Thursday night, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots defeated the New York Giants 35-14 to move to 6-0 on the season. This was a quiet night overall for the veteran quarterback considering that he didn’t throw for any touchdowns, but he threw a 19-yard pass to running back Sony Michel, Brady leapfrogged Peyton Manning and took second place behind Drew Brees on the all-time passing yards list. Per tradition, Brady responded to the victory by releasing a video on his Instagram profile.
While he didn’t specifically mention that he had moved up the QB leader boards, he did take time to joke about his lack of passing touchdowns on the night. Specifically, he believes that he can now start chasing down another record.
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“Listen, I’ve never led the league in rushing touchdowns,” Brady said. “But after last night, it got me thinking. … I don’t care how we get it done, just win, baby. Enjoy the weekend.”
After six games, Brady has thrown for 10 touchdowns while also rushing for three. This includes his two scores against the Giants on Thursday night. The Patriots QB has long been known for his ability to convert on fourth-and-short or on the goal line due to his size (6-feet-4-inches), as well as an innate knowledge of when to extend his arms.
In terms of leading the league in rushing touchdowns, Brady has some ground to gain. He currently sits 18th overall in 2019 with his three touchdowns. This ties him with fellow quarterbacks in Deshaun Watson and Josh Allen. He also has the same number of rushing touchdowns as a running back from his own team in Sony Michel. Aaron Jones of the Green Bay Packers leads the list with eight scores.
In his career, Brady has capped out with four rushing touchdowns in one season (2012), but he could be searching for more in 2019. This Patriots team has dealt with a rotating cast of options at wide receiver due to both injuries and a release, which puts extra pressure on Brady in the red zone.
If Julian Edelman is covered, where will he go with the football? Tight end Rob Gronkowski is no longer in the building to serve as that unquestioned target in the red zone while Phillip Dorsett and Josh Gordon have both been limited with injuries. Brady may simply decide to get the team within one or two yards of the goal line, putting him in position for a QB sneak and a touchdown. Repeating this process could result in a career-high in rushing touchdowns.
Of course, Brady won’t be specifically looking for opportunities to fill out his career resume. He has stated that “how” the Patriots score doesn’t matter to him. He just wants to win, and he will do whatever it takes to put more points on the board than the opponent.
