USA TODAY sports
At 45, Tom Brady can still make it.
The Buccaneers were listless on offense for 59 minutes and didn’t score a touchdown on any of their first 12 drives.
But it took Brady and the Bucs offense just 35 seconds to put the ball in the end zone with nine seconds left and they defeated the Rams 16-13.
It looked like Los Angeles had a win in hand after Tampa Bay failed to convert from the 6-yard line with 1:52 left for fourth and goal. But the Buccaneers still had a few downtimes. And the Rams’ offense failed to get a first down with their four-minute offense, leaving LA stabbing off their own 13 with 54 seconds left.
After the punt, the Buccaneers built offense from their own 40 with 44 seconds on the clock. Brady started the drive by hitting tight end Cade Otten deep in the middle of the field for a 28-yard pass that put the club on the LA 32.
Brady continued to find receivers near the sideline and moved the bat to the 7-yard line. And when cornerback Derion Kendrick was tagged in the end zone for defensive pass interference on receiver Mike Evans, Los Angeles’ fate seemed sealed.
On the first-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Brady met Otten again, this time with a short pass to the right, and the tight end easily got into the end zone with just nine seconds left to get the go-ahead.
The Rams had one last attempt at a miracle, but it was to no avail.
Brady made another stunning comeback. The Rams had a soul crushing loss.
The Los Angeles offense barely managed anything throughout the game, gaining just 206 yards and nine first downs. Receiver Cooper Kupp later in the game had a 69-yard touchdown and a 34-yard pass. But other than that, little happened at the Rams. The club poked nine times and went three-and-outs eight times – including on three possessions in the fourth quarter.
The Bucs’ offense wasn’t much better for much of the game, but clearly pulled it off when it mattered most. Brady, who had over 100,000 passing yards during the competition during his career, finished 36 of 58 for 280 yards on a touchdown. Otten led the club with 68 reception areas at five receptions.
At 4-5, the Buccaneers are still deep in the NFC South playoff pursuit as the Falcons lost on Sunday to also fall 4-5. The Bucs will take their show internationally next week, playing the Seahawks for the first-ever NFL regular-season game in Germany.
The 3-5 Rams will have to look to recover in Week 10 at home against the 3-6 Cardinals.