The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Arizona Cardinals, 19-16, on Sunday, capping the NFL's first-ever Christmas triple-header and in the process notching their first overtime win since last December against Buffalo. The Buccaneers rallied from a 16-6 deficit in the fourth quarter, marking the fourth time this season they have scored 10 or more points in the fourth quarter in a victory. It was also the second time in four weeks that the Bucs won after trailing by 10 or more points in the fourth quarter; they beat New Orleans, 17-16, in Week 13 after falling behind 16-3.
Tom Brady led the comeback, engineering a 67-yard touchdown drive and 31-yard field goal drive in the final 11 minutes of regulation, then moving the Bucs 66 yards on their only possession in overtime to set up Ryan Succop for the 40-yard game-winner. In the process, he increased his all-time lead in three clutch categories: comeback wins from a deficit of 10 points or more, fourth-quarter comeback victories (4QC) and game-winning drives (GWD).
Most Comeback Wins from a 10+-Point Deficit, Quarterbacks, NFL History
| Quarterback | Team(s) | 4QC |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Brady | Patriots/Buccaneers | 41 |
| Drew Brees | Chargers/Saints | 27 |
| Peyton Manning | Colts/Broncos | 26 |
| Ben Roethlisberger | Steelers | 22 |
| Eli Manning | Giants | 20 |
Most Fourth-Quarter Comeback Victories, NFL History
| Quarterback | Team(s) | GWDs |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Brady | Patriots/Buccaneers | 58 |
| Peyton Manning | Colts/Broncos | 54 |
| Ben Roethlisberger | Steelers | 53 |
| Matt Ryan | Falcons/Colts | 53 |
| Dan Marino | Dolphins | 47 |
The comeback win was critical to Tampa Bay's efforts to win its second straight NFC South title, but it was also yet another milestone in Brady's unparalleled career. It marked the 250th regular-season game in which he's played in that his team won, and he is the first player ever to hit that mark.
Most Regular Season Wins, NFL History
| Player | Pos. | Team(s) | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Brady | QB | Patriots/Buccaneers | 250 |
| Adam Vinatieri | K | Patriots/Colts | 221 |
| George Blanda | QB/K | Bears/Raiders/Oilers/Colts | 209 |
| Gary Anderson | K | Five teams* | 201 |
| Jerry Rice | WR | 49ers/Raiders/Seahawks | 194 |
(* Anderson played for the Steelers, Eagles, 49ers, Vikings and Titans.)
Brady completed 32 of 48 passes in Sunday's game for 281 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, and he was not sacked. That marks the fourth time this season that he has escaped a game without taking a sack, and the 15th time since he joined the Buccaneers in 2020. No other team has put together as many sack-free games in that span, and the Bucs are a full 50% ahead of the next team on the list.
Most Games Without Allowing a Sack, 2020-22
1. Tampa Bay: 15
2t. Detroit: 10
2t. Kansas City: 10
4t. Buffalo: 9
4t. Pittsburgh: 9
4t. San Francisco: 9
Brady's favorite target on Christmas night was running back Leonard Fournette, who caught nine passes on 10 targets for 90 yards. Fournette also ran 20 times for 72 yards, marking just the 10th time in team history that a player has exceeded both 70 yards rushing and 70 yards receiving in the same game. Fournette is the first to do so in over a decade; the most recent such outing before Sunday was by Doug Martin against Minnesota on Oct. 25, 2012.
Fournette's 90 receiving yards on Sunday are the most he's ever tallied in a single game, and his nine catches were tied for his second most. A good chunk of the yardage came on a 44-yard catch-and-run in the fourth quarter that set up RB Rachaad White's three-yard touchdown reception. That stands as the longest reception of Fournette's career.
Brady also targeted wide receiver Chris Godwin 10 times, resulting in eight catches for 63 yards. Godwin's final catch of the evening was a 12-yard gain on third-and-six that kept the Buccaneers' game-tying field goal drive alive late in the fourth quarter. That catch also allowed him to move into second place on Tampa Bay's list of career receptions leaders, passing former running back James Wilder. Only current teammate Mike Evans has caught more passes as a Buccaneer.
| Player | Pos. | Seasons | Recs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Evans | WR | 2014-22 | 673 |
| Chris Godwin | WR | 2017-22 | 431 |
| James Wilder | RB | 1981-89 | 430 |
| Mark Carrier | WR | 1987-92 | 321 |
| Warrick Dunn | RB | 1997-2001, 08 | 306 |
Godwin's eight catch night also extended his NFL-leading streak of consecutive games with at least five receptions to 12, which is the second-longest run in Buccaneers annals.
Most Consecutive Games with Five-Plus Receptions, Buccaneers History
| Player | Streak | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Keyshawn Johnson | 15 | Dec. 18, 2000 - Dec. 16, 2001 |
| Chris Godwin | 12 | Oct. 2, 2022 - Dec. 25, 2022 |
| Keenan McCardell | 9 | Oct. 26, 2003 - Dec. 20, 2003 |
| Mike Evans | 7 | Dec. 18, 2017 - Sept. 30, 2018 |
| Joey Galloway | 7 | Sept. 25, 2005 - Nov. 13, 2005 |
Most Consecutive Games with Five-Plus Receptions, NFL, 2022
| Player | Streak | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Godwin (TB)* | 12 | Oct. 2, 2022 - Dec. 25 |
| Tyreek Hill (MIA) | 9 | Sept. 29 - Dec. 4 |
| CeeDee Lamb (DAL)* | 8 | Oct. 30 - Dec. 24 |
| DK Metcalf (SEA)* | 8 | Oct. 30 - Dec. 24 |
(* Active streak.)
Other than White's touchdown, all of the Bucs' points in Sunday's victory were provided by kicker Ryan Succop, who made all four of his field goal tries, the longest from 42 yards out. So far this season, Succop has made all 11 of his field goal attempts from 40-49 yards, and he is perfect on 21 extra point attempts. Succop's 29 field goals are just three shy of the Buccaneers' single-season record.
Most Field Goals Made, Single Season, Buccaneers History
| Kicker | Season | FGM |
|---|---|---|
| Matt Bryant | 2008 | 32 |
| Martin Gramatica | 2002 | 32 |
| Ryan Succop | 2022 | 29 |
| Ryan Succop | 2020 | 28 |
| Connor Barth | 2012 | 28 |
| Matt Bryant | 2007 | 28 |
| Martin Gramatica | 2000 | 28 |
On defense, cornerback Carlton Davis recorded one of the Buccaneers' five passes defensed against Cardinals quarterback Trace McSorley on Sunday. Davis has broken up eight passes in Tampa Bay's last five games and is second in the NFL in that category over the past four seasons combined.
Most Passes Defensed, NFL, 2019-22
| Player | Team(s) | PD |
|---|---|---|
| James Bradberry | Panthers/Giants/Eagles | 62 |
| Carlton Davis | Buccaneers | 60 |
| Denzel Ward | Browns | 52 |
| J.C. Jackson | Patriots/Chargers | 49 |
| Xavien Howard | Dolphins | 49 |
**
Additional Notes:
- After outside linebacker Anthony Nelson sacked McSorley and forced a fumble in the first quarter on Sunday, inside linebacker Devin White scooped up the loose ball and returned it 13 yards. That was the seventh fumble recovery of White's career, which is tied for the third most in the NFL since 2019. Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt also has seven, and the co-leaders on the list are Cincinnati's Vonn Bell and the Raiders' Chandler Jones, with eight each.
- Leonard Fournette's 162 yards from scrimmage against Arizona are the most he has recorded in any regular-season game since joining the Buccaneers in 2020. He now has 10 games with 100-plus yards from scrimmage as a Buccaneer and 27 in his career.
- Inside linebacker Lavonte David played in the 164th game of his career on Sunday, all with the Buccaneers. That tied him for fifth place on the franchise's all-time games played list with Hall of Fame safety John Lynch.
