The Patriots Tied an NFL Scoring Record Sunday

Tom Brady by Jeffrey Beall on Flickr/Creative Commons

Even when the Patriots aren’t at their best, they’re still good enough to match an NFL record.

Tom Brady connected with running back Brandon Bolden for an 18-yard touchdown pass with 11:28 remaining in regulation of the Patriots’ 27-10 win over the Redskins Sunday, and put the Pats on the scoreboard for the 31st consecutive quarter. Only two other NFL teams have scored in 31 straight quarters: the St. Louis Rams in the 1999-2000 season and Indianapolis Colts in 2005. (The Patriots haven’t been held scoreless since the first quarter of the season-opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.)

New England has now scored in 31 straight quarters, tying an @NFL record (STL, 1999-2000 & IND, 2005). #WASvsNE

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 8, 2015

But what made the Patriots’ offensive performance remarkable Sunday is how unremarkable it was at times. The Pats turned the ball over twice in the first quarter—first when Julian Edelman fumbled after catching a pass and then when Brady threw an interception when the period was coming to a close. Entering the game, the Patriots had only given the ball away three times all season long.

Despite those early mistakes, the Patriots gained the third-most yards they have all season and still scored 27 points. Brady was precision-like at times, especially on the team’s opening touchdown drive when he was 6-for-8 (and one of those incompletions was due to a Dion Lewis drop).

Brady finished his day 26-of-39 for 299 yards to go along with two touchdown passes and one interception. He was working all afternoon behind a banged up offensive line, which lost starting tackle Sebastian Vollmer due to a head injury as the first half was coming to a close. Vollmer’s absence forced the Patriots to move Cameron Fleming to left tackle and second-year lineman Bryan Stork from center to right tackle in just his first game of the season. Fleming is the fourth person who the Patriots have slotted in at left tackle to protect Brady’s blind side this year, and amazingly, Brady wasn’t sacked all game.

In addition to the injury-ravaged offensive line, the Patriots also lost Lewis in the third quarter due to a potentially severe knee injury. The team is awaiting MRI results Monday.

Sunday’s offensive performance was far from the Patriots’ cleanest of the season. But given all of the adversity they had to overcome, it may have been their most impressive.