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FIRST PLAYOFF TOUCHDOWN PASS (2005) The 2004 NFL season was a special one for Drew Brees. After coming off a disappointing 2–9 record in 2003 that saw him benched for veteran Doug Flutie and the team taking Philip Rivers in the 2004 NFL Draft, Brees led the SanDiego Chargers to an 11–4 record (the team finished the season 12–4 as Brees sat out the final game of the season). The effort was good enough to lead the Chargers back to the playoffs and NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors for Brees, along with an AFC Pro Bowl selection. In a January 8, 2005, homematchup against the NY Jets, Brees kept the Chargers competitive, throwing his first

playoff touchdown pass. He would finish t he game 31–42 passing for 319 yards and two touchdowns, including a drive that tied the game in the 4th quarter at 17 points, before losing inovertime to the Jets by the score 20–17.

Brees completes a 26-yard pass toWR Keenan McCardell in the left corner of the end zone for his first career playoff touchdown pass. [Begin at the 0:44 second mark in the video]

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Gridiron Greats: Pro Football’s Best Players