Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre recently shielded Tampa Bay Buccaneers veteran quarterback Tom Brady from criticism for his Week 1 performance in their loss to the New Orleans Saints. Following their 34-23 loss to the Saints, Buccaneer's head coach Bruce Arians blamed Brady for the two interceptions that he threw during the game. Favre, during his "The SiriusXM Blitz" program, slammed Arians for publicly criticizing Brady, saying it might create problems in the future that might affect the overall performance of the team. Favre added that it was wrong for Arians to call out Brady publicly, especially in the first game of the year.
The veteran head coach responded, saying that his relationship with Brady is okay despite his comments.
Favre attends Buccaneers' game
On Sunday, Favre publicly showed his support for the 43-year-old Brady when he attended the Buccaneers-Carolina Panthers game at Raymond James Stadium rocking a Brady t-shirt, per a tweet by FoxSports. According to John Newby of Pop Culture, Favre's shirt drew attention because of the design. Instead of the usual Buccaneers' pirate logo, Brady's face served as the focal point of the design, with long hair and the Buccaneers hat.
Spotted in Tampa Bay 👀
Brett Favre crushing some chips while wearing a Tom Brady @Buccaneers shirt pic.twitter.com/OZfLAR21NV
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 20, 2020
Favre’s attendance also drew criticism as fans wondered why he was allowed inside the stadium while the others were not allowed due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Also, Favre was spotted not wearing a face mask and eating chips while enjoying the game. Aside from Favre, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current NFL analyst Tony Romo also came to Brady’s defense, saying that the veteran quarterback had no chance of learning the Bucs’ system because of the lack of preseason games. However, Romo believes that Brady has the ability to quickly adjust to his new environment and carry the Buccaneers to success.
Brady went to another level in practice
After his subpar performance against the Saints where he completed just 23 of 36 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions, including a pick-six, Brady went all-out during practice ahead of their clash with the Panthers. According to James Palmer of NFL Network, the 43-year-old Brady “went to another level” during practice in an effort to avoid a 0-2 hole.
“He doesn’t want to lose at anything, especially a football game,” an unnamed player told Palmer. “So we’ve seen him come out to practice just locked in and focused,” Palmer added. Earlier, Brady allayed worries by fans, saying it’s very early in the season to count the Buccaneers out. Also, Brady added that he’s still adjusting to the system of Arians following a 20-year stint with the New England Patriots where he won six Super Bowl titles.