FOXBORO, MA — Behind huge passing numbers for backup quarterback Tom Brady, the Patriots rallied from a 26-16 fourth quarter deficit to defeat the San Diego Chargers in overtime, 29-26 at Foxborough Stadium.
Adam Vinatieri’s 44-yard field goal at the four-minute mark of overtime sealed the win, and vindicated the kicker from a miss from the same distance earlier in the contest.
But this game belonged to Brady. He completed 33 of 54 passes for 364 yards and two touchdowns. He found tight end Jermaine Wiggins in the end zone from three yards out to tie the contest at 26-26 with 34 seconds left in regulation.
The Patriots celebrated the return of Terry Glenn, who had a hot first half. Glenn finished with seven catches for 110 yards and a 21-yard touchdown pass from Brady. But Troy Brown was the second-half hero, hauling in eleven passes for 117 yards.
The loss kept the Chargers winless in Foxborough Stadium since the facility opened in 1971. The last Charger win in New England was a 16-13 win against the Boston Patriots at Harvard in 1970.
The Patriots overcame several special team blunders. Lee Johnson muffed a punt snap in the fourth quarter, and Derrick Harris ran the fumbled snap in from six yards out to give San Diego a 26-16 lead.
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Covering Boston Sports since 1997. Native of Worcester, Mass. Attended UMass and Univ of Michigan. Lives in California. Just recently retired after 40 years of public school teaching. Podcasts on YouTube at @thepic4139
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