Tom Brady is inevitable.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were on the verge of suffering an embarrassing loss to the New York Jets on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, trailing by as many as 14 points in the second half.
Brady helped mount a furious comeback against his former AFC East rival, though, driving Tampa Bay 93 yards in less than two minutes and finding Cyril Grayson for a go-ahead touchdown pass with 15 seconds remaining to clinch a remarkable 28-24 victory.
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Key takeaways from Patriots' playoff-clinching rout of Jaguars
Brady and the Bucs came back without star wide receiver Antonio Brown, who abruptly left Tampa Bay's sideline during the third quarter after a bizarre sideline blowup.
The win continued Brady's historic dominance of the Jets: Dating to his days with the New England Patriots, the 44-year-old quarterback is 30-7 all-time against New York and now has won nine consecutive games versus the Jets.
Here's Brady's impressive final stat line:
NFL
34 for 50 (68%), 410 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 104.6 passer rating
Let's get to the highlights of a wild one at the Meadowlands:
Highlights
Brady and Mike Evans connected on a perfectly-executed back-shoulder fade in the first quarter, giving Evans his 25th touchdown reception in two seasons with TB12.
Brady otherwise struggled in the first half, throwing an interception to Jets rookie cornerback Brandin Echols late in the second quarter. New York kicked a field goal just before halftime to go up 17-10 at the break.
The Bucs' offense finally gained momentum in the third quarter when Brady hit tight end Cameron Brate for a 4-yard strike.
After New York failed to convert on a fourth-and-2 from Tampa Bay's 7-yard line, Brady and the Bucs got the ball back with 2:12 remaining. That proved to more than enough time for the seven-time Super Bowl champion, who marched his team right down the field before finding Grayson for the game-winning score.
If you're counting at home, that's 53 career game-winning drives for Brady, tied with Drew Brees for the most in NFL history.
The 12-4 Bucs close their season at home next Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.