Tom Brady Throws 3 TDs as Buccaneers Beat Teddy Bridgewater, Panthers

Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers bounced back in Week 10 with a 46-23 road win over the Carolina Panthers.  

A week after an embarrassing 38-3 loss to the New Orleans Saints, Brady threw three touchdown passes and added another on the ground Sunday at Bank of America Stadium to get the Bucs (7-3) back in the win column.

Ronald Jones II came through with the biggest play of the game for Tampa Bay, a 98-yard touchdown to extend the lead in the third quarter:

Carolina had multiple seven-point leads in the first half but were outscored 29-6 after halftime.

Teddy Bridgewater played well early, but he couldn't help the Panthers (3-7) avoid a fifth straight loss, although this is the first in the streak decided by double digits.

Notable Performances

Tom Brady, QB, TB: 28-of-39, 341 passing yards, 3 pass TDs, 1 rush TD

Ronald Jones II, RB, TB: 23 carries, 192 rushing yards, 1 TD

Mike Evans, WR, TB: 6 catches, 77 receiving yards, 1 TD

Teddy Bridgewater, QB, CAR: 18-of-24, 136 passing yards, 2 pass TDs, 1 INT, 1 rush TD

Mike Davis, RB, CAR: 7 carries, 32 rushing yards

DJ Moore, WR, CAR: 4 catches, 96 receiving yards, 1 TD

Buccaneers Playmakers Carry Offense in Win

The loss to the Saints was as bad as things get for Brady, who had three interceptions and no touchdowns.

Things were much better for the veteran against Carolina, spreading the ball around to eight different receivers to top 300 passing yards for the third time this season.

Tampa's pass-catchers made plays throughout the day to make things easier for Brady:

Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown each had at least six catches and 60 yards in the game.

It helped elevate Brady's numbers despite being out of sync with his receivers at times in the game.

Even with four total touchdowns, the quarterback could have had an even better day if he was accurate with a few more passes.

Four touchdowns on eight red-zone appearances showed there were points left on the table even in the high-scoring victory.

The Buccaneers still had a big day with Jones providing plenty of help on the ground. He overcame his early fumble to carry the offense down the stretch with a career-high 192 rushing yards, rewarding the coaching staff for sticking with him.

Gronkowski then came through late with his fourth score of the year:

The squad showed Sunday it can beat you in a lot of ways.

Teddy Bridgewater Shines, but Panthers Fall Short

The first half was an excellent offensive display for Carolina, which scored touchdowns on two of its first three drives. 

Bridgewater played lights-out in the first quarter to give the Panthers an early lead:

DJ Moore was also heavily involved after seeing limited action in the previous two weeks:

When the Panthers trailed by two possessions in the second half, Bridgewater used his legs to keep the team in the game:

The problem was consistency, as drives stalled while going 1-of-9 on third downs. A failed fake punt and a turnover inside Panthers territory also didn't help.

The team tallied just two first downs in the second half.

Receivers Robby Anderson and Curtis Samuel were quiet throughout the game, giving the team few weapons with Christian McCaffrey again sidelined.

Carolina has been competitive in virtually every game this season but simply can't close things out with regularity.

What's Next?

The Buccaneers will be back on prime time in Week 11 with a Monday Night Football matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. The Panthers will remain home to face the Detroit Lions on Sunday.