With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers preparing for their important clash with the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, quarterback Tom Brady is very much focused on football. When asked about his preparation for Christmas day and update on his gift buying, the 44-year-old Brady replied “getting there, getting there.” “Santa's working hard so yeah it's in the last minute for all. It always comes at the time of year we're all pretty busy and intense with football so my wife's taking care of a lot of stuff thankfully,” he added, per transcription of Brady’s talk to the media on Thursday.
The Buccaneers will try to clinch the NFC South with a victory over the Panthers on Sunday on the road at Bank of America Stadium. The Buccaneers carry a 10-4 record, but they are coming off a frustrating 9-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints. The Panthers, for their part, have a 5-9 record.
Bucs have chance to clinch division
With their loss to the Saints, the Buccaneers failed to clinch the division title and a spot in the playoffs. The Buccaneers have three games remaining, and a win or a loss by the Saints during that span will bring them to the postseason. However, the Buccaneers are headed to Carolina without wide receiver Chris Godwin, running back Leonard Fournette and possibly top wideout Mike Evans.
Godwin suffered a season-ending torn ACL while Fournette will be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season with a calf injury. The defense will also be depleted with linebacker and defensive captain Lavonte David also injured. "It's just next man up and some young players' roles [have] changed," said head coach Bruce Arians.
The veteran head coach believes that by this time, young players have already developed and must fully embrace their role and the opportunity to step up for the Buccaneers. "Everybody will play the position that they practiced, hopefully and we won't have to switch around like we did in that ballgame,” said Arians. As for the defense, Kevin Minter will be taking over David’s spot in the starting lineup for the second time this season.
Aside from David’s injury, the Buccaneers’ defense has been healthy this season. “We just have to keep going. Like I said, keep climbing,” said Minter.
Pantone develops color for Brady
According to USA Today, Brady’s apparel brand “Brady” has reached an agreement with Pantone to develop a new color. The new color, especially developed for Brady’s brand, is called Brady Blue. According to a news release, the Brady Blue color symbolizes the brand’s principles while advocating “fearlessness, resilience, and confidence towards achieving peak performance." Brady’s apparel line will be available to the public on Jan. 12.
