Bucs-Pats second most-watched 'Sunday Night Football' game in history

Sunday's showdown between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots was always going to produce must-see television because it delivered the return of quarterback Tom Brady to Gillette Stadium for the first time since he left the Patriots via free agency and signed with the Buccaneers in March 2020. 

As Mike Florio noted for Pro Football Talk, the contest generated a total audience of 28.5 million people, making it the second most-watched "Sunday Night Football" NFL game in the history of that program. The 2012 Week 17 NFC-East-deciding matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Football Team attracted 30.3 million viewers and still sits atop the list. 

Sunday night was historic for more than just one reason. As was expected, Brady became the NFL's all-time leader in career passing yards at New England, and he also cemented himself as the fourth quarterback to earn victories over all of the league's 32 clubs: