Brady marches Patriots to milestone victory
Tom Brady tied Peyton Manning for the most wins by a quarterback in NFL history, notching his 200th after throwing a late eight-yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Mitchell for a 22-17 victory over the New York Jets at East Rutherford, N.J.
Brady and the Patriots ran out the clock — helped by LeGarrette Blount’s 23-yard scamper — to win a close game that had been flexed out of a prime-time TV spot.
Patriots fans chanted “Brady! Brady!” in the final moments at MetLife Stadium, which had plenty of empty seats with many frustrated Jets fans sitting this one out.
It was also the 500th win in franchise history for the Pats, the first original AFL club to reach the mark.
Brady, questionable to start because of a knee injury, wasn’t his usual spectacular self, but finished 30 of 50 for 286 yards and two touchdowns. Mitchell caught five passes for 42 yards and two touchdowns.
Fitzpatrick, back as the Jets’ starting QB after missing the last game with a sprained knee, completed 22 of 32 passes for 269 yards.
BUCS 14, SEAHAWKS 5: Jameis Winston threw a pair of touchdown passes to Mike Evans and Tampa Bay’s rejuvenated defence shut down Seattle QB Russell Wilson, who was sacked six times and threw two interceptions — one of them picked off by Tampa’s Alterraun Verner, playing two days after his father’s death.
DOLPHINS 31, 49ERS 24: Ndamukong Suh tackled Colin Kaepernick two yards short of the goal line as time ran out, and the Dolphins handed the 49ers a franchise-record 10th consecutive loss. Ryan Tannehill threw for 285 yards and three scores to compensate for a sputtering Miami ground game. The Dolphins
have won six in a row, their longest streak since 2005. GIANTS 27, BROWNS 13: Eli Manning threw two touchdown passes to Odell Beckham Jr., Jason PierrePaul returned a fumble for a TD, and the Giants extended their winning streak to six while the Browns fell to 0-12. Cleveland is 3-30 since ending the 2014 season with five consecutive losses. RAIDERS 35, PANTHERS 32: Derek Carr came back from an injured pinkie to lead another fourth-quarter comeback and Oakland won its fifth straight game. Carr threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns despite missing a series after the injury, leading the 9-2 Raiders back from an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter to guarantee their first winning season since 2002. FALCONS 38, CARDINALS 19: Taylor Gabriel took two short passes for TDs and the Atlanta won after a bye week. Gabriel, cut by the winless Browns before the season, scored on plays of 35 and 25 yards that showed off his speed.
CHARGERS 21, TEXANS 13: Philip Rivers threw for 242 yards and three touchdowns against the mistakeprone Texans, who committed four turnovers — including three Brock Osweiler interceptions.
TITANS 27, BEARS 21: Marcus Mariota threw for 226 yards and two majors, and the Titans hung on to beat the depleted Bears, minus injured starting QB Jay Cutler.
SAINTS 49, RAMS 21: Drew Brees passed for 310 yards and four touchdowns and Mark Ingram — playing 10 days after being knocked unconscious in a loss to Carolina — scored twice to spark New Orleans.
RAVENS 19, BENGALS 14: Justin Tucker kicked four field goals and Baltimore shut down the Bengals’ depleted offence.