Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady entered Sunday’s game against New England needing only 68 yards to set the league’s all-time passing record.
He got it done in the first quarter.
Brady surpassed Drew Brees’ 80,358 yards with a 28-yard pass to Mike Evans over the middle with 6:10 left in the first quarter. Though the Buccaneers called a timeout before their next play, the game didn’t pause to commemorate the moment.
The Gillette Stadium scoreboard briefly showed a graphic. And the Patriots tweeted a tribute to Brady, saying “it’s only fitting it happened at Gillette Stadium.”
After the timeout, Brady completed a short pass to receiver Antonio Brown for 3 yards, putting a little more space between him and Brees.
Brady is 6-of-11 for 71 yards so far in his homecoming.
The Buccaneers’ drive stalled in the red zone, with Ryan Succop kicking a 29-yard field goal to give Tampa Bay a 3-0 lead.
There is something poetic about Brady accomplishing the feat in the stadium where he threw for so many of those yards. The New England crowd gave Brady a warm reception when he entered the field pregame, but some fans showered the Tampa Bay offense with boos at the start of its first drive.