Is this version of Tom Brady good enough to win Super Bowl 55?

The Buccaneers will need a much better showing from Tom Brady in the Super Bowl.

Tom Brady continues to cement his place in the history books, helping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reach the Super Bowl for the first time since 2002. The appearance is Brady’s tenth, an NFL record for a single player, but he should be thanking the Buccaneers’ defense for bailing him out in the second half.

Brady got off to a hot start as the Buccaneers built a big lead, jumping out 28-10 early in the second half thanks to some brilliant throws, but things collapsed for him after that. The deep ball was problematic for Brady, who saw some throws sail high above his receivers, including a pair of drops from Mike Evans in the third quarter.

This version of Tom Brady won’t scare the Chiefs or Bills in the Super Bowl

Evans received criticism in the broadcast for not securing the catches, which did hit his hands on both occasions, but the throws Brady delivered were either high (on the one that lead to an interception) or late, forcing Evans to slow down to try and make a contested catch as opposed to leading him into the end zone. Brady also made an uncharacteristically poor decision when faced with a free rusher, throwing one up for grabs off his back foot that led to another Green Bay interception.

On the afternoon Brady completed just 20 of 36 passes for 280 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Brady’s performance cratered in the second half and he only led the Buccaneers to three more points after the first two minutes of the second half, forcing Todd Bowles’ defense to make key stops after interceptions put the unit in a poor position.

The game announcers and fans on Twitter were quick to blame Evans and Tampa Bay’s receivers for dropping passes but Brady’s throws left a lot to be desired. The Buccaneers’ defense played a much bigger role in the win today and Brady himself will need to play much better for Tampa Bay to win the Super Bowl.

That game will come at home, which should help, but Buffalo and Kansas City have been two of the best teams in football this season. Brady has shown that he can still play at a high level to help the Buccaneers get this far but he simply has to perform better than he did in the second half if Tampa Bay has a shot to win its second Lombardi Trophy.