Tampa Bay’s Antonio Brown is tackled by Jets cornerback Bryce Hall during Sunday’s game in East Rutherford, N.J. Later in the game, Brown removed his jersey, threw it into the stands and left the field, and Coach Bruce Arians said afterward that he’s off the team. Adam Hunger/Associated Press
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Antonio Brown was apparently frustrated and angry. So he walked away.
From the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And possibly his NFL career.
The mercurial wide receiver was kicked off the Buccaneers after a bizarre, shirtless exit from the field before Tom Brady coolly led the Bucs on a 93-yard drive in the final minutes for a 28-24 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday.
Coach Bruce Arians said after the game Brown was off the team.
“He is no longer a Buc,” Arians said. “All right? That’s the end of the story. Let’s talk about the guys who went out there and won the game.”
Brown’s mid-game meltdown came late in the third quarter with Tampa Bay trailing 24-10. He appeared animated while talking to Mike Evans, who tried to calm his teammate. But Brown stripped off his pads, jersey, gloves and T-shirt – tossing the gloves and T-shirt into the stands – and then walked bare-chested down the sideline and into the end zone. He then waved to fans as jogged through the end zone and into the tunnel at MetLife Stadium.
It appeared to be a show of frustration by Brown, who had three catches for 26 yards.
“I’m not talking about it,” Arians said. “He’s not part of the Bucs.”
Brown was suspended last month for three games for violating the league’s COVID-19 protocols. He also has a history of personal conduct issues and bizarre behavior.
“It’s a difficult situation,” Brady said. “Everybody should do what they can to help him in ways that he really needs it. We all love him. We care about him deeply. We want to see him be at his best. Unfortunately, it won’t be with our team. … I think everyone should be very compassionate and empathetic toward some very difficult things that are happening.”
Brady connected with Cameron Brate on a 4-yard touchdown pass shortly after Brown’s exit, and the QB finished the Bucs’ rally with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Cyril Grayson with 15 seconds left.
The Bucs stuffed Jets QB Zach Wilson on fourth-and-2 at the 7 for no gain with New York trying to seal the victory. Jets Coach Robert Saleh said the play should’ve been a reverse to wide receiver Braxton Berrios, but Wilson had the option to sneak it based on the look.
“We did a very poor job of communicating that,” Saleh said, adding that ”it just makes you sick” because a handoff to Berrios would’ve likely been a first down.
Instead, it gave Brady and the Bucs the ball back with 2:12 left.
And that was more than enough time.
Brady marched the Buccaneers (12-4) down the field on nine plays, zipping a pass to Grayson – who was elevated from the practice squad – for the go-ahead score. It was Brady’s third TD pass of the game and 40th of the season as he joined Drew Brees as the only players to throw for 40 touchdowns in consecutive seasons.
He finished 34 of 50 for 410 yards with an interception.
Le’Veon Bell ran in the 2-point conversion against his former team, forcing New York to need a touchdown. But the Jets (4-12) ran out of time.
“We’ve been in some crazy situations before,” Arians said, “but this was a very special one to come back and win that game.”
The game featured the largest age gap between starting quarterbacks since at least 1950, with the 22-year-old Wilson facing the 44-year-old Brady.
The Jets took a two-touchdown lead on Ty Johnson’s 1-yard run that capped their opening drive of the second half.
After Brown’s exit and Brady’s TD to Brate, Ryan Succop kicked a 27-yard field goal to cut New York’s lead to 24-20 with 7:36 left.
“It’s unfortunate that we’re going to be talking about the last sequence of events there,” Saleh said, “but I thought our guys were outstanding today. They deserved better.”
New York took a 7-0 lead on a razzle-dazzle play to cap an impressive opening drive. Running back Michael Carter lined up in the wildcat – with Wilson behind the right guard – took the direct snap and flipped it to wide receiver Braxton Berrios, who went in untouched around the right end.
Carter had a 55-yard run early in the drive to get the Jets to the Buccaneers 12.
Brady and the Bucs marched right down the field on their opening possession with Evans – back after missing last week’s game because of a hamstring issue and spending time on the COVID-19 list this week – catching a 4-yard touchdown pass on a fade to tie it at 7.
It was the seventh opening-drive touchdown this season for Tampa Bay.
Wilson, who was 19 of 33 for 234 yards and a TD, answered right back with Berrios catching a short pass and then diving to the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown and a 14-7 lead.
It was a costly 13-play, 74-yard drive for the Jets, though, as both Carter (concussion) and left tackle George Fant (left knee) were injured and didn’t return.
Brady quickly got the Buccaneers to the Jets 23 on passes of 31 yards to Evans and 21 to Brown, but New York’s defense stiffened and got the first third-down stop of the game. Tampa Bay settled for a 39-yarder by Succop to make it 14-10.
Brandin Echols intercepted Brady on Tampa Bay’s last possession of the first half and returned it 30 yards to the Jets 48. New York turned it into points on Eddy Pineiro’s 51-yard field goal with 1 second left.
MORE HISTORY
Brady, who improved to 31-8 against the Jets, tied Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers as the only players with three seasons of 40 or more TD passes.
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