Saturday night, Tom Brady will make his NFC postseason debut during a playoff game between the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This matchup marks the first time in the six-time champion’s career to play a Wild Card game on the road. Here’s when the game takes place and how to watch.
The battle at FedEx Field takes place at 8:15 p.m. ET. NBC will provide the coverage, as well as a streaming option on the NBC Sports website. Mike Tirico will provide the play-by-play call, while former Buccaneers and Colts head coach Tony Dungy will serve as the color commentator. Kathryn Tappen will serve as the sideline reporter for the matchup.
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While Dungy and Tappen will both head to FedEx Field for their respective roles, Tirico will not. He will actually call Saturday night’s game from his home due to COVID-19 protocols. It is unknown whether he tested positive or was exposed to someone that was. Tirico previously filled in for Al Michaels during Week 16 due to logistical issues created by the coronavirus.
This game is important for both teams considering that the Buccaneers have not won a playoff game since defeating the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII at the end of the 2002 season. Washington’s last playoff win took place during the 2005 postseason. The Football Team defeated the Buccaneers in the Wild Card round.
Despite finishing the season with a 7-9 record, the Football Team will serve as the home team for this Saturday night playoff game. Alex Smith and co. won the NFC East after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17. The Buccaneers, on the other hand, finished in second place in the NFC South with an 11-5 record, one game behind the 12-4 Saints.
According to CBS Sports, the Buccaneers are nine-point favorites heading into the playoff game. The Buccaneers are in danger of losing star wide receiver Mike Evans for the matchup, but there are multiple other options available. He can still throw to Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, Cameron Brate and Rob Gronkowski.
Washington has injury concerns as well, considering that Smith is currently questionable heading into Saturday night’s matchup, but he may not be ready to start. If Smith does recover, he will continue his impressive comeback from a gruesome knee injury and 17 surgeries. He will also have the opportunity to reach the Divisional round as a starter for the first time since the 2011 postseason. Smith previously reached Super Bowl XLVII with the San Francisco 49ers but was the backup to Colin Kaepernick.
