Harry Yelreh

I've been watching football a long time now, and in all objectivity, he's the best I've ever seen play the position. Bar none. No apologies to Manning, Brees, Rodgers - certainly no QB of this generation. From what I've known and seen about the game, the only QBs I would certainly put on his level are Montana, Unitas, and Starr.

It's not just the stats, it's not just the wins. It's also about watching him play and having some understanding & appreciation - even if only as a fan - of what it means to play QB at that level. His competitiveness, drive, accuracy, mechanics, awareness in the pocket, elusiveness in the pocket, ability to read defenses, ability to make all the throws, clutchness, leadership, inspiration to teammates to make them better, etc., etc., etc. - I've never seen anyone better. Never. Maybe I can't seriously at this point make the argument that Tom is better than Montana, but I'll tell you this: I also can't make the argument that anyone is better than Tom.

No, he's not perfect or invincible. Duh. The thing is: he almost never plays poorly (Tom's own standards of playing "poorly" are on a different level from almost everyone else's). And in the Super Bowl, if you're going to beat him, you'd better plan on 1) just about playing perfect yourself, 2) having your team give a complete team effort, 3) get a fair amount of breaks, and 4) have at least one miraculous play the likes of which the Super Bowl has rarely if ever seen.

I really don't think most people understand the kind of game Tom played Sunday - most of that is because his team lost, and that's too bad. And, no, I'm not trying to knock his teammates. Great team that never gave up and played with a lot of heart. However, the simple fact is that Tom painted over a lot of their collective weaknesses all year; I would dare anyone to try to seriously argue otherwise.

Other than Brady getting injured, the Gronk injury was about the worst thing that could have happened to the Patriots. It essentially allowed the Giants to cover him with a lumberlack like Blackburn and thus simultaneously double-team Welker and double-team Hernandez. And yet, even with the drops and going up against one of the best pass rushes in NFL playoff/Super Bowl history, Brady STILL went 27/41 and set the Super Bowl record for consecutive completions. The idea of him not playing well or just playing "ordinary" is pure crap, plain and simple.

What really kills me - and this has been pointed out - is that if Brady had had less great stats on the year (say, a 95 passer rating), led the team to a 10-6 record, and somehow the Pats had missed the playoffs, there'd be fewer "questions" out there among fans and media regarding his "legacy" than there are right now. That's just stupid.

The guy has been the starter for all or the majority of just 10 (was injured in all of '08, which might well have been another Super Bowl season if he had played) full seasons, and the Patriots have gone to the Super Bowl in half of those seasons. Are you freaking kidding me??? This without even mentioning that he had maybe the greatest season ever by a QB in '07, led his team to the only 16-0 regular season in NFL history, has won the only unanimous MVP ('10), etc., etc., etc. I could go on and on and on.

The guy is nothing less than the Michael Jordan of the NFL QB position, in my honest opinion. No, I'm not kidding. Patriots fans had better enjoy him while he's still playing, because I guarantee they'll miss him - and appreciate him and understand what they had - when he's gone.

For the record, I hope he wins at least two more Super Bowls. Heck, I hope he plays till he's 40 and wins six more. The scary part is that he's so good that, as long as he's playing, the Patriots will always have a chance to win it all - the rest of the teams and fans in the NFL know that's not an exaggeration.

PATS16N0

He's the greatest ever. He's done far more with far less.
That's just the honest truth.

And like Tom says, "My favorite Superbowl is the next one."
I don't think we've seen the last chapter in the Tom Brady saga just yet.

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happyfoosball

Hi, I don't plan on staying, just after the super bowl I felt like somebody who wasn't a Patriots fan needed to come over and echo some of the positive things some of the reasonable Patriot fans are saying. I'm a Giants fan, been a Giants fan all my life. I come in peace. I wanted to point out that since the super bowl against the Rams I have been watching Brady. Four times, sometimes six or seven times each season. Because for a lot of those years when you guys were winning super bowls the Giants were not even making the playoffs. He's one of the best QB's I have ever seen play. In the super bowl he got hurt, Tuck hurt him in the third quarter. You saw him rolling his shoulder on the side line. He had what 16 straight completions before that? He was playing with an injured Gronk, probably his best match up against the Giants, and to be totally up front and honest the Pats defense isn't very good. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick got the Pats to 13 wins and an AFC Title. You guys have 2 first round picks and 2 second round picks this year right? You will be right back in the thick of things next year, and with Brady at QB, and arguably the best coach of all time you will be right back in it. If the Pats go to the super bowl next year and they are not playing the Giants I will root for them. The Patriots are a classy organization.

Anywho, I just wanted to come by and say to the Pats fans turning on Brady, get off his back. You will miss him when he's gone.

upstater1

Honestly, I've never hated the Giants even growing up in Conn. It's a hard team to really dislike. Yeah, I think people like Rolle and Jacobs are crazy (and probably should not even be on the Giants team) but the rest of the players seem respectful. Eli is hard to dislike. I admit to having problems with Coughlin only because he complains way too much to the refs, he's like DelRio and Fischer in that regard. I just hate coaches who do that, but the Giants are a really good Super Bowl champion, and I find it disgusting that all this drama over the Patriots (Brady sucks, Gisele popped off, Jacobs tells her to shut up, Welker choked, etc.) would take the emphasis off the Giants victory.

People don't seem to realize this but the biggest factor in the Giants victory is that they did not make major mistakes on the biggest stage (and the fumbles bounced the right way). That's hard to do. And as Bill Parcells always said: show me the team that made the fewest mistakes, and I'll show you the winner.

midpack

There's no other quarterback I'd rather see play on the Patriots period!
TB12 has taken the team to a level unimaginable before he came.

I'll be the one cheering loudest at his HOF induction!!

Harry Yelreh

That and the Gronkowski injury, honestly. If he's healthy, in retrospect I'm convinced the Patriots win - even with zero turnovers coughed up by the Giants - and Brady's INT never happens.

Uncle Rico

Terrific post, top to bottom. Much better thought out and written than a lot of what I'm seeing from people who get paid to analyze and write.

On the Montana comparison: Again, well said. Right now, you cannot say absolutely that one is better. That's one frustrating thing with the loss, a chance to put the debate to an end was lost (sorry Peyton, you're waaay in the rear view mirror on this now). People knock Brady for being 16-6 and now losing two Super Bowls, while Montana didn't lose any SBs. BUT, Montana was 15-7 career in the playoffs, and my math says 16-6>15-7. My common sense also says that winning five conference titles > winning four. Can't discount Montana's losses because they came in earlier rounds of playoffs; probably just the opposite.

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"If they sought to intimidate us, to terrorize us, to shake us from ... the values that make us who we are, as Americans -- well, it should be pretty clear by now that they picked the wrong city to do it. Not here in Boston. Not here in Boston."
—President Barack Obama, April 18, 2013



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Parkthecarinharvardyard

Thank you Tom Brady

jsho

Brady has played in 10 seasons. He has been to 5 Super Bowls
In his career, 50% of the time hes played in the Super Bowl

In is 3 Super Bowl wins he had _______ the future hall of famer on his offense. Take that into consideration for the "best ever."

After what many considered a career ending injury hes won an MVP, and been to a Super Bowl in different seasons.

Majority of fans are spoiled because of the Pats success the last 11 years. Im one of those people given my age. His success shouldnt be taken for granted because we will never see this ever again for the Patriots....let alone in the NFL.

pheenix11

You know whats funny, when we wins the Super Bowl next year there will be the turds who say he's only 4-2, he's still not as good as Montana, he was 4-0.

As if not making the playoffs or getting knocked off in the first round is BETTER than making the Super Bowl and losing.

Where the hell is the logic in that?

Brady will be the GOAT by the time he retires, if he is not already.

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16-0? Yup I called it:
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