It takes a lot to win on the road in the NFL, especially when your team had its back against the wall against a team that posted an epic victory against you just a season ago.
Greatest on the road ...
Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Turn back the clock a bit to Week 3 of the 2011 season. The Patriots traveled to Orchard Park to take on the Buffalo Bills in a showdown of 2-0 teams. The Patriots had been riding a 15-game winning streak in the series, but the Bills managed to snap that skid in epic fashion. Buffalo overcame a 21-0 deficit to claim a 34-31 win. Brady became uncharacteristically unraveled, matching a career-worst with four interceptions as the Bills mounted the historic comeback.
Now let's seamlessly double back to 2012, and the Brady-led Patriots returned to the site of last season's collapse sporting an unfamiliar 1-2 record. This time, it was the Patriots who were up against it, down 21-7 in the third quarter. Then suddenly, and without any warning, the Patriots embarked on six consecutive second-half touchdown drives. Behind Brady's 340 yards passing and three touchdown passes, the Patriots put up a 50-burger on the shellshocked Bills and avoided their first three-game losing streak in a decade with a 52-28 win.
In the victory, Brady (41,206 yards) passed Kerry Collins for 11th place on the NFL's career passing yardage list. Brady passed Hall of Famers Johnny Unitas (40,239) and Joe Montana (40,551) earlier this season.
Also considered:
Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins
RG3 continues to show why the Redskins paid a hefty draft-day price to trade up into the No. 2 overall spot in the 2012 NFL Draft to select the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner. RG3 has the Redskins at 2-2 at the quarter pole due to his dynamic talents.
After the Buccaneers rallied to take a 22-21 lead with less than two minutes to play, RG3 skillfully marched the Redskins down the field to give kicker Billy Cundiff -- who had missed three earlier field-goal attempts -- a chance at redemption. RG3 completed three straight passes, then put his team into field-goal range on a 15-yard scramble. Another pass completion made Cundiff's job a bit easier, and the kicker made a 41-yarder to seal the 24-22 win.
It was the Redskins' first win in Tampa Bay since Week 14 of the 1993 season. For you football savants out there contemplating who were the starting quarterbacks on that day, it was Rich Gannon vs. Craig Erickson.
A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals
With four Bengals defensive backs sidelined with injuries, some expected the Jacksonville Jaguars to be burning the Bengals via the forward pass in Week 4. Instead, the Bengals defense was stout and the second-year quarterback-receiver combo of Andy Dalton and A.J. Green put on the aerial show. Dalton and Green burned the Jaguars several times, including one to set up a second-quarter 1-yard scoring run by Dalton and for a game-sealing touchdown in the fourth quarter of a 27-10 win.
Follow Jim Reineking on Twitter @jimreineking.
