In the Sunday Night Football game of week four, the New England Patriots failed to pull off a surprise against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tom Brady’s “homecoming”. In a close game, Brady took first place on the all-time passing yards list in addition to the 19-17 win.

Munich/Foxborough – It was probably the most exciting prime-time game in recent NFL history: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers travelled to the New England Patriots.

The spotlight was on quarterback Tom Brady, of course, but not just because he was going up against the team that once drafted him in April 2000, but also because he was set to break an NFL record that would likely stand until well after his career ended.

Defense battle in 1st half

However, the game did not go as clearly as some had assumed before the game. The Patriots, who went into the game as clear underdogs, even led 7:6 at halftime. Bill Belichick, who is considered one of the best – if not the best – playcallers on the defensive side, thus kept his former protégé well under control.

After the break, however, the shackles of the respective offenses came off. Tom Brady led his team into New England’s half several times, but could only make two field goals out of it after the break, besides Ronald Jones’ touchdown. In the end, Brady had 269 yards on 22 of 43 passes, but no touchdowns.

Mac Jones, quarterback of the Patriots, was unlucky in the 1st half when a pass of his was intercepted by Jordan Whitehead after it slipped through Nelson Agholor’s hand.

After the break, however, the rookie turned up the heat, completing a whopping 19 passes in a row in between, the most by any rookie quarterback this millennium. Jones ended up with 268 yards, two touchdowns and a pick.

Brady new passing yards leader

On just his second drive, Tom Brady picked up one of the NFL’s most prestigious records, passing Drew Brees for the number one passing yards in NFL history. Brady now stands at 80,560 yards.

But the game was not interrupted in honour of the record-breaking man. According to rumours, none of the parties involved wanted that, neither Brady, nor Bill Belichick nor Robert Kraft, owner of the Patriots and Gillette Stadium.

The Patriots, now 1-3, face the Houston Texans, also 1-3, next week, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Miami Dolphins.