NE Patriots Feast On Det Lions
Tom Brady threw a season-high four touchdown passes, all in the second half, to help the New England Patriots rout the Detroit Lions 45-24 on Thursday.
Brady threw a go-ahead touchdown to Deion Branch early in the fourth quarter after connecting with him on a 79-yard pass to tie the game. Wes Welker's second TD reception sealed the victory with 6:42 left.
Brady was listed as questionable for the New England Patriots game on Thanksgiving Day against the Detroit Lions after missing a walkthrough practice Wednesday.
Brady also sat out Tuesday's only full workout of the week with a foot injury after participating on a limited basis in a walkthrough on Monday. A questionable listing means a player has a 50-50 chance of playing in a game.
With just three days between Sunday's 31-28 win over the Indianapolis Colts and Thursday's game, the Patriots cut back on their physical work.
Brady also was listed with a shoulder injury, as he has been every week in recent seasons.
The quarterback took one day off from practice during the weeks leading to the team's previous two games. Both times, however, he was listed as probable. Brady played well in both games, victories over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis, and showed no signs of being hurt. He walked without a limp in the locker room Tuesday.
Brady has started every game beginning with last year's opener after suffering a season-ending knee injury in the first game of 2008.
The Patriots (9-2) moved a half-game ahead of the AFC East rival New York Jets for the NFL's best record after trailing by 11 points late in the first half.
Detroit (2-9) ended up not being more competitive than it had been in its previous six showcase games — losing those by an average of 23.2 points.
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