Sport

Tom Brady shows no let up as he guides Buccaneers to late win over Cowboys

The 44-year-old started the new season in the same vein as the last, passing for 379 yards

Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers waves to fans after defeating the Dallas Cowboys 31-29 at Raymond James Stadium. Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Fri Sep 10 2021 - 06:57

Dallas Cowboys 29 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31

Ryan Succop booted a 36-yard field goal with two seconds left, Tom Brady passed for 379 yards and four touchdowns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers began the defence of their Super Bowl crown with a 31-29 victory over the visiting Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night in the opening game of the NFL season.

The Cowboys rallied to take a 29-28 lead when Greg Zuerlein hammered a 48-yard field goal with just over a minute remaining before Brady drove the Buccaneers 57 yards on 11 plays to set up Succop’s decisive kick.

Brady, 44, completed 32 of 50 passes and was intercepted twice during his 300th career regular-season start.

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Rob Gronkowski caught eight passes for 90 yards and two touchdown passes while Antonio Brown (five receptions, 121 yards) and Chris Godwin (nine for 105) also had scoring receptions for the Buccaneers.

Dak Prescott amassed 403 yards, three touchdowns and one interception on 42-of-58 passing for Dallas in his first game since sustaining a severe right ankle injury nearly 11 months ago. Amari Cooper had a career-best 13 receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns while CeeDee Lamb had seven catches for 104 yards and a score.

Tampa Bay led by two late in the game and looked en route to adding to the advantage, but Godwin was hit hard by Damontae Kazee and fumbled at the two-yard line. Jourdan Lewis recovered in the end zone and returned it to the Dallas 10 with just under five minutes remaining.

The Cowboys responded with an 11-play, 60-yard drive to set up Zuerlein’s go-ahead kick. The key play was when Prescott connected with Lamb for 34 yards on third-and-11 to the Buccaneers’ 34.

But Brady guided the comeback on a night when the Buccaneers were outgained 451 yards to 431.

The Cowboys were without six-time Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin due to a positive test for Covid-19.

Zuerlein kicked a 21-yard field goal with nine minutes left in the third quarter to pull Dallas within 21-19.

Brady beat the blitz with an 11-yard scoring pass to Gronkowski to make it 28-19 with six minutes left in the third, and Prescott answered with a 21-yard scoring pass to Cooper to bring the Cowboys within two.

In the first half, Brady threw touchdown passes to Godwin (five yards), Gronkowski (two) and Brown (47) as the Buccaneers built a 21-16 lead. Prescott tossed scoring passes to Lamb (22 yards) and Cooper (five).

Brown’s touchdown catch gave Tampa Bay the five-point lead with just over two minutes left in the half.