DALLAS — Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady has reportedly decided to retire, bringing an end to the greatest individual career in NFL history. And you won't find many, if any, people willing to argue that point.
His list of accolades include seven Super Bowl titles, 10 Super Bowl appearances and three Most Valuable Player awards.
And here in North Texas, he held another distinction: A perfect record against the Dallas Cowboys.
Brady was 6-0 against Dallas. He played the Cowboys five times as a New England Patriot and once as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer.
All of those matchups came in the regular season, though Dallas would have met Brady and the Bucs in the playoffs if they won their first round game this year.
Here's how all six Cowboys games against Brady played out, via Pro Football Reference:
Nov. 16, 2003
Result: Patriots win 12-0 at home
Brady wasn't needed much in his first game against the Cowboys, as the Patriots defense stifled Dallas and intercepted Quincy Carter three times. Brady finished 15-for-34 passing for 212 yards and no touchdowns and no interceptions. The Patriots improved to 8-2 and the Bill Parcells-led Cowboys fell to 7-3.
Oct. 14, 2007
Result: Patriots win 48-27 at Dallas
Brady was in MVP form on this day, completing 31 of 46 passes for 388 yards and five touchdowns. Dallas simply couldn't keep pace, and Tony Romo had an interception to go along with two touchdowns. The Patriots improved to 6-0 en route to a perfect regular season, which was spoiled in the Super Bowl loss to the Giants.
Oct. 16, 2011
Result: Patriots win 20-16 at home
The Cowboys matched New England early in the game, exchanging field goals between Dan Bailey and Stephen Gostkowski, and the Cowboys even managed a pair of interceptions against Brady. But Brady was going to Brady, and he hit Aaron Hernandez for an eight-yard touchdown pass with 22 seconds left to give the Patriots the win.
Oct. 11, 2015
Result: Patriots win 30-6 at Dallas
Ah yes, the Brandon Weeden era in Dallas. Brady and the Patriots didn't face much of a test, as Brady threw for 275 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Brandon Weeden, filling in for an injured Tony Romo, managed 187 yards but no touchdowns and one interception. The Patriots improved to 4-0 but later lost in the AFC Championship game against the Broncos.
Nov. 24, 2019
Result: Patriots win 13-9 at home
Cold and wet is always a good formula for a loss in New England, and that was the case two seasons ago. Dak Prescott was intercepted once and didn't throw a touchdown, and Brady did just enough to get the Patriots a win, throwing for 190 yards and one score.
Sept. 9, 2021
Result: Buccaneers win 31-29 at home
The Cowboys' final game against Brady was likely their best. It also was just another example of why Brady is the G.O.A.T. Prescott threw for 403 yards and three touchdowns. But in the end, Brady had too much time, engineering a last-minute drive to set up a game-winning field goal. After the game, Dak told Brady, "We'll see y'all again." It almost happened, but ultimately did not.
