New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady set yet another record during Sunday’s victory over the Washington Redskins. Early in the third quarter, Brady found Julian Edelman for a first down and, in doing so, passed Brett Favre for third all-time in regular-season passing yards. Brady trails just Drew Brees and Peyton Manning, although it should be noted that Brady already holds the record if you include postseason yardage
Tom Brady Overtakes Brett Favre in Latest Career Milestone
By now, you’d probably think Tom Brady had every passing record in NFL history. At 42 years old, the quarterback still keeps finding ways to insert himself into the record books. The Patriots quarterback struggled out of the gate but finished his night with 348 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
It’s worth noting that Brady managed to do this without one of his most reliable weapons. Phillip Dorsett suffered a hamstring injury early in the contest and never came back to the field. Brady still utilized Julian Edelman and Josh Gordon as his primary targets, but the six-time Super Bowl champion made a notable effort to spread the ball around. Brady connected with nine targets throughout the game while finding Edelman, Ryan Izzo, and Brandon Bolden for scores. Izzo’s touchdown reception was the first of his career, while Bolden’s touchdown reception was his first since 2018 with the Miami Dolphins.
Of course, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Brady and the Patriots. While the overall numbers look great, New England struggled to move the ball early in the contest. Marcus Cannon and Marshall Newhouse couldn’t hold a block, and Brady missed a few throws. His worst of the night came late in the second quarter when he threw an ill-advised jump ball towards James White. White couldn’t haul in the pass, and it ultimately resulted in a turnover. This was Brady’s second red zone interception in as many weeks and the first time Brady had thrown consecutive red zone interceptions since 2015.
Sony Michel Finds His Step
Sony Michel struggled through the first four weeks of the season but had a promising bounce-back game in Week 5. After averaging just 2.5 yards-per-carry to start the season, Michel finally found running lanes against the Washington Redskins. In total, Michel recorded 16 carries for 91 yards and one touchdown in what was easily his best performance of the season. While his slow start had a lot to do with sub-optimal blocking, Michel didn’t do himself any favors early on. The former first-round pick had the lowest broken tackle rate in the league, yet Michel managed to run over a few would-be tacklers in this contest. Hopefully, he can keep this up moving forward.
Perhaps what’s most encouraging for Michel was his utilization in the passing game. Michel was one of the most predictable players in the league, but the Patriots finally started to mix up his usage. Michel lined up all over the formation and finished his night with three receptions on three targets for 32 yards. He’s never going to be as good as James White as a receiver, but he has the tools to make plays out of the backfield. Ultimately, this was an encouraging game from a player of his draft pedigree.
The Defense is Still Amazing
The New England Patriots defense is absurdly good. Outside of one atrocious touchdown run, the defense didn’t allow Colt McCoy and company to move the ball. The unit allowed just seven points while recording one interception, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and five sacks.
It’s impossible to play this well for an entire season, but there’s no denying the talent on this unit. The Patriots defense is on a historical pace and is the biggest reason New England is 5-0 entering Week 6. Next week, they’ll take on Daniel Jones and the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football.
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