TAMPA, Fla. — Tom Brady threw for 369 yards and five touchdowns, all to different receivers, helping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rally from a 17-point deficit Sunday to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 38-31 for their third straight victory.
With several members of the newly crowned Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning cheering on from a suite at Raymond James Stadium — along with the Cup — Brady shrugged off throwing an early interception returned for a touchdown to keep the Bucs (3-1) in first place in the NFC South.
Five players — Mike Evans, Scotty Miller, O.J. Howard, Cameron Brate and rookie Ke’Shawn Vaughn — caught scoring passes from Brady, who threw four of them after falling behind 24-7 in the second quarter.
Rookie Justin Herbert completed 20 of 25 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns for the Chargers (1-3), who’ve lost three straight with the sixth overall pick in this year’s draft playing earlier than expected because of injuries to Tyrod Taylor.
Michael Davis intercepted Brady’s sideline throw intended for Justin Watson and returned the ball 73 yards for a first-quarter score and a 14-7 lead. LA extended the advantage to 17 with a 19-yard TD pass to Donald Parham Jr. and Michael Badgley’s 53-yard field goal.
The game swung dramatically in the final minute of the opening half. Ndamukong Suh forced a fumble inside the Los Angeles 10 with the Chargers attempting to run out at the clock. Linebacker Devin White recovered, setting up Brady’s 6-yard TD to Evans, who finished with seven catches for 122 yards.
The Bucs drew closer on Brady’s 28-yard scoring throw to O.J. Howard, and Tampa Bay took a short-lived 28-24 lead when the three-time league MVP hit Miller on consecutive plays for 44 yards and 19 yards to get the ball into the end zone again.
Herbert, who threw a 51-yard TD pass to Tyron Johnson in the first half, put the Chargers up 31-28 with a scintillating 73-yard strike to Jalen Guyton, releasing the ball under heavy pressure.
Brady’s 9-yard scoring pass to Vaughn finished a seven-play, 75-yard drive that put Tampa Bay ahead for good with 11 minutes remaining.
INJURIES
Chargers: RB Austin Ekeler left late in the first quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return. … In addition to Taylor remaining sidelined, WR Mike Williams (hamstring) and starting offensive linemen Bryan Bulaga (back) and Trai Turner (groin) did not play.
Buccaneers: Played without WR Chris Goodwin (hamstring) and RB Leonard Fournette (ankle). RB LeSean McCoy departed with an ankle injury in the first half. … RB Kejon Barner suffered a concussion in the second quarter. … Howard was carted off late in the fourth quarter with what the Bucs described as an Achilles tendon injury.
UP NEXT
Chargers: third straight game vs. NFC South opponent, at New Orleans next Monday night, Oct 12.
Buccaneers: short week of preparation before playing at Chicago on Thursday night.
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