#ThisDayThatYear: Patriots' Brady returns from his four-game 'Deflategate' suspension (2016)
On October 9, 2016, quarterback Tom Brady returned from his four-game "Deflategate" suspension, leading the New England Patriots to a 33-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Brady passed for 406 yards and threw three touchdowns, all to Martellus Bennett, at the Huntington Bank Field. We decode the 'Deflategate' scandal, New England's Super Bowl run, Brady's 2016 stats, and his crunch career stats.
Scandal overview
The Deflategate scandal involved allegations that Patriots quarterback Brady ordered the deflation of footballs during the 2014 AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts. As a result, Brady received a four-game suspension, and the Patriots were fined $1 million and forfeited two draft picks in 2016. Brady's suspension was initially set for 2015 but was appealed, and was reinstated for the 2016 season.
Brady's 2016 season and the Patriots' championship run
In 2016, Tom Brady completed 291 of 432 passes for 3,554 yards and 28 touchdowns over 12 games earning him a passer rating of 112.2. Meanwhile, during the postseason Brady completed 93 passes for 1,137 yards and seven TDs in three games. The Patriots finished the regular season 14-2, culminating in a Super Bowl LI victory against the Atlanta Falcons (34-28) OT.
Brady's career stats
In 23 seasons Brady played for two teams, the Patriots and the Buccaneers. In 335 career appearances, Brady completed 7,753 passes for 89,214 yards including 649 TDs. He boasts a passer rating of 97.2. His postseason achievements also include 35 playoff wins from 48 games. Brady has racked up 13,400 passing yards, and 88 passing touchdowns, with a postseason career passer rating of 89.8.
Brady's unmatched records
Brady holds multiple NFL records, including most career passing yards (89,214), touchdowns (649), and wins as a quarterback (251). He has 7,753 career completions from 12,050 attempts, a single-season record of 490 completions (2022), and the longest touchdown pass at 99 yards. In the playoffs, he has 35 wins, 13,400 passing yards, and 88 passing touchdowns.
