If you were told prior to kickoff on Sunday afternoon that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers would throw for nearly 350 yards and three touchdowns and that his defense would intercept Tom Brady three times, you’d have probably put big money down on the Pack. But that would have been a mistake, seeing as how Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers once again won on the road, advancing to the Super Bowl following their 31-26 victory.
Brady did have his struggles, as he’s had more and more of over the last couple of seasons, but in the end it didn’t matter as he and the Bucs had done enough early on to weather the storm and clinch a berth in a ‘home’ Super Bowl showcase. Brady finished with three touchdowns in addition to those three picks and 280 yards, with Chris Godwin leading his receiving core with five catches for 110 yards. Having held an 11-point lead at the half and a 28-10 advantage very early on in the third, they were forced to hold on down the stretch as the Packers scored 16 of the game’s final 19 points. In the end, however, it wasn’t enough, as Brady ensured he’d be heading to his tenth championship showdown and the first in which he will not be a member of the New England Patriots.
