Legendary quarterback Tom Brady notched his first win for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday with a 31-17 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
Brady, who was playing his first home game for his new team after leaving the New England Patriots in March this year, threw 217 yards and one touchdown pass to help clinch his maiden Bucs win.
It was a distinct improvement on his form from the opening game of the season which ended in a 34-23 defeat against the New Orleans Saints – the 43-year-old threw two interceptions in a shaky start to life at the Bucs.
Despite not being perfect against the Panthers – throwing one interception – Brady did enough to avoid starting a season with consecutive losses for the first time in his career.
“Execution was a little bit better,” said the six-time NFL champion after the game. “I think we are still a long way from where we need to be.
“I think we have the ability to make plays; I think consistency, dependability are going to be things we really need.
“It feels good to win and it’s going to feel good to watch the film and learn. It’s a long season.”
The Bucs had been leading 21-0 before the Panthers rallied to make a game of it – closing the scores to 21-14 at one point.
Despite the obvious attention on Brady, it was fellow newcomer Leonard Fournette who stole the show with 103 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Fournette, the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, was surprisingly released by the Jacksonville Jaguars at the end of August before being snapped up by the Bucs as the latest addition to an all-star team.
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NFL injury list
There was also a swathe of notable injuries in game-week two of the NFL season.
The San Francisco 49ers saw four of its starters pick up injuries against the New York Jets. Jimmy Garoppolo, Raheem Mostert, Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas all went down and had to leave the field early.
New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley also had to be carted to the locker room with a knee injury against the Chicago Bears whilst Carolina Panthers’ Christian McCaffrey will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of an ankle injury which forced him out of the play.
Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock will also undergo further testing on his injured right shoulder on Monday.
Additional reporting by Kevin Dotson
