Bucs' Bruce Arians Responds to Tom Brady's Critics: 'He Don't Get Enough Credit'

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians, who's publicly criticized Tom Brady multiple times throughout the 2020 NFL season, came to the quarterback's defense Wednesday.

"I don't know why anybody's criticizing Tom,' Arians told reporters. "... If we finish the half with 17 points, I don't give a [expletive] how we start. He don't get enough credit for what he's doing."

The Bucs didn't score for the first 22 minutes of Sunday's 26-14 win over the Minnesota Vikings but racked up 17 points in the final eight minutes before halftime to take control of the Week 14 game.

Arians has been blunt with his evaluation of Brady throughout the campaign as the New England Patriots legend has faced a rare learning curve after two decades and six Super Bowl titles with the Pats.

"He's had it before. I mean, he knows how to bounce back," Arians said after a Week 1 loss to the New Orleans Saints. "He knew he didn't play very well. It's not what he expects from himself nor do we expect. I would expect him to have a little more grit, a little more determination this week."

Another loss to the NFC South-leading Saints in early November brought out more criticism from the two-time NFL Coach of the Year.

"The interception to [Antonio Brown]—that was just a poor throw," Arians told reporters.

He added: "Mike [Evans] was open a bunch in that ballgame. He didn't get targeted—that was all. Mike was open."

It was more of the same after a narrow loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 23.

"Other than the deep ball, I think he's getting confused a few times with the coverage," Arians said. "That might be the cause for some inaccurate balls, but I don't see it at all in practice. We're not missing the deep ball in practice, that's for sure. It's just a matter on Sundays hitting them."

So, given those remarks, it's a bit odd for Arians to suggest Brady shouldn't be the target of criticism for stretches of play that don't live up to his usual Hall of Fame standard.

That said, Brady's overall numbers are strong with a 64.8 percent completion rate for 3,496 yards with 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions through 13 games. The Bucs own an 8-5 record and are on their way toward clinching a playoff berth.

Tampa is going to need some vintage performances from the three-time NFL MVP if it's going to reach the Super Bowl out of the NFC, which also counts the Saints, Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks among its championship contenders.