Against which team did Tom Brady make his first NFL start?

Tom Brady made his first NFL start against the Indianapolis Colts on September 30, 2001.

The start came in Week 3 of the 2001 season after Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe suffered a serious chest injury against the New York Jets. Brady had entered the previous game in relief, but New England then turned to the second-year quarterback against Peyton Manning and the Colts.

Playing at Foxboro Stadium, Brady completed 13 of 23 passes for 168 yards in a 44–13 Patriots victory. He did not throw a touchdown pass or an interception, but he managed the offense effectively and helped New England improve to 2–0.

The matchup became an important NFL-history moment because it was also the beginning of Brady’s long rivalry with Manning. Brady’s first start did not immediately reveal the full scale of his future career, but it launched a run that included seven Super Bowl championships and more than two decades as a starting quarterback.