FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) – Tom Brady became the sixth quarterback to throw for 50,000 career yards, hitting Rob Gronkowski on a 27-yard pass in the first quarter of the New England Patriots’ game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night.
Brady then connected with Tim Wright for a 17-yard touchdown that gave the Patriots a 14-0 lead through one quarter. Stevan Ridley also had a 1-yard touchdown run.
Entering the game needing 60 yards to reach the milestone, Brady completed 7 of 8 passes for 114 yards in the first quarter while leading New England to touchdowns on its first two possessions. Wright, who was acquired from Tampa Bay for six-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Logan Mankins, had two catches for 47 yards, and Gronkowski had two for 41.
Fans chanted Brady’s name when he returned to the field for the Patriots’ third possession of the quarter.
The Patriots lost 41-14 to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night, leading to a week of questions about whether the 37-year-old quarterback’s skills had diminished. But Brady again looked like a three-time Super Bowl champion, leading New England easily to its first touchdown.
Brady was 2 for 2 for 50 yards, and he also ran the ball three times, gaining 4 yards on a fourth-and-1 at the 5. He then tried again for no gain before Stevan Ridley ran it in the final yard to make it 7-0.
The Bengals, the only remaining unbeaten team in the NFL, moved to the New England 34 on the ensuing possession but Mike Nugent was short on a 52-yard field goal attempt. Cincinnati punted on its second possession.
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