When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got the ball back one last time in their Week Nine battle with the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, they had 44 seconds to work with, 60 yards of grass between them and the end zone and no timeouts to help the process. Fortunately, they also had Tom Brady.
Thirty-five seconds later, rookie tight end Cade Otton stuck the ball over the goal line to complete a one-yard touchdown reception and a stunning six-play, 60-yard drive, and the Buccaneers had a life-affirming 16-13 victory that put them back into first place in the NFC South.
“We always have a chance with him,” said Head Coach Todd Bowles of Brady. “We’re grateful to have him. He got over 100,000 yards – that’s a long playing career for anybody. He still plays at a high level. We love the guy to death.
“I mean you run out of things to say about him. I’m sure I can’t say anything different than the 50 million people that [have] already commented things on him. He’s a great player. He’s one of the best, if not the best to ever play the game, and he continues to do that.”
Indeed, if the Buccaneers had reason to feel confident despite a dire situation in the game’s final minute, it was because they had witnessed this scene before. So has every NFL fan over the past two decades. As of Sunday, Tom Brady is now the NFL’s all-time leader in “Game-Winning Drives*.”
(Per Pro Football Reference, a Game-Winning Drive (GWD) most involve possession of the ball in fourth-quarter or overtime and must start with the winning team tied or down by one score (1-8 points). Obviously, the scoring team must also hold on to win the game.)
Brady’s latest GWD was the 55th of his illustrious career, breaking a tie in that category with Hall of Famer Peyton Manning.
Most Game-Winning Drives, NFL History
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