Fourteen years ago to the day, 23-year-old Tom Brady faced the Detroit Lions to make his NFL debut. So it’s only fitting that he should celebrate by trouncing the very same team he lost to all those years ago.
The New England Patriots continued their amazing win streak, pounding the visiting Lions 34-9 today in Foxboro. Brady threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns against one of the league’s top defenses, extending their winning streak to seven games. Since being trounced by the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football in Week 3, the Patriots have become a veritable juggernaut, reeling off victory after victory behind a resurgent pass offense led by Brady.
Ironically enough, Tom’s debut yielded the exact same score, albeit with a completely different outcome. It was the Lions who put the smack down on the Patriots back in 2002, with the final score uncannily equating to 34-9 according to CBS Sports . Maybe Brady had that in mind when he took the field today.
The following year, Tom Brady took over for the injured Drew Bledsoe, who suffered a collapsed lung against the NY Jets. Tom was inserted into the game and Patriots fans haven’t looked back since. The Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl that year, the first of three wins in the big game.
The Patriots led 24-6 at halftime as Brady repeatedly found wide-open receivers like tight end’s Rob Gronkowski and Tim Wright. Tom connected with Wright twice in the first half in the end zone to build an early lead. Detroit, meanwhile, struggled on offense yet again. As mentioned during the broadcast, the Lions failed to reach the end zone for the second straight game. And as noted by USA Today , “New England (9-2) routed a division leader for the third straight week, following wins over Denver and Indianapolis, and improved to 44-3 in their last 47 regular-season home games.”
One young fan who enjoyed watching Tom Brady pass his way to victory was young Vivian Lake Brady, who turns two on December 5. Tom’s wife, super model Gisele Bündchen, shared a photo of their daughter rooting on her daddy via her Instagram and Facebook page during the second quarter. It featured the caption, “Go daddy go!!! #gopats Vai papai vai!!!”
The Patriots and Tom Brady look to continue their winning ways next week against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
[ Tom Brady image via Business Insider ]