Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) passes in the first half against the Detroit Lions during an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) passes in the first half against the Detroit Lions during an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)

SPORTS BRIEFS: Tom Brady throws for 348 yards … in the first half

Brady throws for 348 yards in first half

DETROIT — Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes in the only half he needed to play and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went on to rout the Detroit Lions 47-7 Saturday, sealing a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

The Bucs (10-5) set a franchise record with 588 yards and snapped the NFL’s second-longest postseason drought behind Cleveland’s 18-year run that can end Sunday.

Tampa Bay rested Brady ahead 34-0, its largest halftime lead in franchise history. Blaine Gabbert threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski on his first snap, one play after Detroit running back D’Andre Swift fumbled, and a 22-yard pass to Mike Evans later in the third quarter.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Brady was 22 of 27 for 348 yards with a mix of passes deep down the field and darts in traffic. The six-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback threw touchdown passes to Gronkowski, Evans, Chris Godwin, who made a one-handed catch, and Antonio Brown from 33, 27, 7 and 12 yards.

The Lions (5-10) started the game without interim coach Darrell Bevell along with assistants on the defensive staff because of COVID-19 contact tracing.

And they played much of the game without Matthew Stafford. He was questionable to play with hip and thumb injuries and then hurt his right ankle on the opening drive and did not return.

Chase Daniel struggled to move the ball much for the Lions, who avoided getting shut out for the second time this season in the third quarter when Jamal Agnew returned a punt 74 yards for a touchdown. Daniel was replaced in the fourth quarter by David Blough, an undrafted rookie last year.

Brady has thrown a franchise-record 36 touchdowns and set a personal record with 348 yards passing by halftime. Brady and Gabbert combined to throw a Bucs-record six touchdowns.

James AP Male Athlete of the Year

LeBron James told the world in 2020 that Black Lives Matter. He helped convince many who had never voted to finally head to the polls. He found more ways to continue elevating the lives of people in his hometown.

If that weren’t enough, he won another NBA championship.

James’ on-court performance this year was spectacular again. A fourth NBA title and fourth NBA Finals MVP trophy were his, as he lifted the Los Angeles Lakers back atop the basketball world. And after a year where he was brilliant, on the court and off, James was announced Saturday as the winner of The Associated Press’ Male Athlete of the Year award for a record-tying fourth time.

“I still know what I do on the floor and obviously, I give everything to the game,” James told AP. “But I can make a greater impact off the floor right now, more than I can on the floor. And I want to continue to inspire people with the way I play the game of basketball. But there’s so many more things that I can do off the floor to help cultivate people, inspire people, bring people together, empower them.”

“He’s the greatest player the basketball universe has ever seen,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said of James in October. “And if you think you know, you don’t know until you’re around him every day, you’re coaching him, you’re seeing his mind, you’re seeing his adjustments, seeing the way he leads the group. You think you know. You don’t know.”

James’ More Than A Vote organization drew more than 42,000 volunteers to work at polling stations for the November election, helped some earn back their voting rights and pushed for turnout among Black and young voters.

“The tragic death of George Floyd, everyone getting a chance to see that, and also hearing the story of Breonna Taylor, her tragic story, and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia … my people have had enough and I have had enough,” James said. “That’s why I called for action and with my platform, I believed I could get people to join me.”

49ers beat Cardinals 20-12

GLENDALE, Ariz. — ­Third-string quarterback C.J. Beathard threw three touchdown passes, Jeff Wilson ran for 183 yards, and the San Francisco 49ers dealt a brutal blow to the Arizona Cardinals’ playoff hopes by defeating them 20-12 on Saturday.

Beathard was making his first start since 2018 and was 1-9 as a starting quarterback before he was pressed into action against the Cardinals because of injuries to Jimmy Garoppolo and Nick Mullens.

The 27-year-old wasn’t amazing but avoided big mistakes. He completed 13 of 22 passes for 182 yards, Wilson earned hard yards on the ground and the 49ers came up with two big defensive stops late in the fourth quarter, including Ahkello Witherspoon’s interception of Kyler Murray’s pass in the end zone.

The Cardinals (8-7) no longer control their own destiny in the playoff race. If the Chicago Bears win their final two games, they will reach the playoffs because of a tiebreaker over the Cardinals.

Arizona started the day positioned as the No. 7 and final team in the NFC playoff field, but the game was a struggle from the outset. The 49ers (6-9) pulled ahead 14-6 in the third quarter on Beathard’s 9-yard touchdown pass to fullback Kyle Juszczyk.

The 49ers were already eliminated from the playoff race one year after playing in the Super Bowl, but they appeared plenty motivated.

The Associated Press

More in Sports

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Port Scandalous Roller Derby league members pose for a group photo during a recent practice. Roller Derby athletes traditionally use special names when they play. Back row left to right: Big Papa, Lily Hammer, Skully, Small Fry, Sinna Buns, Steel MadNOLA, Summit Slayer and Austin Plowers. Kneeling: Elastigirl, Malice in Wonderland and Sarah Strange.
ROLLER DERBY: Port Scandalous Scandals, the tough little team that could

The roller derby team the Port Scandalous Scandals will host… Continue reading

For the first time in four years, Sequim and Port Angeles rivals competed against each other on the track in college. Sequim’s Riley Pyeatt, left, a 2022 state champion in the 800 and 4x400, and Port Angeles’ Lauren Larson, who finished second in the 800, second in the 3,200 and third in the 1,600 in the state in 2019, met at the Husky Indoor Track and Field Classic in Seattle this weekend. They both competed in the 1-mile run and both finished under five minutes. Pyeatt, who ran for Abilene Christian for a couple of years but now competes for Washington State, finished 57th with a time of 4:52.23, while Larson, who now runs for Boise State, was 75th in a time of 4:54.85.
COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD: Old rivals meet again and Port Townsend Crush

Above: For the first time in four years, Sequim and Port Angeles… Continue reading

Left, the Port Angeles boys 200 freestyle relay team came in second at the West Central District III championships this weekend. Clockwise from top left are Finn Thompson, Patrick Ross, Miles Van Denburg and Thomas Jones. At right, Port Angeles’ Grant Butterworth won the West Central District III diving championship this weekend. (Port Angeles Swim Team)
PREP DISTRICT SWIMMING: Port Angeles boys finish third

Grant Butterworth wins district diving title

The East Jefferson girls basketball team celebrates their district playoff win over Cascade Christian on Saturday in a game that the Rivals trailed by nine points in the fourth quarter. The win also assures the Rivals a winning season. (East Jefferson girls basketball)
PREP BASKETBALL RECAP: Peninsula teams prevail in must-win games

The Port Angeles boys, Forks boys and girls and East… Continue reading

Bailey Johnson, Forks basketball.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Bailey Johnson, Forks basketball

Forks’ Bailey Johnson is getting red-hot at the perfect time of the… Continue reading

The Port Angeles and Sequim gymnastics teams competed at the District 3 meet this weekend. From left are head coach Elizabeth DeFrang, Lillian Sutherland, Lexi Possinger, Denise Galvan, Amelie Martin (Sequim), Lucy Spelker (Sequim), Shavari Epps, Ryah Deleon, Mya Callie and assistant coach Laura Rooney.
GYMNASTICS: Port Angeles and Sequim will send two gymnasts to state

Two members of the Port Angeles/Sequim gymnastics team qualified to… Continue reading

The Presidents’ Day Basketball Youth Tournament was held this weekend in Port Angeles with 40 teams coming from as far away as Elma, Sedro-Woolley, Belfair and Forks. Boys and girls teams had players in grades four through eight. Here, KaLeah Quilt of the seventh-grade Port Angeles girls team dribbles up the court against Shorewood. Shorewood won 22-21 on a last-second shot. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
STANDALONE PHOTO: Presidents’ Day hoops in Port Angeles

The Presidents’ Day Basketball Youth Tournament was held this weekend in Port… Continue reading

Peninsula College's Ryana Moss battles in the paint against Olympic's Allie Greene (2). Moss and Greene were teammates on Neah Bay's state championship team in 2023. (Jay Cline/Peninsula College)
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Peninsula women clinch playoff berth

Men win crucial game for postseason chances

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

Peninsula Daily News relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in