Tom Brady Throws 4 TDs as Buccaneers Dominate Lions; Matthew Stafford Injured

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers qualified for the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2007 with a 47-7 win over the Detroit Lions on Saturday at Ford Field in Detroit.

The New Orleans Saints clinched the NFC South when they beat the Minnesota Vikings, and failing to win the division will be slightly disappointing for the Bucs given what they hoped to achieve after signing Tom Brady. Tampa Bay is now at least through to the postseason via the wild card.

The Buccaneers were up 34-0 at halftime, which allowed head coach Bruce Arians to begin removing his starters with the start of the second half. Tom Brady still managed to throw for four touchdowns, moving him ahead of Jameis Winston for the franchise's single-season record.

Mike Evans made history, too, breaking his own mark for the most receiving touchdowns in a season.

Matthew Stafford exited early with an ankle injury. He was initially considered questionable before the Lions announced in the third quarter he had been downgraded to out. That left Chase Daniel to run the offense for much of the loss before David Blough entered to open the fourth quarter.

Notable Performers

Tom Brady, QB, Buccaneers: 22-of-27, 348 yards, four touchdowns

Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers: 10 receptions, 181 yards, two touchdowns

Chris Godwin, WR, Buccaneers: five receptions, 84 yards, one touchdown

Rob Gronkowski, TE, Buccaneers: two receptions, 58 yards, two touchdowns

Brady, Bucs Offense Score at Will

No matter what time you're reading this, there's a good chance the Buccaneers notched another passing touchdown on the Lions.

Tampa Bay logged six first-half possessions. Five of those ended in touchdowns. Detroit offered shockingly little resistance.

Nothing encapsulated the game better than the start of the third quarter. Jordan Whitehead recovered a D'Andre Swift fumble on the first play from scrimmage. Blaine Gabbert came in for Brady and immediately threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski.

When the Bucs started taking their foot off the gas, the joy of the Lions was probably matched by anybody who was facing one of Brady, Evans, Gronkowski or Chris Godwin in fantasy football.

The Los Angeles Rams rolled the New York Yanks up for 722 yards in 1951, setting a record that still stands today. Tampa Bay didn't come close to surpassing that total (588) but might have had a shot if Arians decided to utilize his entire offensive arsenal for all four quarters.

Lions Experience Christmas Hangover

The deck was stacked against the Lions heading into Saturday. They had already guaranteed themselves a losing season. Stafford was limited in practice for three straight days due to rib and right thumb issues, and the staff was down a slew of coaches, including interim head coach Darrell Bevell, due to the NFL's COVID-19 protocols.

This defeat will go down as the Lions' 2020 nadir.

Detroit couldn't even get out of its own way when it did something right against Tampa Bay. Jamal Agnew returned a punt 74 yards in the third quarter for the team's lone touchdown, and the Lions promptly received a flag for taunting as the play unfolded.

The good news for fans is that there's only one week left in the season.

What's Next?

The Buccaneers and Lions wrap up the regular season Jan. 3 at 1 p.m. ET. Tampa Bay hosts the Atlanta Falcons, while Detroit welcomes the Vikings.