Tom Brady threw a pair of touchdown passes, moving into ninth place all time with 274, and the visiting New England Patriots avoided losing consecutive games for the first time in two years with a 31-19 victory over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.

New England (3-1) avoided losing two straight for the first time since 2009 and improved to 26-2 following a loss since 2003.

Brady, who threw a career-worst four interceptions last week, tied Peyton Manning’s NFL record of 13 straight games with at least two touchdown passes to help the Patriots (3-1) rebound after blowing a 21-point lead in a 34-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The Patriots didn’t have to rely on Brady as much, though, because they racked up a season-high 183 rushing yards.

Rookie Stevan Ridley’s 33-yard touchdown run capped a run of 17 straight unanswered points and gave New England a 24-10 lead with 11:07 left in the third.

The Patriots gained further separation on Brady’s second touchdown pass – a 4-yard strike to Deion Branch early in the fourth quarter – that made it 31-13.

It was the 274th touchdown pass of Brady's career, moving him ahead of his boyhood idol Joe Montana for ninth on the career list. Brady grew up in nearby San Mateo idolizing Montana.

The Raiders (2-2), meanwhile, couldn't build on an impressive 34-24 win over the New York Jets last week that helped them to their best start since 2004.

Everything seemed to go right for New England in the second half, as massive defensive tackle Vince Wilfork intercepted a pass for the second time in three weeks and rumbled 19 yards. The 325-pound Wilfork also had an interception in a Week 2 win over San Diego.