Tom Brady throws five touchdowns as Bucs rally to beat Chargers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Scotty Miller (10) makes a catch on a pass by quarterback Tom Brady (12) for 44 yards, beating Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward Jr. (26) in the third quarter on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Miller caught a pass for a touchdown on the following play. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times/TNS)

TAMPA, Fla. _ It was just another comeback for the ageless.

Forty-three-year-old quarterback Tom Brady and the Bucs were trailing 24-7, took the lead, saw it erased, then had to come-from-behind again.

Brady threw five touchdowns to as many receivers and the Bucs outlasted the Chargers 38-31 in a shootout with rookie Justin Herbert. Carlton Davis' interception with 2:22 remaining sealed things for the Bucs.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including linebacker Lavonte David (54), are introduced before the start of the first quarter of the game between the Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times/TNS)

Brady's fifth touchdown pass, a 9-yarder to rookie Ke'Shawn Vaughn, gave the Bucs the lead with 11:05 remaining in the game.

The five TD passes tied a club record held by four other quarterbacks. Brady finished 30-of-46 for 369 yards passing.

Brady gave the Bucs their first lead by hitting Scotty Miller on passes of 45 yards and 19 yards, the second for a touchdown to start the fourth quarter.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) makes a pass completion for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times/TNS)

But that was before Herbert spotted Jalen Guyton behind Sean Murphy-Bunting and hung out a pass that he corralled and ran into the end zone for a 72-yard scoring play to re-take the lead 31-28.

The Bucs were awful in the first half. Other than taking the opening kickoff 75 yards and a 7-0 lead on Brady's 3-yard TD pass to Cameron Brate, they didn't do much right.

Herbert, making only his third start, connected on a 53-yard touchdown pass to Tyron Johnson to tie the score.

Los Angeles Chargers safety Nasir Adderley (24) disrupts a pass intended for Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) during the second quarter on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times/TNS)

Then Brady tried to hit Justin Watson on an out route, and Chargers cornerback Michael Davis intercepted the pass, returning it 78 yards for a touchdown.

It was the fourth interception and second pick-six of the season for Brady.

Trailing 14-7, Davis committed a pass interference penalty on Keenan Allen on third and 8 from the Chargers 43-yard line. That gave Herbert new life and he used it to throw a 19-yard TD pass to Donald Parham Jr. for a 21-7 lead.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Scotty Miller (10) makes a catch on a pass by quarterback Tom Brady (12) for 44 yards, beating Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward Jr. (26) in the third quarter on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Miller caught a pass for a touchdown on the following play. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times/TNS)

Even special teams got into the act. Kicker Ryan Succop missed a 44-yard field goal wide left with 4:54 left in the first half.

That was enough time for Herbert to drive the Chargers to within scoring distance again. Michael Badgley connected on a 53-yard field goal to make it 24-7 with less than two minutes remaining in the half.

Then came the break the Bucs didn't count on.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates with running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn (30) after Vaughn caught a touchdown pass from Brady as the Bucs take the lead on the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times/TNS)

The Chargers just wanted to run out the clock and get to the locker room. But with ball on the 9-yard line, running back Joshua Kelley was stripped by Ndamukong Suh, and Devin White recovered at the Chargers' 6.

Three plays later, Brady lofted a pass high to Evans in the back of the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown.

A sack of Herbert by safety Jordan Whitehead got the ball back for the Bucs to start the second half. Brady trimmed the lead to 24-21 with his 28-yard touchdown pass to O.J. Howard, capping a 69-yard drive in eight plays.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski, on left, celebrates as wide receiver Scotty Miller (10) scores a 19-yard touchdown on a pass by quarterback Tom Brady (12) in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times/TNS)

Some of the Los Angeles Chargers take a knee prior to the start of the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times/TNS)

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) attempts a pass with pressure from Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (50) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end William Gholston (92), right, during the first quarter on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times/TNS)

Los Angeles Chargers safety Nasir Adderley (24) disrupts a pass intended for Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) during the second quarter on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times/TNS)

Jack Shaughnessy, 10, wears his Buccaneers Tom Brady jersey as he sits in the stands with his father Scott Shaughnessy, 42, who wears a Patriots Tom Brady jersey, both visiting from Rosedale, California, as they watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times/TNS)