The Legend of Tommy Brady

[Absurdly Metro]

As I sat awestruck after tonight's game and listened to the post game pressers and analysis etc. I couldn't help but become aware of what we all just witnessed. Think about it. Had the Pats come out like the well oiled machine most were expecting and blown the doors off the Bills tonight we'd all have yawned, patted each other on the back, and went off to bed saying I told you so to all who would listen. Instead, we get to bask in the glory of a veritable football God.

Brady's stats up until the Bills scored to seemingly ice the game at 24-13 with 5:32 remaining were pretty pedestrian.

27 for 39 for 289 yards with 0 Td's and 1 Int.

Then Brady comes trotting onto the field and, according to Randy Moss, proceeds to put everyone in that huddle on notice that "we're going to go win this game now."

His stats from that point on:

12 of 14 for 112 yards with 2 TD's and 0 Ints.

Brady was clearly rusty tonight. Right up until it was time to win the game. That's when he separated himself from 99% of all of the athletes who've ever played any game. Despite a host of built in excuses (he was rusty, coming back from a year off, shaky line play in front of him, footwork not quite there yet etc.) he goes into the phone booth, sheds the clothes of a mere mortal and comes out with his Superman cape on. The rest is history.

Tommy clearly raised his game to another level at 5:32 of the 4th quarter and, in doing so, elevated everyone else's game with him. That, my fellow Planeteers, is the stuff of greatness.

I just hope that despite how badly the team played at times tonight it's not lost on us what we were all fortunate enough to witness tonight. IMO, one of those rare moments in sports on par with a flu ridden Michael Jordan going out and beating Utah through the sheer force of his will.

Long live the legend of Tommy Brady!

 

[mgteich]

Brady and the offense played well enough that we likely would not have won without a bonehead play by the retruner for Buffalo. And this was against a truly aweful team.

As I sat awestruck after tonight's game and listened to the post game pressers and analysis etc. I couldn't help but become aware of what we all just witnessed. Think about it. Had the Pats come out like the well oiled machine most were expecting and blown the doors off the Bills tonight we'd all have yawned, patted each other on the back, and went off to bed saying I told you so to all who would listen. Instead, we get to bask in the glory of a veritable football God.

Brady's stats up until the Bills scored to seemingly ice the game at 24-13 with 5:32 remaining were pretty pedestrian.

27 for 39 for 289 yards with 0 Td's and 1 Int.

Then Brady comes trotting onto the field and, according to Randy Moss, proceeds to put everyone in that huddle on notice that "we're going to go win this game now."

His stats from that point on:

12 of 14 for 112 yards with 2 TD's and 0 Ints.

Brady was clearly rusty tonight. Right up until it was time to win the game. That's when he separated himself from 99% of all of the athletes who've ever played any game. Despite a host of built in excuses (he was rusty, coming back from a year off, shaky line play in front of him, footwork not quite there yet etc.) he goes into the phone booth, sheds the clothes of a mere mortal and comes out with his Superman cape on. The rest is history.

Tommy clearly raised his game to another level at 5:32 of the 4th quarter and, in doing so, elevated everyone else's game with him. That, my fellow Planeteers, is the stuff of greatness.

I just hope that despite how badly the team played at times tonight it's not lost on us what we were all fortunate enough to witness tonight. IMO, one of those rare moments in sports on par with a flu ridden Michael Jordan going out and beating Utah through the sheer force of his will.

Long live the legend of Tommy Brady!

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

Brady and the offense played well enough that we likely would not have won without a bonehead play by the retruner for Buffalo. And this was against a truly aweful team.

I have to agree. I've been saying for awhile now, they're gonna win ugly for a few games. The Defense needs time to gel, and the offense is shakin some rust off.

 

[Deus Irae]

Tommy clearly raised his game to another level at 5:32 of the 4th quarter and, in doing so, elevated everyone else's game with him. That, my fellow Planeteers, is the stuff of greatness.

I read all your post, but this is the part I focused on. This is the difference between Tom Brady and Matt Cassel. It's the difference between Brady and Manning and every other NFL quarterback currently in the league, too, for that matter. It's such a rare ability for a player to actually raise the play of others around them in either football or baseball consistently that I think it gets short shrift.

Brady's got it. Ray Lewis has it. There may be others in the NFL that have it, but I can't think of any.

 

[Deus Irae]

Brady and the offense played well enough that we likely would not have won without a bonehead play by the retruner for Buffalo. And this was against a truly aweful team.

To be fair, the game would probably not have come down to that without some terrible officiating. The Wilfork call was about as bad as it gets.

 

[GrogansArmy]

Personally I feel that TB will go down as one of the greatest sports star of Boston; if he isn't already.

 

[Satchboogie3]

Personally I feel that TB will go down as one of the greatest sports star of Boston; if he isn't already.

Who cares about "boston sports star"? He will go down as the GOAT QB in the NFL, maybe the greatest player period. Who cares about what some bean eaters "think".

 

[PatsFan24]

brady is the joe montana of this era...and if he gets another ring he will pass montanta as the best ever

 

[Satchboogie3]

brady is the joe montana of this era...and if he gets another ring he will pass montanta as the best ever

Pftt, he's already passed Montana in my book. Brady has the better stats, better Winning % (both regular season and playoffs), and just 1 less SB win. He also did this in the salary cap-era and without 2 of GOAT WRs, for the majority of his career. (1+ year of Moss vs many years w/ Rice & TO)

 

[nbafan89]

brady is the joe montana of this era...and if he gets another ring he will pass montanta as the best ever

first time poster, long time pats fan, and brady already is the best QB ever and the final 3 minutes of this game showed exactly why, we avoided a major upset by the skin of our teeth and we certainly got lucky last night, I am one relieved fan right now

 

[PatsFan24]

i remember listening to talk radio the morning after the pats won SB36 and someone called up and said the pats need to keep brady because he could be the next joe montana....i said to myself that is a bit over the top. then opening game the next season madden compared brady to montana....and now 7 years later he has prob passed montana

 

[patsfan-1982]

Pftt, he's already passed Montana in my book. Brady has the better stats, better Winning % (both regular season and playoffs), and just 1 less SB win. He also did this in the salary cap-era and without 2 of GOAT WRs, for the majority of his career. (1+ year of Moss vs many years w/ Rice & TO)

will to be far to montana he won 2 of hes 4 rings with out rice and T.O never played with montana hes big receivers where clark TE and taylor WR rice got most of hes yerds with young at QB and young played with T.O

 

[thewaylifeshouldbe]

I think it was the speed that brought the Brady we know and love to the fore. Early throughout the game the timing was off, the decision making was suspect, and things looked jittery; Too much time to think.

One thing for certain, the last two drives will give him a confidence boost.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Who cares about "boston sports star"? He will go down as the GOAT QB in the NFL, maybe the greatest player period. Who cares about what some bean eaters "think".

BTW, Mike Francesa (NY sports anchor), last week basically said:

"They've got Tom Brady . . . best QB in the game, one of the best ever. They've got Randy Moss . . . best WR in the game, one of the best ever. They've got Wes Welker . . . best slot receiver in the game, maybe the best slot receiver of all time."

 

[GrogansArmy]

I think it was the speed that brought the Brady we know and love to the fore. Early throughout the game the timing was off, the decision making was suspect, and things looked jittery; Too much time to think.

One thing for certain, the last two drives will give him a confidence boost.

Up until the Last two drives, Brady looked handicapped, rusty, insecure, whatever you want to call it.

But something clicked in his head in the 3rd or 4th quarter, or perhaps he just got scared of losing to the Bills, and he became the Brady we all know and love from 2007. His movements and footwork became sure, his passes had zip and accuracy, and he started reading the defense better. Hopefully he's over the injury hump now and I have no doubt that if he plays like he did in the last two drives, the Jets are in for a rough time next week.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I read all your post, but this is the part I focused on. This is the difference between Tom Brady and Matt Cassel. It's the difference between Brady and Manning and every other NFL quarterback currently in the league, too, for that matter. It's such a rare ability for a player to actually raise the play of others around them in either football or baseball consistently that I think it gets short shrift.

Not to hijack things here too much, but do you think that Cassel was at least starting to develop that trait? Obviously, unlike #12, he never had much of a chance to develop it before last season.

 

[PatsFan24]

Up until the Last two drives, Brady looked handicapped, rusty, insecure, whatever you want to call it.

But something clicked in his head in the 3rd or 4th quarter, or perhaps he just got scared of losing to the Bills, and he became the Brady we all know and love from 2007. His movements and footwork became sure, his passes had zip and accuracy, and he started reading the defense better. Hopefully he's over the injury hump now and I have no doubt that if he plays like he did in the last two drives, the Jets are in for a rough time next week.

i thought he looked great in the second half, just was hoping they would put the ball in the endzone before

 

[PatsFan24]

 

[Deus Irae]

Not to hijack things here too much, but do you think that Cassel was at least starting to develop that trait? Obviously, unlike #12, he never had much of a chance to develop it before last season.

No, I don't, but that's not meant as a knock on Cassel. I'm probably simplifying my point too much and making it difficult to get across, but it's about more than making the parts work together. It's about making the parts work together better than they should be able to, and keeping them at that level consistently.

 

[ausbacker]

He did what all great leaders do. Against adversity, with his back against the wall, with the slightest chance of victory, he came through and won it off his own back.

1 year removed from an injury that rocked the Patriots universe, the mental scars still evident in his performance today and enough rust to coat the Golden Gate Bridge, he came through.

People can harp on about McKelvin's moment of stupidity. Fine, Hines Ward had one too. Pros make mistakes. The thing is, you have to capitalize on those moments when they present themselves. Surprise surprise... Tom Brady did capitalize on that moment.

What I know for sure is, I'd rather have Tom Brady than any other quarterback playing for the Patriots and it's going to be a sad day when he retires. We're watching probably the greatest player to ever play the game. Don't ever underestimate how special that is.