Big finale as Brady returns to spotlight

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, back in the National Football League spotlight, came up with a characteristically big finale.

Brady threw two touchdown passes in the final 2min 06sec as the Patriots handed Buffalo a heartbreaking 25-24 defeat on Monday.

It was a thriller of a return for Brady, who missed the 2008 season after tearing knee ligaments in the season-opener.

Under pressure through much of the game, Brady rarely looked like the record-breaking quarterback who piloted New England to an undefeated 2007 regular season.

But when Buffalo's Leodis McKelvin fumbled a kickoff return after the Patriots had narrowed the deficit to five points, Brady rose to the occasion.

Patriots placekicker Stephen Gostkowski recovered the ball at the Buffalo 31 yard line.

Three plays later, Brady connected with Benjamin Watson over the middle for the decisive 16-yard touchdown with 50 seconds remaining.

Little more than a minute earlier he had hit Watson for an 18-yard TD.

"Two-minute drives always are fun for a quarterback," Brady said. "Spread it out, the pass rush gets a little tired, you get a feel for the coverage, you just have to be patient.

"I'm glad it's over, glad we are moving on, got a win, and we'll learn from it," he added.

Brady threw for a record 50 touchdowns in 2007 as he led New England to a perfect regular season record.

But they lost that season to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, and Brady's hopes of guiding the Pats back to the championship game ended when he was injured in the first game of last season.

For most of Monday's contest, the Bills seemed poised to snap an 11-game losing streak against New England.

"That's not how we drew it up, but I'll take it," Brady said. "We did a lot of things poorly but we got the win."

Brady said the close call would spur the Patriots to improve.

"We have a real competitive locker room, a real competitive team," Brady said. "When you're in a situation like we were, it's when you really have to step it up. It takes every guy on the field to step it up. Hopefully, we will continue to do that."