For nearly four quarters Monday, the Buccaneers looked dead. But “almost” is the key word here, and Tom Brady is the main reason why. Despite trailing 13 points in the final five minutes of a rematch with the Saints, Tampa Bay broke through with Brady at the helm, earning a 17-16 win to move to .500 atop the NFC South. The quarterback’s solid finish didn’t just save the Bucs’ night; it improved their path to a division title. He also made history, both personally for Brady and in the NFL record books.
Guiding Tampa Bay to victory, the 45-year-old Brady earned his 44th career victory in the fourth quarter or overtime, surpassing former Colts and Broncos great Peyton Manning for the most ever. (Manning, coincidentally, was covering the match on ESPN2 alternative show “Monday Night Football”.) The statistic has been recorded since 1960.
Monday’s win also marked Brady’s second career comeback with 13+ points in the fourth quarter, after the QB led the Patriots by under 19 to beat the Falcons in Super Bowl LI at the end of the season. 2017. (This return will be will soon be dramatized on the big screenwith Brady set to star in Paramount’s “80 for Brady” himself.)
Here’s a look at other career marks and NFL records set in the comeback against the Saints, according to research by CBS Sports:
- First career win with 13+ points in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter, including the playoffs
- Last touchdown (0:03 remaining) of his career
- 56th career victory in the fourth quarter, extending an NFL record
- Most career single-game completions, pass attempts and yards in the final six minutes of the fourth quarter
Brady and the Bucs (6-6) remain in first place atop the NFC South following the win. They will return to action in Week 14 against the 49ers, who just lost Brady’s former Patriots teammate Jimmy Garoppolo to a season-ending injury.