Tom Brady's potential path to another Super Bowl
Tom Brady is the most successful player in the NFL’s history having amassed seven Super Bowl rings during a glittering career and the 45-year-old will have his sights set on landing another Championship in Super Bowl LVII on February 12.
Brady and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers were inconsistent throughout the regular season but there are signs that things are coming together for them and it would not be too much of a surprise if they were able to put themselves into contention come the end of the post-season.
SUPER WILD CARD
The NFC South champions head into the play-offs with a losing record having finished the campaign 8-9 but they #4 seed will not be too concerned by that ahead of their Super Wild Card matchup with Dallas Cowboys. The Bucs boast home advantage in this encounter and having won four of their last five matches at Raymond James Stadium, the hosts will feel that they can topple the 12-5 Cowboys.
DIVISIONAL ROUND
Should the the Buccaneers prevail in their Monday Night Football clash, they will then travel to San Francisco to face the 49ers in what would be an incredibly tough matchup against the #2 seed. The 49ers have been excellent so much of the season and made it 11 straight wins by overcoming Seattle Seahawks in their Wild Card clash. The Divisional clash would pose a huge challenge for the Bucs, especially on the road and they may have their work cut out to advance against an extremely impressive outfit that boast a superb defense while their offense continues to improve.
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
An NFC Conference Championship tilt awaits should the Bucs prevail in that contest where they will face either the New York Giants or Philadelphia Eagles. The Giants stunned Minnesota Vikings in their Wild Card matchup to advance to the Divisional round against #1 seed Philadelphia Eagles. The Giants will hold no fear in that matchup but if Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is back under center for the Eagles, they would have to be favoured to prevail on home turf. That could set up another huge matchup for the Bucs and they would feel they had the know how to overcome the Eagles, although the Bucs’ defense would need to stand up and be counted to limit the offensive threat of their opponents.
SUPER BOWL
Should the Bucs manage to overcome the Eagles or even the Giants in the Conference Championship, a date in the Super Bowl would await. With four teams remaining in the AFC, the Bucs would face one of Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals or Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags have enjoyed a great season but they will find the route to the Super Bowl a tough one and are likely to fall short against the Chiefs in their Divisional encounter. The Bengals against the Bills could go either way but both teams may well find it too going to get the better of the Chiefs in the Conference Championship with the #1 seed’s offensive capabilities likely to be too much for whichever team they meet. That would setup a huge encounter between Brady and another potential Hall of Fame QB with Patrick Mahomes looking to further cement his own legacy against an opponent he will be hoping to emulate. Mahomes vs Brady would be the storyline in the buildup to the contest in Arizona and if Brady was to clinch an eighth ring, it would certainly be hard-earned and would further cement his claim to be the greatest footballer of all time.
