Tom Brady is getting an award he's collected more often than any other player in NFL history in honor of something he did for the first time in his unmatched 22-season career.
On Wednesday, Brady was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week Five, following his 411-yard, five-touchdown performance in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 45-17 thrashing of the Miami Dolphins. Incredibly, that was the first game in his career in which he topped 400 yards and thrown five touchdown passes, despite having achieved the former accomplishment 12 times and the latter nine times.
This marks the second time that Brady has won a Player of the Week award as a Buccaneer and the 32nd time he's earned that honor in his career. During 20 seasons as the quarterback for the New England Patriots, he was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week 30 times. His 32 combined POTW plaques are the most by any player.
Brady completed 30 of 41 passes against the Dolphins and was not intercepted for the fourth straight game, finishing with a passer rating of 144.4. In the process, he set a new Buccaneers record by extending his streak to 203 passes without an interception. It marked the 22nd time in his career that he has finished a game with a passer rating of 140 or better, breaking a tie with Peyton Manning for the most such games in NFL history.
Brady did most of his damage on Sunday while playing with an injured thumb on his throwing hand, the result of hitting it on a Miami player's helmet while getting a pass off. That injury occurred in the second quarter, after which he threw three of his five touchdowns.
Brady's 411 passing yards were the most by any NFC quarterback in Week Five and his passer rating and touchdown passes were the top marks in the entire league. Overall, he leads the NFL with 1,767 passing yards after five week and is second to Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes with 15 touchdown passes.
Sunday's victory also marked the 306th regular-season game of Brady's NFL career, moving him past former kicker Phil Dawson into sixth place on the NFL's all-time games played list.
This is the third NFC Player of the Week award one by a Buccaneer in 2021. Punter Bradley Pinion was the choice in Week One after a win over the Cowboys and safety Mike Edwards took it on defense in Week Two after recording two pick-sixes in a victory against Atlanta.
