The NFL is known for its parity, but the Cowboys were still able to pull off a win against Tom Brady and the Patriots. How did they do it? A surprising source helped them out in the form of an unlikely player.
The tampa bay buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL).
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season, and the usual suspects excelled for the most part.
Tom Brady fired four touchdown passes and led his trademark game-winning drive. Both Antonio Brown and Chris Godwin have over 100 yards receiving. Rob Gronkowski had two touchdown receptions.
However, on the defensive side of the ball, there was an unsung hero who merits special attention.
Call-up to the practice squad Andrew Adams made an impression.
The Buccaneers boast one of the best defenses in the NFL, in addition to their great offense. They seldom struggle to pressure the opposing quarterback, thanks to a ferocious group of linebackers and defensive linemen. Last year’s Super Bowl victory against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs was largely due to their superior pass-rush.
With that said, it was a backup player who popped during the Bucs’ Week 1 victory, a guy who isn’t even on the 53-man roster.
Andrew Adams, who was brought up from the Buccaneers’ practice squad for the game against Dallas, had a couple of great plays. The most noteworthy was a TFL on Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott on the goal line, when he escaped a block on the outside and flew in for a TFL.
The tackle ended up saving a touchdown. Given how close the final score was, Adams made a crucial play.
This season, Adams wasn’t even expected to play for the Buccaneers.
Andrew Adams, how about you?
Was with the Eagles until last Tuesday, when he was dismissed in the final cuts, and then joined with the Buccaneers’ practice squad, where he was elevated on game day and stuffed Zeke at the 2-yard line.
September 10, 2024 — Reuben Frank (@RoobNBCS)
So, as a practice squad call-up, how did Adams end up playing meaningful snaps with the Bucs?
Prior to 2024, Adams played three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Adams has carved out a good position for himself as a depth piece and special teams ace. He really played a significant amount of defensive snaps in the Buccaneers’ NFC Championship victory against the Green Bay Packers, believe it or not. He had five tackles and one pass defensed at the end of the game.
With that in mind, keeping Adams was not a top priority for Tampa Bay this offseason. The Buccaneers were happy to let him try free agency since they had so many other pending free agents to deal with. Adams was soon signed, with the Philadelphia Eagles signing him to a one-year contract.
Adams’ time in Philadelphia, however, did not go as planned. He was dismissed after failing to make the final 53-man roster. Adams returned to Florida a few days later, this time as a member of the Buccaneers’ practice squad.
Keep an eye on how the Buccaneers utilize Adams in the future.
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images/Andrew Adams #26
Despite his excellent Week 1 performance, Adams is still on the Buccaneers’ practice squad. That doesn’t rule out the possibility of him playing for Tampa Bay again in 2024.
Because of the structure of the NFL’s practice squad regulations, Tampa Bay has the option of protecting and elevating Adams each week if they so choose. It’s impossible to predict if he’ll be promoted for every game. However, given his track record with the club, one can only presume he’ll be relied on as a depth player in the future.
The key parts of the Tampa Bay jigsaw are clearly Brady, Gronkowski, Godwin, and others. However, getting stars isn’t as essential as developing a strong bench of talent from the top down. Adams, like everyone else, plays a part in the Buccaneers’ quest for another Super Bowl ring.
Pro Football Reference provided all stats.
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