Wes Welker #83 of the New England Patriots celebrates a fourth quarter touchdown with Tom Brady #12 and Alge Crumpler #82 while playing the Detroit Lions on November 25, 2010. (Getty/ Gregory Shamus)

DETROIT (AP) -  Tom Brady threw a season-high four touchdown passes, all in the second half, and had a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3 to help New England beat Detroit on Thanksgiving Day.

Brady was 21 of 27 for 341 yards — just short of season high — with no interceptions to become the first to have a perfect passer rating this season with a minimum of five attempts, according to STATS LLC. Brady also had a perfect rating in 2007 when he threw a career-high six TD passes in a victory over Miami.

The Patriots trailed by 11 points in the first half, but Brady threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Deion Branch early in the fourth quarter after connecting with him on a 79-yarder to tie it at 24-24. Wes Welker’s second TD reception sealed the victory with 6:42 left, putting the Patriots ahead 38-24.

The Patriots moved half a game ahead of the AFC East rival New York Jets — who played Cincinnati on Thursday — for the NFL’s best record.

Detroit dropped to 2-9.

(Copyright: The Associated Press)

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Filed Under: Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, Tom Brady

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