Lost in the looming Buccaneers-Patriots showdown is the fact that Tom Brady usually responds well after a loss.
Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes that Brady is 50-14 in the regular season after a loss. That’s the best winning percentage (.781) by any starting quarterback since 1950, with a minimum of 23 starts.
The Bucs, obviously, lost to the Rams last weekend. So Brady will either be 51-14 or 50-15 or, in theory, 50-14-1.
A week ago, Russell Wilson held the record, at .829. But 34-9 became not 35-9 but 34-10 after a second straight loss by the Seahawks. Today, Wilson is looking at the first three-game losing streak of his career.
Lurking behind both is Joe Montana, who is at 30-9 (.769) and likely will stay there.
Both Brady and Wilson need wins today. If Tampa Bay loses, it becomes much harder at 2-2 to get the only NFC bye. If the Seahawks lose, it becomes much harder at 1-3 to escape the NFC West basement -- especially with a short-week date with the Rams looming on Thursday night.
