Tom Brady takes blame after Bucs' loss to Saints: 'It starts with me'

Tom Brady had the worst game of his Tampa Bay tenure Sunday night, throwing three interceptions and generating almost zero offense in the Bucs' 38-3 loss to the New Orleans Saints. After getting swept by their division rivals, Brady said the Tampa Bay offense has to play better, starting with him.

"So, I certainly have to play a lot better," Brady said after the game. "Turning the ball over against good teams never helps. We just didn't play the way we were capable of playing. Everyone's got to do a lot better, and it starts with me."

The Bucs were hoping to take command of the NFC South race and get some revenge on the Saints, who beat Tampa Bay in their Week 1 matchup as well. Since that loss, the Bucs had looked like one of the better teams in the NFC, going 6-1 while scoring at least 25 points in all but one game, their loss to the Chicago Bears. 

But now, the Saints are clearly in the driver's seat in the division, and while the Bucs are still in a strong position to make the playoffs, they will need to get the offense back on track quickly if they plan to be seen as serious NFC contenders. 

Tampa Bay has a tough stretch ahead of them, facing the Panthers, Rams, and Chiefs over the next three weeks. If they want to right the ship and start lighting up opposing defenses again, they will need Brady to leave this week behind and return to playing clean, turnover-free football.