Tom Brady comebacks: We rank the top five
Quarterback Tom Brady guided the New England Patriots to another come-from-behind victory Sunday afternoon, clinching his eighth career trip to the Super Bowl with a 24-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It was the 42nd fourth-quarter comeback of Brady's career, which ranks second all-time; only Peyton Manning has more, with 45.
So where does Sunday's rally rank among the rest?
In order to answer that question, USA TODAY Sports looked back at some of Brady's most impressive fourth-quarter comebacks, from a 2002 shocker against the Oakland Raiders to last year's improbable Super Bowl victory.
Here are Brady's five greatest comebacks, ranked in order of style and importance - yes, this list is a matter of opinion - and Sunday's win doesn't make the cut:
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5. Nov. 24, 2013 vs. Denver
This Sunday night game pitted Brady vs. longtime adversary Manning – and Manning and his Denver Broncos had the edge early. The Broncos took a 24-0 lead into halftime. "You've got to forget about what happened in the first half because it was a terrible half of football," Brady said. Brady tossed three touchdown passes as part of a run in which the Pats scored 31 unanswered points. Manning, who struggled this game, was able to force overtime with an 11-yard TD pass to Demaryius Thomas with three minutes left in regulation. But the Patriots won in overtime on a 31-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. The Broncos, however, avenged that loss in the playoffs.
4. Feb. 1, 2015 vs. Seattle
Super Bowl XLIX
Before Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler intercepted Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson at the goal line to seal Super Bowl XLIX, Brady led New England back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Brady finished a 68-yard drive with a 4-yard TD pass to Danny Amendola with eight minutes remaining. With two minutes left, he put the Pats ahead for the game's final margin, 28-24, on a 3-yard TD pass to Julian Edelman.
3. Jan. 19, 2002 vs. Oakland
AFC divisional playoff
Remember this one Raiders fans? Of course you do. It's the tuck rule that arguably started the Patriots' dynasty. Brady, who had taken over for starter Drew Bledsoe earlier in the season, appeared to have fumbled – well, he did under the current rules – with less than two minutes left and the Patriots down, 13-10. The Raiders recovered the ball and appeared set to close out the victory. But, upon further review, the Patriots were able to maintain possession of the ball because of the tuck rule – one that was abolished in 2013 – and Brady led a drive that set up a game-tying field goal. Adam Vinatieri would send the Patriots to the AFC title game with a 23-yard field goal in OT.
2. Oct. 13, 2013 vs. New Orleans
This regular-season meeting between a pair of 5-1 teams didn't have quite the same gravitas as some of Brady's other fourth-quarter comebacks, but he earned extra points for style. Down 27-23 with 2:24 remaining, Brady got the ball and ... promptly threw an interception. But then he got the ball back, needing to travel 70 yards in 73 seconds, and found Kenbrell Thompkins in the corner of the end zone with 5 seconds left to seal a 30-27 victory.
1. Feb. 5, 2017 vs. Atlanta
Super Bowl LI
What else? The Patriots were down 28-3 with 8:31 left in the third quarter of last year's Super Bowl before Brady led them on a 31-0 run. He threw a pair of touchdown passes down the stretch, not to mention the decisive two-point conversion completion to Danny Amendola inside the final minute of the game. New England went on to win 34-28 in overtime, capping one of the most memorable Super Bowls — and, to many, individual games — in NFL history.
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad and Perez @byajperez
