Tom Brady Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Gisele Bundchen defends Tom Brady, rips Buccaneers over playoff loss

Gisele Bündchen has come to the defense of ex-husband Tom Brady's performance in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 31-14 playoff defeat to the Dallas Cowboys in January. 

"It was tough, but you know what? Let’s just be honest," Bündchen told Michelle Ruiz of Vanity Fair about watching what may go down as Brady's last NFL game. "It’s a team sport and you can’t play alone. I think he did great under the circumstances that he had. I mean, he had no offensive line." 

This isn't the first time Bündchen has somewhat-tossed Brady's teammates under the bus following a tough result. As Jason McIntyre noted for 'The Big Lead' in February 2012, Bündchen lashed out at a fan over some trolling she heard about Brady's play shortly after he and the New England Patriots fell to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI. 

"You (have) to catch the ball when you’re supposed to catch the ball," Bündchen said of New England's players at that time. "My husband cannot (expletive) throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can’t believe they dropped the ball so many times." 

For what it's worth, Brady didn't necessarily perform at a Most Valuable Player level against the Cowboys during the team's Wild Card weekend defeat, completing 35-of-66 passes for 351 yards and two touchdowns while throwing a brutal early in the game's second quarter: 

Following that contest, former Pro Bowl cornerback Richard Sherman called Brady's outing "a fall from grace." Brady retired a second time and "for good" on Feb. 1. 

Bündchen also claimed during the Vanity Fair interview that she never gave Brady any ultimatum about choosing either the family or football ahead of the 2022 season. The couple announced their divorce after 13 years of marriage this past October.

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