FOXBORO, Mass. — Tom Brady has the opportunity to achieve yet another passing milestone when the New England Patriots host the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday.
Brady enters the game with 399 career touchdown passes to his credit, one shy of joining the exclusive 400 club, of which only Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Dan Marino are members. Seeing as the Patriots quarterback already has thrown for seven touchdowns through two games this season, there’s a very strong chance he’ll toss at least one against the Jaguars.
Don’t expect any sort of elaborate celebration if he does, though. Making a big deal of individual milestones isn’t really the Patriots’ thing.
“Look, Tom’s a great player,” head coach Bill Belichick said in his Wednesday news conference. “We’ve all said that plenty of times. But I don’t really care about any records this week. We really need to beat Jacksonville. Whatever our team needs to do to beat them, that’s what we need to do, I don’t think setting records is — that’s a very, very low priority around here. Other than winning — the winning record’s what’s important.
“I don’t think he’ll care about it. I don’t think I’ll care about it. I don’t think (offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels) will care about it. I think whatever helps us win, I think that’s what we care about.”
Brady, ever the spokesman for the Patriot Way, relayed a similar message.
“As long as we’re scoring points, I’m happy,” he said, adding that he’s been “blessed to be on, to me, the greatest team organization in sports. … I really don’t care whether we throw them in or hand it off or if it’s a defensive score. However we can score points and win games, that’s what matters to me. It’s always what’s mattered most.”
Drew Brees (398 career touchdown passes) also has a chance to reach 400 this Sunday as his New Orleans Saints visit the Carolina Panthers.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
