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Safety Jordan Whitehead, who injured his shoulder on a jarring hit of running back Aaron Jones that resulted in a third-quarter fumble (and ensuing Bucs touchdown), said he doesn't know the extent of his injury but insisted he will be ready for the Super Bowl in two weeks. "Most definitely," he said. "The Super Bowl is once in a lifetime. Whatever it takes to be back."
Whitehead's exit left the team with backup safeties down the stretch. Rookie free safety Antoine Winfield, listed as questionable before the game with an ankle injury, didn't play after trying it out on the Lambeau Field turf before the game. In their absence, second-year safety Mike Edwards and veteran Andrew Adams combined for eight tackles and a pass deflection. Edwards started in Winfield's place.
"Mike Edwards coming into the game, he's a splash player, so we weren't really too concerned with that; we know Mike's going to make plays," Whitehead said. "And then Andrew Adams, the veteran in the room, he's on everything, he's up to speed, the playbook, mental notes every week. He doesn't get a lot of reps, but he's ready to be thrown in any time."
Big bonus for Brady
Quarterback Tom Brady padded his $25 million annual salary with a $500,000 performance bonus Sunday and can add another half-million if he leads the Bucs to a Super Bowl title, ESPN reported.
Brady, making his 14th appearance in a conference title game, earned a $500,000 contract incentive with the 31-26 victory against the Packers. He makes the same bonus if the Bucs win Super Bowl 55 at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 7.
Brady, 43, already had collected $1.25 million in incentives, ESPN reported, during the team's postseason run prior to Sunday: $500,000 for making it to the playoffs, $250,000 for the wild-card win at Washington, and $500,000 for the division-round win against the Saints.
Odds and ends
The Bucs are the first No. 5 seed to defeat a top seed in a conference title game. ... In these playoffs alone, the Bucs have produced the Nos. 1 and 2 single-game receiving performances in franchise history. Chris Godwin's effort Sunday (110 yards on five receptions) was nine shy of Mike Evans' total two weekends ago against Washington. ... Leonard Fournette has 313 yards from scrimmage in three playoff games, most in a single postseason in franchise history. ... Shaquil Barrett and Warren Sapp are the only Bucs with three or more sacks in a playoff game.
Joey Knight, Tampa Bay Times, published 25 January 2021
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