Tom Brady still attempting to help the Bucs beat Falcons in key matchup

If you've seen any of the NFL headlines ahead of tonight's Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Bucs showdown you've no doubt seen the Tom Brady headlines. Baker Mayfield offered ahead of Sunday's win over the Eagles that this team was no longer the uptight unit they were under Brady. It was a more relaxed group that Mayfield was leading.

As you might imagine Brady didn't take this well tearing into Mayfield in Sunday's broadcast. The quarterback pointed out that failure to him was failing to win a Super Bowl. This speaks to the quarterback's obsession with greatness and why he haunted the Falcons and the rest of the league for so long. However, perhaps inadvertently Brady has yet again helped the Bucs against the Falcons.

Brady just handed Baker Mayfield the ultimate ammo ahead of showdown with the Atlanta Falcons

For anyone familiar with Baker Mayfield's career you know the quarterback is at his best when he is doubted. When there is an enemy who Baker has something to prove, an axe to grind, and reason to showboat is when the chip turns into a surprise win. That is the story of Baker's career throughout college and early in the league.

One that has continued in Tampa after a quarterback competition with Kyle Trask and the league writing his obituary as a starter. What Tom Brady has just done is hand the Bucs quarterback the ultimate ammo ahead of a prime-time matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.

Perhaps Atlanta shouldn't expect anything less than a quarterback who has haunted them at every turn for the last decade. Brady purposely or not providing another team with a possible edge over the Falcons seems fitting.

As Atlanta's offense sputters and the team deals with a grueling early schedule the Bucs were rolling and had their quarterback handed another reason to be at his absolute best in tonight's matchup. While it obviously is far from the deciding factor it would be unrealistic to pretend that this doesn't play a slight role in tonight's story for Baker.

A quarterback who everyone has doubted and disrespected was just given a verbal shellacking from the league's GOAT and every reason to play his absolute best with everyone watching.