Before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers squared off against the Carolina Panthers last Sunday, a familiar face was spotted in the stands of Raymond James Stadium. Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre was seen in the stands wearing a Buccaneers t-shirt with the face of Tom Brady. Favre’s appearance came days after he defended Brady from criticisms following the latter’s two-interception performance in their season-opening loss to the New Orleans Saints. After their 31-17 win over the Panthers, the 43-year-oldBrady was asked for comments about Favre’s presence in the stands during a post-game press conference.
“I love Brett. I’ve known him for a long time. Got closer and closer with him over the years,” Brady said. “I’m a huge fan of who he is, the player he was, but the father he is, the husband he is. He’s just a wonderful man,” he added.
Favre's presence explained
However, Favre’s appearance at Raymond James Stadium did not sit well with other Buccaneers’ players, particularly center Ryan Jensen, who tweeted his displeasure. “So he can go to the game but my family can’t? Interesting,” Jensen wrote on Twitter. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that Favre attended the game not as a fan, but as a correspondent for NFL Films, doing a feature on Buccaneers linebacker Devin White. Florio said Favre was accompanied by several members of his family and a “pretty decent-sized film crew.” It was earlier announced that the Buccaneers won’t allow fans in their first two home games.
They will play at home against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4.
Brady improved to 4-0 in bounce-back Week 2 games
Brady bounced back from his dismal performance in their 34-23 loss to the Saints by completing 23 of 35 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown with an interception. With the win, Brady improved to 4-0 in his career in Week 2 starts following a Week 1 loss.
After failing to connect with Mike Evans in Week 1, Brady finally found the Pro Bowler against the Panthers, connecting on seven passes for 104 yards and a score. Running back Leonard Fournette finally delivered what was expected from him, rushing the ball 12 times for 103 yards and two scores.
Godwin to play in Week 3
Brady will have another available target when they go up against the Denver Broncos in Week 3 with the return of Pro Bowl wide receiver Chris Godwin.
During a conference call with the media on Monday, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians announced that Godwin has cleared concussion protocols and will play against the Broncos on Sunday, per Greg Auman of The Athletic. In Week 1, Godwin was the Buccaneers’ leading receiver, catching six passes from Brady for 79 yards. However, he took a blow to the head late in the game that caused him to miss their Week 2 clash against the Panthers. Auman added that the Broncos will play the Buccaneers without wideout Courtland Sutton, linebacker Von Miller, cornerback A.J. Bouye, running back Phillip Lindsay and quarterback Drew Lock.