The Patriots completed a perfect if somewhat joyless journey through the regular season Saturday night, finishing with a remarkable 16-0 record following a thrilling 38-35 comeback victory over the New York Giants.
"I think it's a lot of hard work," Brady said. "I'm proud of the way this team responded. We're losing there in the second half and came out and played some of our better football."
In gaining their 19th straight win over two seasons, the Patriots also got record-setting performances from Brady and Moss, including the winning score, a 65-yard bomb with 11:06 remaining. Brady beat Peyton Manning's mark of 49 touchdown passes by throwing two to Moss against the Giants (10-6), giving the star quarterback 50. With 23 touchdown receptions, Moss broke Jerry Rice's record of 22. And the Patriots finished with an incredible 589 points for the season, another single-season record.
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From disarray and heartache to confidence and dominance, the Redskins will enter the playoffs as the hottest team in the NFC after Sunday's 27-6 win over the Dallas Cowboys. And with the hottest quarterback in Todd Collins (left). And maybe the hottest running back in Clinton Portis. And with a defense coming off a game in which it allowed exactly 1 yard rushing.
Washington's winning streak has been led by backup QB Collins, who took over when Jason Campbell dislocated a kneecap Dec. 6. Collins, getting his first substantial playing time in 10 years, has completed 64 percent of his passes with five TDs and no interceptions.
Sunday, he hit Santana Moss with a 42-yard scoring strike early in the fourth quarter to extend Washington's lead to 27-3 and all but ensure the Redskins were heading to the playoffs.
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Kerry Collins (left) spent most of the season waiting for a chance to prove he could still play. On Sunday night, with a playoff spot at stake, Tennessee's backup quarterback delivered the biggest win of the season.
He led the Titans to three second-half field goals, including a 54-yarder from Rob Bironas to retake the lead in a 16-10 victory that left Tennessee celebrating. The Titans (10-6) had to win to make the playoffs for the first time since 2003.
"That's why Kerry is where Kerry is," head coach Jeff Fisher said. "He's one play away from playing. He's played an awful lot of ball. Being a backup in this league is harder than starting."
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Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.
