Saints Hand Tom Brady First Shutout Loss Since 2006

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Saints hand Tom Brady first shutout loss since 2006 Published: Dec 20, 2021 at 01:16 AM

Grant Gordon

Digital Content Editor

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In an all-time-greatest career that boasts seven Super Bowl victories with more passing yards and touchdowns than anyone who's ever played the game, Tom Brady had only been shut out twice in 21-plus glorious seasons.

Following four sacks, two turnovers and a frustrating and painful Sunday night, Brady has now been shut out three times.

Brady was shut out for the first time since 2006 on Sunday night in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 9-0 loss to the NFC South-rival New Orleans Saints.

"I don't think we were much good at anything tonight," said Brady after the loss in which he was 26 of 48 for 214 yards with a 57.1 QB rating, an interception and a fumble lost. "I wish it was just one thing. It was a lot of things. We gotta do better in every facet of offensive football to score points. We're not gonna win scoring no points." 

It's a claim as indisputable as the Saints defense was impenetrable on Sunday night at Raymond James Stadium.

With an opportunity to clinch the franchise's first division title since 2007, Brady's bunch couldn't find their way to the end zone. The Buccaneers mounted just 302 yards of offense -- which was actually better than the Saints' 212. New Orleans was able to cash in three Brett Maher field goals, though, and it made all the difference. The Bucs' best scoring opportunity was a first-half 45-yard field goal attempt by Ryan Succop that went wide left.

It added up to a shutout for the reigning Super Bowl champs, who entered the week as the NFL's No. 1 scoring offense.

Still going strong at 44 years young, Brady's last shutout came when he was 29-years-old in a New England Patriots loss to the Miami Dolphins on Week 14 of the 2006 season, per NFL Research. The first shutout of Brady's career came to be on Week 1 of the 2003 season against the host Buffalo Bills.

All these years later, Brady found himself frustrated and flummoxed once more.

The Buccaneers hadn't been on the wrong end of a shutout since Week 15, 2012, which also came against the Saints, who have now defeated the Buccaneers seven straight times in the regular season.

The good news is the Bucs are still leading the NFC South and still the NFC's No. 3 seed. The bad news is an offense that had scored at least 30 points in four consecutive games came up scoreless and squandered a stellar performance by the Bucs' defense. The worst news is the mounting injuries, which included the losses Sunday night of Leonard Fournette, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Brady was predictably frustrated during the game (see him breaking a tablet above) and predictably short and to the point after the game.

"Just a tough night. Didn't do much of anything right," Brady said. "So we gotta get a lot better. Gotta get back to work. There's a lot of football left. See if we can go get a win next week."

Indeed, Brady and the Buccaneers will face the Carolina Panthers in Week 16 looking to lock up a division title, score two weeks' worth of points and vent plenty of frustration from a historically bad offensive night on Sunday.

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