other assistant coaches because of contact tracing.

“It’s super disappointing,” said Bevell, who is 1-2 since replacing fired coach Matt Patricia. “I’m frustrated. Since we’ve started, I’ve tested negative. So, there’s that whole part of it. You don’t quite understand all the stuff that goes along with it, then there’s that drive that you want to be there.”

Heating up

Antonio Brown is coming off his most productive game since making his Bucs debut last month following an eight-game suspension for violating the NFL’S personal conduct policy.

He had five catches for a seasonbest 93 yards, including a 46yard touchdown that capped last week’s comeback win over Atlanta.

“Obviously as a teammate (and) someone who knows him pretty well, he’s done a lot of work to get to this point,” Brady said. “Just proud of him, his focus, how he’s prioritized different things.”

The 32-year-old Brown has 30 receptions for 310 yards and one touchdown in six games.

“He’s doing the best with his opportunities,” Arians said.

Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Tom Brady won six Super Bowls as quarterback of the New England Patriots. Now he is hoping to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into the postseason playoffs for the first time since 2007.