Tom Brady becomes first player to throw for 100K yards

1. Tom Brady leads Bucs' game-winning drive to snap three-game skid.The Buccaneers' offense couldn't move the ball all day, scuffling for five three-and-outs, a four-play turnover on downs, 0 of 2 in the red zone, and just three field goals before the final drive. Then TB12 got the ball back with 44 seconds left with no timeouts and carved up the Rams' soft coverage, leading the Bucs on a six-play, 60-yard touchdown drive in just 35 seconds. Brady found Cade Otton for the game-winning score, the first TD by a Bucs tight end this season. The GOAT tossed for 280 yards, surpassing the 100,000-yard mark for his career (regular and postseason combined). It wasn't pretty for Tampa, which generated just 10 yards in the third quarter. Brady missed a host of throws, and the connection with Mike Evans is lost in the wilderness. Tampa also rushed for just 2.5 yards per carry on 20 totes. But with the game on the line, TB12 proved once again, he can still get the job done.
2. Rams' offensive struggles sink Sean McVay's team again. L.A. had two explosive passing plays from Matthew Stafford to Cooper Kupp, a 69-yard TD and a 34-yarder to set up a field goal. Darrell Henderson had a 23-yard run, the longest by a Rams running back this season. The rest of the time, L.A.'s offense was a smorgasbord of inefficiency, poor blocking, and depressing drives. The Rams didn't run a play in Bucs territory the entire first half. They went three-and-out eight times, including three straight drives in the fourth quarter to allow the Bucs' comeback. L.A. still can't run the ball, guard Bobby Evans was a turnstile, and no receiver outside of Kupp gets open. Yes, the Rams' defense gave up the game-winning drive, but the loss falls on the shoulders of an impotent offense. Just one first down in the fourth quarter could have changed the game.
3. Bucs take over the lead in dismal NFC South. Neither team should be thrilled with their play Sunday. Tampa happens to be the one to come away with the victory. Both 2021 postseason squads have major flaws. This was closer to a pillow fight than a heavyweight matchup. At least Tampa (4-5) has the comfort of playing in a division where no team is even .500. Still, a win is a win. With a division lead, the Bucs now have a chance to turn things around before December and skate into a potential postseason spot. The road gets no easier, however, with a meeting against the 6-3 Seahawks on tap in Week 10 in Germany.

Next Gen stat of the game: The Buccaneers had just a 5% chance of winning after they turned the ball over on downs with 1:52 remaining in the game, trailing 13-9. Tom Brady completed 5 of 6 passes for 54 yards and a TD (+21.3% CPOE) on the Buccaneers' game-winning drive.

NFL Research: With the comeback, Tom Brady now has 55 game-winning drives, breaking a tie with Peyton Manning (54) for most in NFL history. Brady also tied Manning with 43 fourth-quarter comebacks for most all time.