Guided by Tom Brady, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made their entrance into the New England Patriots’ Gillette Stadium on October 3rd in dramatic fashion. Serving as the homecoming of Tom Brady to his former home stadium of almost 20 years, a lot was riding on both the shoulders of Tom Brady to maintain focus in a situation of much emotion, but also on those of Mac Jones, the Patriots new starting quarterback expected to live up to the expectations of someone who’s legacy will likely never be matched.

With the entire world eyeing his every move, and both the love and contrasting bitterness from every single New England fan in Gillette Stadium, the pressure on Tom Brady to put on a show was immense. Reeling in an average of 28.5 million total viewers on all platforms, according to CNBC, Brady’s return to New England was the most watched NFL game since 2012. However, in typical Tom Brady fashion, he delivered. 

Fans watching witnessed Brady breaking former New Orleans Saints player Drew Brees’ record for passing yards, which stood at 80,358 yards, to become the NFL’s all-time leader, with 80,560 yards after throwing for 269 yards in Tampa Bay’s game against the Patriots. That’s not to say that Brady’s success in his game against New England came without challenge.

The treacherous conditions of heavy rain and bitter winds coupled with the strategic defense of Patriots’ head coach, Bill Belichick, challenged Brady in this emotional matchup. According to The Washington Post, Brady said, “It was just very typical Patriots-type weather. A very tough football environment. They make you earn it.” Brady went on to talk more about the emotion that accompanied his homecoming calling it “a very emotional week,” and recognizing the Patriots organization as “people I (Brady) shared my life with.”

Despite the unfavorable conditions and roadblocks that faced Brady from the get-go of this intense matchup, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers managed to come out on top, beating the New England Patriots with a score of 19-17. To lead his team to victory in a game that carried a heavy emotional weight and sparked an excess of media attention, speaks loads to Tom Brady’s mental strength and athleticism as one of the best professional quarterbacks of all time. 

The Buccaneers stand at a record of 3-1 after their win against New England, and will hope to continue this forward momentum throughout the rest of their season with reassurance that their leader, Tom Brady, has made it past one of his most difficult challenges of the season both psychologically and physically.