| Detroit Free Press
What’s next for Detroit Lions after firing Bob Quinn, Matt Patricia
Free Press sports writers Dave Birkett and Carlos Monarrez weigh in Nov. 28, 2020, after the Detroit Lions fired Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn.
Tom Brady will be spending part of his Christmas in Detroit.
The NFL announced its Week 16 schedule on Monday, and set the Detroit Lions‘ game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26.
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The game, which could be Brady’s last NFL game in the state where he played his college football, is part of a Saturday triple-header and one of two games that will be broadcast exclusively on NFL Network.
After Lions-Bucs at 1 p.m., the Arizona Cardinals host the San Francisco 49ers at 4:30 p.m., and the Las Vegas Raiders host the Miami Dolphins in the 8 p.m. nightcap, also on NFL Network.
The Lions-Bucs game was one of several on the NFL’s flex schedule for the week that could be played Saturday or Sunday.
Brady, the former Michigan quarterback, made his NFL debut with the New England Patriots on Nov. 23, 2000, in a 34-9 Thanksgiving win over the Lions at the Pontiac Silverdome.
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He went on to win six Super Bowls with the Patriots and at 43 years old is in his first season with the Buccaneers.
At 7-5, the Bucs are currently in second place in the NFC South and in possession of the sixth seed in the NFC playoffs. Brady signed a two-year contract with Tampa this offseason, and is not currently scheduled to face the Lions in the 2021 season.
Currently, fans are not allowed at Ford Field due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.