For the last two decades, Tom Brady has made a living by coming through in the clutch and killing the hopes of many opposing teams with the game on the line.
But on Sunday, something happened to him that he had never dealt with before.
For the first time in his storied career, Brady’s team lost when it held at least a seven-point lead in the final two minutes of regulation.
It happened against, of all teams, the Cleveland Browns, who had come into the game with a 3-7 record.
Cleveland Ended Jacoby Brissett’s Tenure As Starter The Right Way
When new quarterback Deshaun Watson was suspended for the first 11 games of the season, many expected the Browns to struggle to remain in the playoff picture without him.
That is exactly what has happened, as they sit three full games behind the Cincinnati Bengals for the final wild-card spot in the AFC.
But on Sunday, the Browns were able to make some magic happen against Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Bucs led 17-10 heading into the fourth quarter, and it looked like another loss was imminent for Cleveland.
But its defense, which has been struggling this season, shut down Brady and company, and facing a fourth-and-10 in the red zone with 37 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Brissett found tight end David Njoku for a one-handed touchdown reception that helped force overtime.
Once there, Amari Cooper’s 45-yard reception led to a short touchdown run by Nick Chubb, who had 116 yards on the day, that won the game.
Watson will take over under center next week when the Browns visit the Houston Texans, Watson’s old team, in what is sure to be an interesting and possibly ugly environment for him.
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