Tom Brady fumes at Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammates in defeat against Pittsburgh Steelers

CNN
 — 

Tom Brady had some choice words for his offensive line during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 20-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

The defeat sees Tampa Bay move to 3-3 this season, while Pittsburgh, which had quarterback Kenny Pickett leave the field with a concussion and replaced by Mitchell Trubisky, snapped a four-game losing streak to move to 2-4.

During the second quarter and with his team trailing 10-6, the 45-year-old Brady was seen venting his anger at his offensive line, saying: “You’re so much better than you’re f**king playing.”

Up against a Steelers defense that had recorded only three sacks in the last four games, Brady ended the contest with 25 completed passes from 40 attempts for 243 yards.

Rookie quarterback Pickett, meanwhile, started the game with the first touchdown pass of his career, but was later forced to retire in the third quarterback.

His replacement Trubisky found Chase Claypool with a touchdown pass in the fourth quarterback to establish a seven-point lead for the Steelers.

Leonard Fournette responded with a touchdown to bring the Bucs within touching distance, but they couldn’t add the two-point conversion to tie the game.

“We didn’t take them lightly, number one,” Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles later told reporters.

“Number two, I think guys that are living off the Super Bowl are living in a fantasy land,” he added, referring to the team’s 2021 championship win.

“You’ve got to get your hands dirty and go to work like everybody else. We’ve been working hard and we’ve got to work harder. Nobody’s going to give us anything, nor feel sorry.

“We’ve got to go back as coaches, as players. The time for talking is over. You’ve either to put up or shut up.”

As well as Pickett, Tampa Bay also lost Cameron Brate, who missed the last game with a head injury, in the third quarter after suffering another nasty looking hit.

The game stopped for several minutes as the medical team saw to Brate, while players on both sides were visibly distressed.

The tight end did raise a thumbs up as he was stretchered off the field and the Bucs tweeted that he had feeling in all his extremities.

The Bucs next face the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, while the Steelers play the Miami Dolphins.