Tom Brady rails against ‘BS’ excuses after Buccaneers’ miserable loss to Browns

Tom Brady rails against ‘BS’ excuses after Buccaneers’ miserable loss to Browns

Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady admittedly did not sleep great following a tough loss to the Browns in overtime on Sunday.

During Monday’s episode of his SiriusXM show “Let’s Go!,” Brady said it was a long night traveling from Cleveland back to Tampa — and that he allowed himself to deal with the defeat for 24 hours before preparing for Week 13 against the Saints.

When asked by co-host Jim Gray to explain “what seemingly is the consistency of being so inconsistent all year,” Brady chalked it up to poor mistakes by the team. He also took responsibility for “not getting it done” down the stretch.

“Well, I think it’s a consistency for, you know, so many positive plays and then undone by kind of untimely mistakes by our team,” he said. “And it’s not one player, it’s not one position. Football’s the ultimate team sport and I’ve always believed as a leader you always take the blame and you always give the credit. And that’s just, I always feel like that because really that’s what leadership is all about. I always look at what I need to do better.

Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady throws the ball during the first half against the Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on Nov. 27, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio.Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady throws the ball during the first half against the Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on Nov. 27, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. Getty ImagesTom Brady after the Bucs' loss to the Browns.Tom Brady after the Bucs’ loss to the Browns.AP

“I had a chance to hit Mike [Evans] down the sideline in overtime to win the game and I didn’t get it done. … You can give in to the outside noise and everyone telling you, ‘Oh, it’s not your fault, it’s someone else’s fault.’ I think that’s BS. It is your fault when you lose and you take it personally when you lose. And you shouldn’t sleep at night when you lose. And you should only think about what you need to do to help the team more. And that’s what I lay in bed at night after games thinking about.”

The Buccaneers are now 5-6 on the season following the 23-17 loss to Cleveland, though they are still leading the NFC South.

“It’s a tough situation to be in, have a losing record, but that’s our reality and we haven’t done anything to earn more than that,” he said. “And if you wanna win games, if you wanna win a fight, if you wanna win a golf match, if you want to win your Monopoly [game], you gotta earn it. No one’s gonna hand it to you. You gotta go out there every day and try to earn it through the process of improvement.”

Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady passes during the second quarter against the Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on Nov. 27, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio.Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady passes during the second quarter against the Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on Nov. 27, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. Getty ImagesBuccaneers quarterback Tom Brady leaves the field following a loss to the Browns on Nov. 27, 2022, at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, OH.Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady leaves the field following a loss to the Browns on Nov. 27, 2022, at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, OH. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Brady, 45, maintained that he and his team will “keep fighting our tails off” like they have done all season. The seven-time Super Bowl champion added that he’d “rather lose and play than not play at all.”

Brady completed 29-of-43 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns, and was sacked three times against the Browns. It marked the first time in his career that his team held a seven-point lead in the final minute of the fourth quarter and lost the game.

It’s been an up and down season for Brady, both on and off the field, after he led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title in 2021.

As the quarterback deals with his team’s current struggles, he is also weeks removed from finalizing his divorce from his ex-wife, supermodel Gisele Bündchen.

The Buccaneers host their division rival, the 4-8 Saints on “Monday Night Football” next week.