Tom Brady Leads Tampa Bay Bucs to Thursday Night Football Win Over Philadelphia Eagles

(Photo : Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - Quarterback Tom Brady (#12) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throws a third quarter pass against the Philadelphia Eagles at the Lincoln Financial Field on October 14, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers extended their winning streak to three games with a 28-22 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football. Tom Brady and Antonio Brown made the huge plays for the Bucs, who moved 1.5 games clear at the top of the NFC South standings.

Brady entered this game with question marks surrounding his throwing hand after injuring his right thumb in the win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 5. Brady laid those concerns to rest immediately as he started the game against the Eagles like a house on fire.

Brady starts strong on Thursday Night Football

He was sharp in Tampa Bay's opening two drives, completing 11 of 12 passes for 121 yards and a couple of touchdowns. His first touchdown pass found tight end O.J. Howard to give the Bucs a 7-0 lead. After the Eagles equalized with a score of their own in the following possession, Brady quickly responded with a touchdown pass to Antonio Brown, giving Tampa Bay a 14-7 lead.

The Bucs looked like they were on their way to an easy win after building a 28-7 advantage in the third quarter. The Eagles fought back strongly, though, going on a 15-0 run to slice the deficit to just six points. Jalen Hurts led the way for Philly during that fightback, scoring two rushing touchdowns and converting a two-point try to set the stage for a dramatic primetime finish.

Just when it seemed the momentum was with Philadelphia, the Eagles were penalized 15 yards after Genard Avery was handed a controversial taunting infraction on Tampa Bay's opening play. Instead of a 2nd-and-10 for the Bucs on their own 25, Tampa Bay was given a first down on the 40-yard line.

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Brady seals the win with a late strike to Brown and QB sneak

That spelled trouble for the Eagles as Brady went to work on the ensuing plays. He led the Bucs down the field and made the play of the game from Philadelphia's 45. Facing a third-and-7 situation, Brady fired a bullet to Antonio Brown for a 27-yard gain that extended the drive and helped Tampa Bay run out the clock.

Brady made sure the Bucs would leave Philadelphia victorious, converting a first down with his patented quarterback sneak just before the two-minute warning. That was all he wrote for the Eagles, who now trail the Dallas Cowboys by 2.5 games in the NFC East standings with their 2-4 record.

However, the Bucs' victory came at a considerable price as their injury-plagued secondary got even thinner after Thursday's win. Richard Sherman suffered a hamstring injury in the first quarter and did not return in the game against Philly. He is the latest cornerback to pick up an injury for Tampa Bay, joining Carlton Davis and Sean Murphy-Bunting on the injured reserve.

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