The tale of Tom Brady is old as time - the 199th draft pick who spent the last 2 decades proving all the haters wrong.
Brady was hugely overlooked as a rookie - waiting six long rounds to eventually be picked by the New England Patriots. The 20 years that followed his debut in 2001 became some of the most memorable in NFL history. In that time, Brady secured 7 Super Bowl wins and shattered records for completions, passing yards, touchdowns and games won for a QB. Now, after a 22-season career he's decided to hang up his legendary cleats. He was the longest-playing quarterback ever, putting 306 games under his belt and with his countless accolades, we'll surely see him stroll into the Hall of Fame any day now.
Although he continued his legacy in Tampa Bay, Brady made his name as the almost-undisputed G.O.A.T and most importantly 'The Comeback King' during his time in New England. Brady amassed a total of 41 fourth-quarter comebacks, ranking second all-time in NFL history, right behind Peyton Manning with 45. But Brady's resume may just take the title here - with the number one spot on this list being the best comeback ever seen in the NFL.
To celebrate the legend that is Tom Brady - here’s our list of The Comeback King's top 10 greatest comebacks ever:
10. Patriots vs Lions - Nov 25th 2010
The 2-8 Lions were in with a chance to pull back a win in this Thanksgiving Day game against the Pats. 24-17 up in the 3rd quarter, they were in a good position to hold the lead and put a W on the chalkboard. Little did they know, they’d go on to be outscored a ridiculous 28-0 in the last 25 minutes of the game – with the scoreline finishing 45-24.
Click the image below to watch the highlights:
9. Patriots vs Bills - Sep 30th 2012
In a game versus Ryan Fitzpatrick who had taken the Bills to a 21-7 lead in the 3rd quarter, Brady showed everyone that day exactly why he's The Comeback King. It was looking like certain defeat until the Patriots outscored the Bills 45-14 in the final 2 quarters, with six consecutive touchdown-scoring drives. Brady managed a huge 35 points in the 4th quarter alone to make the final score 52-28 to New England.
8. Patriots vs Jets - Oct 15th 2017
Up 14-0, with 5 minutes left in the half, the Jets thought they had this game in the bag. But you can never be too sure when you’re facing off against Tom and his good friend Rob Gronkowski. The Patriots went on to outscore the Jets 24-3 through the rest of the game, for another astounding comeback win.
Click the image below to watch the highlights:
7. Patriots vs Broncos - Nov 24th 2013
Up against veteran QB Peyton Manning, Brady took this opportunity to prove his prowess in the art of the comeback.
The Broncos had a huge 24-0 lead at halftime, but Brady then went on to throw 3 consecutive touchdown passes in a half where the Pats scored 31 points unanswered. A score-tying touchdown from Manning sent this game into overtime, but it was ultimately won by New England with a 31-yard field goal by Gostkowski.
6. Patriots vs Browns - Dec 8th 2013
You'd think a 19-point lead with 10 seconds left in the 3rd quarter would surely be enough, right? Not when Brady is around.
This comeback saw the Patriots scoring 16 points in the last 10 minutes of the game. With just 30 seconds left in the 4th quarter, Brady threw a touchdown to always-reliable receiver Danny Amendola to make the game 27-26 and the Browns just couldn’t beat the clock.
5. Patriots vs Bills - Jan 1st 2011
The year prior to our 8th pick on this list - in another Brady-Bills face off - similar madness ensued. The Bills took a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. But, with Gronkowski breaking the single season receiving record with 108 yards in this game (bringing his total that year to 1,327) it’s not hard to imagine how the Pats scored a ridiculous 49 points unanswered to secure the win.
4. Patriots vs Seahawks - Feb 1st 2015 - Super Bowl XLIX
Although this win was famously sealed with Malcolm Butlers goal line interception, along with his place in the Super Bowl history books, Brady still led the team to overcome a 10-point deficit in the 4th quarter. He put the Pats ahead 28-24 with a 3-yard touchdown to Julian Edelman in just the final 2 minutes of the game.
Click the image below to watch the highlights:
3. Patriots vs Raiders - Jan 19th 2001 - AFC Divisional Playoff
The infamous tuck-rule, abolished in 2013, called back a game changing fumble from Brady with less than two minutes left and the Patriots down 13-10. Brady went on to lead a game-tying drive to set-up a field goal and take the game to overtime, where Adam Vinatieri sent the Pats to the AFC title game with a 23-yard field goal.
Click the image below to watch the highlights:
2. Patriots vs Saints - Oct 13th 2013
In this home game vs New Orleans, Brady lulled the Saints into a false sense of security, throwing an interception while 27-23 down in the 4th quarter and 2:24 on the clock. He got the ball back with 73 seconds remaining, no time-outs and 70 yards of turf ahead of him. He somehow found Kenbrell Thompkins in the end-zone with 5 seconds left on the clock for a 30-27 victory.
1. Patriots vs Atlanta - Feb 5th 2017 - Super Bowl LI
Indisputably the most infamous comeback in Super Bowl history - with perhaps Julian Edelman's greatest catch ever and an overtime showdown too - this game will always be one for the ages. The Patriots were 28-3 down with just 8:31 on the board in the 3rd quarter.
At this point, the Atlanta had a 98% chance of winning. All hope seemed lost, with Pats fans quickly dwindling around the stadium and across the world. But somehow, against all odds, Brady got back up and led the team on a 31-0 run, throwing two touchdown passes and a key two-point conversion in the final minute of the game. The score line finished 34-28 to the Pats in overtime, leaving the Falcons stunned and in awe.
Click the image below to watch the highlights:
This top 10 alone proves that Brady's legacy is undeniable - his crowning as The Comeback King can only be rebutted with Manning's record, but Brady's 4th-quarter wins certainly had more style. He consistently said he'd play until he turns 45, but in the past year he started changing his tune - simply saying "if I'm not a championship-level quarterback, then I'm not gonna play." With his most recent Super Bowl win only last season and the Bucs coming within one score of a Divisional Round win in the latest playoff run, we were certain we'd see him back again next year. Sadly, Brady officially announced his retirement and with that, we witness the end of an era.
Who knows, maybe we'll have a new Top 10 list to write soon, even if it is just for his greatest moments in the commentary booth. Either way, we'd love to see him back in the stadium, no matter how that happens.
