Tom Brady, Bucs Clinch 1st Playoff Spot Since 2007 with 47-7 Win over Lions

It didn't take long for Tom Brady to make the playoffs in the NFC.

His Tampa Bay Buccaneers clinched a postseason berth Saturday with a 47-7 win over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. The all-time great quarterback went 22-of-27 for 348 passing yards and four touchdowns, giving him a shot at the Lombardi Trophy in his first campaign away from the New England Patriots.

This is the first time Tampa Bay has clinched a playoff spot since 2007, and it has not won a postseason game since winning the Super Bowl in the 2002 season.

How Tampa Bay would fare with Brady under center and during Rob Gronkowski's return to football was one of the league's biggest storylines coming into the season. It seemed as if things may not go so well when the team lost 34-23 to the New Orleans Saints in the season opener, but it won six of the next seven games to put itself into playoff position.

It wasn't all smooth sailing from there, though, as the Buccaneers went 1-3 during a challenging four-game stretch in November that included matchups with the Saints, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams. Tamp then bounced back down the stretch with wins over the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons.

Question marks still linger about how well Brady and Co. will hold up against championship contenders during the playoffs. After all, they lost their two games against New Orleans by a combined 46 points, and the October win over the Green Bay Packers is the only thing that stands out on their resume.

Still, it is hard to doubt the 43-year-old Brady when it comes to playoff football. He has six Super Bowl rings, which is more than every NFL franchise except the Pittsburgh Steelers and Patriots, who only won with him under center.

That Brady will throw to the combination of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown and Gronkowski in the playoffs is a frightening prospect for the entire NFC even if Tampa Bay struggled at times against high-quality opponents.

Throw in a solid defense, and the formula for postseason success is there for the Buccaneers.

A seventh ring for the GOAT may be the result.