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At times the Tampa Bay Buccaneers season left some doubt as to if they’d make the playoffs this year, but from the get-go there was no doubt who would win their Week 16 matchup against the Lions. Their 47-7 blowout win takes their record to 10-5 and secures them a ticket to the playoffs.
Tom Brady had no trouble accumulating completions, yardage and touchdowns against a travesty of a defense in Detroit. Brady completed 22-of-27 for 348 yards and four touchdowns, which is an elite game for any quarterback. The thing is, Brady did that in just the first half! If the Buccaneers weren’t set to go to the playoffs, Brady could have set about every NFL record he desired if they didn’t want to save him from possible injury.
The Buccaneers will host the Atlanta Falcons next week and may not have much to play for, as the New Orleans Saints have already clinched the NFC South. But, they currently are in the sixth seed and could get as high as fifth seed, which would mean facing the NFC East champion. That should be enough to play for a win, if the scenarios play out that way.