The greatest quarterback ever?

[Kid~Brady]

NFL.com actually showing Tom Brady some love and from all people, Albert Breer. He got his own "Special Feature" section today.

A three-time Super Bowl winner, Tom Brady enters the 2012 season seeking No. 4. The New England Patriots QB’s standing among the best to ever play is a hotly debated topic, but some believe he’s already there

link: NFL.com - Official Site of the National Football League

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

3-4 more seasons at or around this statistical pace +
1 more super bowl and his case it strong
2 more super bowls and the case is finished

 

[CityOfChampions]

I think he already is the G.O.A.T.

 

[ivanvamp]

All he needs is one more SB win to cement it. He'd be one of three QB to have 4 SB titles (Montana, Bradshaw). But while some would point to the fact that Montana and Bradshaw were undefeated (4-0 apiece) as an advantage over Brady, I'd point out that Brady's 6 SB appearances (which he'd have if he wins one more) trump that. Why? Because it means that Brady *got to* more SBs, and isn't the goal to advance as far as possible? How is it to the advantage of Montana and Bradshaw if they got knocked out of the playoffs earlier than Brady did? Makes no sense to me.

 

[Uncle Rico]

That Breer, such a Pats homer.

Good article .. .not a lot of stunning new info (his father and team owner agree he's the best) but nice to read. I did like this little take:

Four quarterbacks have won multiple Super Bowl MVPs. Four have won three Super Bowls. Two have made five Super Bowl starts. Eight have won multiple regular-season MVPs. Seven have averaged 300 yards passing per game over a season. Seven have thrown 40 touchdown passes in a season.

But the kid from San Mateo* is the only one to make every one of those lists

And the "He's got the bowls and stats" box on the right if easy to miss, but worth a revisit if you didn't see it.



* "Oh, San Mateo Massachusetts? That's funny, there 's a San Mateo right down the road from here."

 

[PittPatriot]

3-4 more seasons at or around this statistical pace +
1 more super bowl and his case it strong
2 more super bowls and the case is finished

I would say:

3-4 more seasons at or around this statistical pace OR 1 more SB his case it strong.

2 more super bowls and the case is finished

 

[eagle eye]

 

[simijet]

While I think it's impossible to declare an unconditional "greatest" at any position in football, Brady will be at the top of many people's lists should he win another Super Bowl before he retires.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

All he needs is one more SB win to cement it. He'd be one of three QB to have 4 SB titles (Montana, Bradshaw). But while some would point to the fact that Montana and Bradshaw were undefeated (4-0 apiece) as an advantage over Brady, I'd point out that Brady's 6 SB appearances (which he'd have if he wins one more) trump that. Why? Because it means that Brady *got to* more SBs, and isn't the goal to advance as far as possible? How is it to the advantage of Montana and Bradshaw if they got knocked out of the playoffs earlier than Brady did? Makes no sense to me.

In conference championship games Brady is 5-1, Montana 4-3.

 

[Linda_The_Pats_Fan (She was NEM)]

It is impossible to lump players, FROM DIFFERENT ERAS in to one bag and pick out the greatest of them all.

What makes one "the greatest?"

There are many factors involved.

There can be a "greatest" from a particular era in which all of the players in a particular category played under the same circumstances.

But to take the "greatest" from the current era, let's say 2000-2012, and compare it to a player from, lets say, 1960-1972, just cant be done.

Playing conditions were totally different, from the fields themselves, the equipment, the mindset, even in the NFL, the look, and feel, of the ball itself is not the same.

I might agree with the greatest players of the decade, but "ever", IMO just cant be done In all sports.

Even athletes that are not human, would Seabiscuit, for example, have been even greater had he run in an era where the condition of the tracks was better, feed was better, and jockeys wiser and smarter?

In that vein, is Brady the best ever? Maybe yes, maybe no. Until we can resurrect some of the players of the past and pit them against players that came after them, and let them go at it... we will never really know.

Would make for a pretty good movie though.

 

[italia44]

All he needs is one more SB win to cement it. He'd be one of three QB to have 4 SB titles (Montana, Bradshaw). But while some would point to the fact that Montana and Bradshaw were undefeated (4-0 apiece) as an advantage over Brady, I'd point out that Brady's 6 SB appearances (which he'd have if he wins one more) trump that. Why? Because it means that Brady *got to* more SBs, and isn't the goal to advance as far as possible? How is it to the advantage of Montana and Bradshaw if they got knocked out of the playoffs earlier than Brady did? Makes no sense to me.

6 SB appearances????......Oh,I get it,you're counting this year(lol).:rocker:

 

[JMC00]

3 dropped passes away from probably having 6 SB rings

Caldwell
Samuel INT
Welker

 

[Uncle Rico]

3 dropped passes away from probably having 6 SB rings

Caldwell
Samuel INT
Welker

There are so many ways to could drive yourself crazy with this sort of thinking. You could just as easily say a tuck rule, an out-of-bounds kick-off and a puking QB away from 0 rings. It is .. .well, you know.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

3 dropped passes away from probably having 6 SB rings

Caldwell
Samuel INT
Welker

That's a very sad post

GOAT discussions re: Brady are premature, which is part of the fun of still getting to watch the guy IMO...He definitely could be. Loved this quote from the article:

“You know, I was saying this morning to some of my teammates, it’s not about …” Brady said, pausing to recall the occasion. “I mean, sometimes, when you’re a young player, you don’t understand the magnitude of this year, because this is the only year, there’s nothing after this year. You don’t look down the road anymore as you become a veteran player through your experience, because this is the opportunity that you have. In college, when you’re a sophomore, you know you have three years left.

“In professional football, you have one year. And this is the year you’re worried about, and you’re trying to be the best player you can be, and you’re trying to develop some type of different skill so you can add that to a different part of the offense, and the game. That’s the challenge every year, to develop new ways to become a better player.”

 

[Lamanai]

That is interesting info about the conference championship games (Montana 4-3, Brady 5-1)

If you include SB and CC you get:

Montana 8-3
Brady 8-3

 

[Uncle Rico]

That is interesting info about the conference championship games (Montana 4-3, Brady 5-1)

If you include SB and CC you get:

Montana 8-3
Brady 8-3

Well, yeah ... but don't you know that losing in a Super Bowl is worse than losing in a Conference Championship Game?

 

[scout]

3 dropped passes away from probably having 6 SB rings

Caldwell
Samuel INT
Welker

I would assume Montana and Bradshaw would have similar variables. Then again, those teams did not have to worry about free agency. So many variables, no free agency in that era, but the qb was game. I've never seen a qb take a hit like Bradshaw did, tho, I missed the leather helmet era.

 

[Observer]

Well, yeah ... but don't you know that losing in a Super Bowl is worse than losing in a Conference Championship Game?

Yeah, and Montana didn't have to ever play against undefeatable Eli Manning, did he?

 

[BananaRepublican]

Brady *got to* more SBs, .

Since SBs are a team accomplishment how do you plan to apportion the QB's contributions? How would you do that for the 2000 Ravens?

 

[Deus Irae]

Since SBs are a team accomplishment how do you plan to apportion the QB's contributions? How would you do that for the 2000 Ravens?

Trent Dilfer got to a Super Bowl.