A look back at Tom Brady and Drew Brees’ past matchups, and what to expect on Sunday
Brady and Brees faceoff for the eighth time in their careers on Sunday.
For the first time in their two decades in the NFL, Tom Brady and Drew Brees will go head-to-head in the playoffs. Brees’ Saints host Brady’s Buccaneers in the NFC Divisional Round, with a spot in the NFC Championship Game on the line.
The two 40-plus-year-old quarterbacks are largely considered to be two of the best to ever play the position, adding to the hype of Sunday’s matchup.
Head-to-head career stats
Brady and Brees hold the top two spots in some of the all-time career stats. Brees holds the all-time records for most passing yards (80,358) and completions (7,142), with Brady in second (79,204 yards and 6,778 completions).
Brady’s got the edge on Brees in passing touchdowns, however. And the former Patriot holds the record for most passing touchdowns in a career with 581, while Brees is 10 behind him at 571. The two veterans actually traded the lead for most passing touchdowns in a career during the 2020 season up until Brees’ injured ribs caused him to miss some time.
Sunday’s game will mark only the second time since 1950 that the top two all-time passing leaders will go head-to-head in a playoff game. The first came in 1998, when John Elway’s Broncos defeated Dan Marino’s Dolphins, 38-3, en route to a second straight Super Bowl title. It’s the first time since at least 1950 that the top two all-time passing touchdown leaders will face off in the playoffs.
Head-to-head matchups
Sunday’s matchup will be the eighth time Brady and Brees have gone up against each other in their careers. While Brady is the most-winning quarterback in NFL history, Brees actually has the edge in head-to-head matchups. Brees’s teams are 5-2 all-time against Brady’s teams, including two wins against Brady’s Buccaneers this season.
The first time Brady and Brees faced off was in 2002, when Brees made his fourth career start for the Chargers against Brady and the defending champs. Brees’ Chargers got the upper-hand that day, defeating the Patriots 21-14. Brady threw for 353 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions while Brees’ 104 yards and one touchdown pass was enough.
Following a 41-14 rout by Brees’ Chargers over the Patriots in 2005, the two didn’t meet again until 2009. Meeting up for the first time since Brees joined the Saints, Brady couldn’t muster a strong enough performance to beat Brees in New Orleans. He threw two picks, with Brees throwing for 371 yards and five touchdown passes en route to a 38-17 Saints win on “Monday Night Football.”
Brady finally got the upper-hand on Brees in 2013. Brady led the Patriots on a game-winning drive, connecting with Kenbrell Thompkins on a touchdown pass with five seconds left to give the Patriots a 30-27 win over the Saints. He defeated Brees’ Saints again in 2017, throwing for 447 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-20 win in New Orleans.
However, Brees has had Brady’s number since they became division rivals this season. Brees’ Saints welcomed Brady to the NFC South, defeating the Buccaneers 34-23 in Brady’s first game as a Buc. Brady threw for two touchdowns and two picks that day, including a pick-six.
Brady had one of the worst losses in his career in their second matchup, as he threw for just 209 yards and had three interceptions in a Saints 38-3 blowout win over the Buccaneers in Week 9. The Buccaneers’ loss put the Saints in command to win the NFC South, which they eventually did, leading them to host Sunday’s playoff matchup.
While the two have met plenty of times in their NFL careers, they also went head-to-head once in college. Brady dominated Brees in 1999, with Michigan defeating Purdue 38-12 to snap Purdue’s 10-game winning streak.
It’s @TomBrady vs. @drewbrees in Week 1.
2⃣1⃣ years ago, in their only @B1Gfootball matchup, TB12 was victorious.
Let’s take a look back at their TD passes on that 1999 afternoon.@Buccaneers at @Saints
📺: @NFLonFOX
🕰: 4:25 p.m. ET
🗓: Sunday pic.twitter.com/taWWIBz2En— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 11, 2020
40 is the new 20
Sunday’s game will be the oldest matchup between two quarterbacks in NFL history. With Brees turning 42 on Friday and Brady being 43-years-old, their combined age of 85 is the highest between two starting quarterbacks, breaking the record they set in their matchups earlier this season.
It’s also the highest combined age of starting quarterbacks ever in a playoff game. The previous record was also set by Brady, when at 41-years-old he faced then-37-year-old Philip Rivers and the Chargers in the 2018 AFC Divisional Round. Brady won that day, defeating Rivers and the Chargers 41-28, and later nabbed his sixth Super Bowl win to culminate the playoff run.
Social media spotlight
In the lead-up to Sunday’s much-anticipated matchup, much has been said about how long the legendary quarterbacks have been playing at such a high level.
Former MLB third baseman Danny Valencia tweeted Monday that “Every future @TomBrady game should be on the history channel.”
Valencia’s tweet led Brady and his social media team to riff on the old man jokes.
https://t.co/kvv2dNTmHS pic.twitter.com/ND8nmGmZG7
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) January 12, 2021
Despite being the bald one, Brees enjoyed the photoshop.
This is good! https://t.co/CaHTmgOixn
— Drew Brees (@drewbrees) January 12, 2021
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