SportsDirect Inc. staff
Jan 1, 2012

Tom Brady became the second player in the last week to pass Dan Marino’s single-season passing yardage mark, completing 23 of 35 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns to lead the New England Patriots to a 49-21 win over the visiting Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

The Patriots (13-3) stormed back from a 21-0 first-quarter deficit against the Bills and locked down the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

Brady finished with 5,235 passing yards on the season, the second-highest total of all-time behind New Orleans’ Drew Brees, who wound up with 5,476.

Rob Gronkowski extended his single-season record for touchdown catches by a tight end to 17 with a pair of scores and BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for two touchdowns for New England.

Gronkowski also broke the single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end with 1,327.

For the second week in a row, the Patriots found themselves down by at least three scores early in the game.

But Brady and the offense chipped away, driving 77 yards for a score on the first drive of the second quarter and pulling to within 21-14 at the half when Brady threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Hernandez.

Two third-quarter field goals and Brady’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Gronkowski gave New England the lead.

With 3:07 left in the game, Brady found Gronkowski again for a 7-yard score, the 300th touchdown pass of his career.

New England’s defense picked off Ryan Fitzpatrick four times and avenged an early-season loss at Buffalo.