Tom Brady accomplished a feat he hadn’t done since 2003 in Buccaneers’ thrilling overtime win over Bills

Tom Brady had the winning drive in overtime to give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a walk-off victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Brady’s had plenty of walk-off wins in his Hall of Fame career, yet the quarterback did something he hasn’t accomplished in 18 years. 

Brady’s 58-yard touchdown pass to Breshad Perriman in overtime was the quarterback’s first overtime touchdown pass since Oct. 19, 2003 — back when Brady was a 26-year old with the New England Patriots. That was just the second overtime touchdown pass of his storied career. 

“I was trying to think ‘has that ever happened before,’ that’s right, that was in Miami too,” Brady said after the game. “It’s pretty rare but it was very cool. I would much rather not have it come down to that but in the end they all count the same. 

“We have to learn from it, and we have to move on. Obviously, we are playing for a division championship next week, which is pretty exciting for all of us.”

Brady’s most recent overtime touchdown pass before Sunday’s — and the only other one he’s ever thrown — was an 82-yard strike to Troy Brown to give New England a 19-13 win over the Miami Dolphins back in 2003. The Patriots improved to 5-2 after that game and later won the Super Bowl that season. 

Not only was the overtime touchdown pass a first for Brady in 18 years, but it was also the 700th touchdown pass in Brady’s career (regular season and postseason combined) — the first player in NFL history to accomplish that feat. Brady also passed Drew Brees on Sunday for the most completions in NFL history, having 7,156 to Brees’ 7,142. 

While he keep reaching new heights, Brady downplays the significance of the accomplishments — even if he’s proud of reaching the marks. In typical Brady fashion, he puts the team first over any statistical feat he’s reached. 

“I don’t think about those things. People tell me they happen and it’s pretty cool,” Brady said. “I keep some jerseys and stuff like that but it’s pretty neat. It’s just amazing to have so many people share all those great accomplishments — obviously to me I feel like they are team awards anyway. Anyone who ever caught a touchdown pass they are a part of something pretty cool in NFL history and anyone who I had a completion to for that matter. 

“Obviously the guys that came before me, doing it — like Dan Marino, Peyton [Manning], and Drew [Brees], and some other incredible players that I always looked up to. It was a great moment.”