Tom Brady’s mastery of the Buffalo Bills hasn’t been harmed by a change of clothes.
The 44-year-old quarterback defeated his former AFC East opponents for the 10th time on Sunday, becoming the NFL’s all-time completions leader and delivering his 700th touchdown pass for the game-winning touchdown in Tampa Bay’s 33-27 overtime win. The Buccaneers are on the verge of winning the division for the first time in 14 years.
Brady threw for 363 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in his first game against the Bills since going to Tampa Bay in 2020. He also scored on a quarterback sneak, which he set up with the 7,143rd completion of his unrivaled 22-year career, which included seven Super Bowl victories.
Breshad Perriman’s 58-yard catch-and-run with 5:31 left in overtime gave the Bucs (10-3) the victory – Brady’s 700th touchdown throw, including playoffs.
“It was a lot of fun. “I’d like it didn’t have to come down to that, but in the end, they’re all equal,” Brady said. “We have to learn from it and go on.” We’re playing for the division title next week, which is quite exciting.”
Despite blowing a 21-point halftime lead, the Super Bowl champions won their fourth straight game to keep a four-game lead over New Orleans and Atlanta in the NFC South, a division that Tampa Bay hasn’t won since 2007.
“When you give No. 12 on the other side the opportunity, you know, he has a chance to win the game at any time,” Bills center Mitch Morse said.
Buffalo running back Devin Singletary said, “It’s awful.” “There’s no other way to describe it.”
Brady advanced to 33-3 against the Bills during his two-decade reign as quarterback of the New England Patriots, which included 17 AFC East titles. Late in the second quarter, he broke Drew Brees’ career completion record with 31 of 46 passing yards and no picks.
Buffalo’s Josh Allen overcame a slow start to throw for 308 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown, making him only the fourth person in NFL history to pass for over 300 yards and rush for 100 or more yards in the same game.
Allen also walked out of Raymond James Stadium wearing a walking boot on his left foot. Coach Sean McDermott said he’ll be tested on Monday.
“I completed the game. “I don’t think it’ll be a major issue,” Allen added. “It hurts a much.” It’s football, after all.”
The Bills (7-6) haven’t looked like the squad that won their first division title since 1995 and had its deepest playoff run in 27 years before losing in the AFC championship game to Kansas City last January.
With four weeks left in the regular season, they are 3-5 in their last eight games and have lost two in a row for the first time this season, endangering their playoff aspirations.
Before Allen and the league’s top-ranked defense got back on track after halftime, the Bucs, who had won four straight after a two-game losing streak, exposed the Bills offensively and defensively.
The Bills’ red-zone woes contributed to their loss, with the offense settling for a field goal on a drive inside Tampa Bay’s 5 in the second quarter, trailing 10-0.
With the absence of a rushing approach that actually utilized running backs early on, a tendency to be overly reliant on Allen was also a handicap. In the first half, Buffalo only ran four times for 43 yards, with Allen getting all of the carries. Matt Breida took the snap on a fake punt and lost 3 yards on fourth-and-2 from the Bills 45 early in the third quarter, the first rushing attempt by a running back.
On Buffalo’s following possession, Singletary’s first carry went for 29 yards, initiating a long drive that Allen ended with an 18-yard touchdown run, making the score 24-10. The Bills quarterback, it turns out, was only getting started.
Allen cut the deficit to 27-24 with 15-yard touchdown touchdowns to Dawson Knox and 4-yard touchdown passes to Gabriel Davis with just under five minutes remaining in regulation.
With 3:05 remaining, Buffalo took the ball back and drove 70 yards to force overtime with a 25-yard field goal in the final seconds.
INJURIES
WR for the Bills In the first half, Emmanuel Sanders (knee) got injured and did not return. Taiwan Jones (knee) suffered an injury in the first quarter.
Buccaneers: They were missing S Jordan Whitehead, who was out for the second week in a row due to a calf injury. RB The second half was missed by Giovani Bernard (hip). After halftime, CB Jamel Dean (sickness) was also unable to play.
COMING UP NEXT
On Sunday, the Bills will face the Carolina Panthers. They’ll play three of their four games against teams with a losing record.
Buccaneers: When Tampa Bay meets three-time defending division champion New Orleans on Sunday night, the Buccaneers have a chance to win their first NFC South title since 2007.
