Brady's Most Memorable Moments in Foxboro

Brady's Best Moments: Outdueling Mahomes in their first meeting in Foxboro

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The first meeting between Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes was an instant classic.

The New England Patriots had survived the best the AFC had to offer so many times since Brady took over as the team's starting quarterback in 2001. The challenge from the Chiefs felt different, though. A generational talent at quarterback in Mahomes, an offense loaded with elite talent at the skill positions and a veteran head coach in Andy Reid provided quite a threat to the Pats.

What unfolded on "Sunday Night Football" was one of the most exciting games in recent memory.

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As Brady prepares for his homecoming, we're reliving his best moments at the place he called home for two decades. Next up: The beginning of the Brady-Mahomes rivalry.

The Date

Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018

The Matchup and Result

Week 7 regular season: Patriots 43, Chiefs 40

The Backstory

The Chiefs were 5-0 and Mahomes was in the midst of his MVP campaign. KC's offense looked almost unstoppable. The Patriots were starting to find their groove with back-to-back wins following a surprising 1-2 start to the season. A loss would've dropped the Patriots to 3-3 and made it harder for them to earn a first-round playoff bye in the AFC.

The Game

The Patriots led 24-9 at halftime and looked poised for a blowout victory. But the Chiefs stormed back in the third quarter, outscoring the Pats 17-3 to trail 27-26 entering the fourth quarter.

The last 15 minutes provided plenty of fireworks, including 30 total points. Three touchdowns and two field goals were scored over the last 8:28, a stretch that included three lead changes and one game-tying score.

The Patriots kicked a field goal to go up 40-33 with 3:15 left. It took Mahomes just one play to tie the game. He completed a 75-yard strike to wide receiver Tyreek Hill to stun the Patriots fans in attendance. 

Three minutes were left on the clock, though, and that was more than enough time for Brady, who led the Patriots right back down the field. A 28-yard field goal made by Stephen Gostkowski as time expired gave New England a 43-40 win.

Here's a look at the fourth quarter scoring box score, via ESPN:

The Aftermath

These teams seemed destined to meet again in January, and that's exactly what happened.

The Patriots went on the road to Arrowhead Stadium and, after another high-scoring fourth quarter, prevailed in overtime for a 37-31 win in the AFC Championship Game to punch their ticket to Super Bowl LIII. Brady completed three third-and-long scenarios on New England's OT drive en route to the winning touchdown. New England beat the Los Angeles Rams two weeks later to claim the franchise's sixth Lombardi Trophy.

The Chiefs got a small amount of revenge the following regular season with a 23-16 Week 14 victory in Foxboro. Kansas City went on to win Super Bowl LIV, ending a 50-year title drought.

Brady and Mahomes met twice in 2020, too. But this time, Brady was the quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After losing to Mahomes in Week 12, the Bucs got their revenge with a convincing 31-9 triumph in Super Bowl LV. Brady was named Super Bowl MVP for a record fifth time.

Brady currently has a 3-2 record (2-0 in the playoffs) versus Mahomes. They won't play during the 2021 season unless the Bucs and Chiefs meet again in the Super Bowl.

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