When was Tom Brady's *overall* peak (mental + physical)?

[VectorPrime]

2013 is kind of a secretly great season where he got crapped on in the media for being "washed up" because the receiving corps was depleted which depressed his stats some. He led the league in 4th quarter comebacks & game winning drives that year and the Patriots were #3 in points scored in spite of having Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins get serious snaps.

Look at the depth chart of the receiving options Brady was throwing to in the AFCCG that year and weep.

 

[Kontradiction]

Come up with an angle? The STORY of that game was Brady's performance playing with a torn thumb. Asking him if they needed to adjust the game plan because of the thumb and how he thought Brady performed with the injury are the exact questions they were supposed to ask based on how the game played out and how Brady led the comeback being hurt without Edelman or Gronk.

It was typical Bill with his dour, sour **** attitude over the story line of the game. Watching it again, you can see how much it pains him to even say Brady played great and is a tough player which is why he added the heart surgery at the heart. The thing is, a QB playing with a torn thumb on his throwing hand is the equivalent of open heart surgery in terms of his ability to perform and win the game. That is what makes this Bill's most disappointing comment IMO of all time with regards to Brady.

That was the season that things started to go south between the two of them. It started with the Guerrero spat and ended with Bill benching Butler.

 

[tom444]

Come up with an angle? The STORY of that game was Brady's performance playing with a torn thumb. Asking him if they needed to adjust the game plan because of the thumb and how he thought Brady performed with the injury are the exact questions they were supposed to ask based on how the game played out and how Brady led the comeback being hurt without Edelman or Gronk.

It was typical Bill with his dour, sour **** attitude over the story line of the game. Watching it again, you can see how much it pains him to even say Brady played great and is a tough player which is why he added the heart surgery at the heart. The thing is, a QB playing with a torn thumb on his throwing hand is the equivalent of open heart surgery in terms of his ability to perform and win the game. That is what makes this Bill's most disappointing comment IMO of all time with regards to Brady.

Well, we'll have to agree to disagree. I didn't take it as a shot at Brady. He even compliments Brady here after talking up Amendola:

 

[VectorPrime]

That was the season that things started to go south between the two of them. It started with the Guerrero spat and ended with Bill benching Butler.

Well it probably really began after 28-3 happened and Brady didn’t get an extension combined with Bill not trading Jimmy during the offseason like most people expected.

Remember the report by Schefter during that offseason that said that the feeling among some people with the team was that if the comeback in the Super Bowl didn’t happen the team was basically gonna move on from Brady?

 

[h0c2000]

Remember when Belichick basically blew off this injury and insultingly downplayed it in the post game press conference after Brady just had a huge comeback in the AFCCG while for a year now he’s made every excuse in the book for Cam being crap? I remember.

 

[1960Pats]

Wut? A shot at the media? The media was asking him how his QB managed to win that game with this thumb torn up, coming back on the best pass defense in the NFL without Edelman or Gronk. They are supposed to ask that. It was a lay up for Bill to actually, you know give credit to Brady for having one of his best playoff performances ever while injured and all the guy could manage to say was that it was not heart surgery. Honestly, it was one of Bill's lowest moments and showed just how frayed the relationship had become.

It's almost as if BB was chasing TB away. If not for the fact that the Pats were left without a QB after TB left I might consider that a real possibility.

 

[Biffins]

For one season give me 2016. For prime or however you want to define it give me 2014-2017.

Never had more confidence in a quarterback in my life. Elite in the regular season + playoffs.

In the playoffs he put up

35 vs Ravens (#9 defense)
45 vs Colts (#11 defense)
28 vs Seahawks (#2 defense)
27 vs Chiefs (#8 defense)
18 vs Broncos (#1 defense)
34 vs Texans (#8 defense)
36 vs Steelers (#11 defense)
34 vs Falcons (#19 defense)
35 vs Titans (#23 defense)
24 vs Jaguars (#2 defense)
33 vs Eagles (#5 defense)

The only two games he was held below 27 points: 2015 Broncos with Stork tipping the snap count and 2017 Jaguars with Gronk getting knocked out before half time.

I agree that 2014-2017 was Brady’s best and it puts BB to shame considering what drama ge created DURING that phase to try and phase Brady out and keep JG. Hell Brady’s decline since then has still been good enough for 2 more Superbowls since the peak was so high.

 

[A Defiant Goose]

IMO his athletic and professional peak was 2010-2012.

Agreed, almost exactly to the year. 2010 with Gronk and Hernandez through 2012. 2010 and 2011 more specifically were IMO Brady's two best years

 

[RobertWeathers]

Agreed, almost exactly to the year. 2010 with Gronk and Hernandez through 2012. 2010 and 2011 more specifically were IMO Brady's two best years

Yea that's just a gut-feel obviously. He started doing the TB12 crap w/ Alex Guerrfraudo after the 06 season. He was obviously spectacular in 07 but I don't think he was at his mental apex yet. Hurt in 08 and took some time to get it back in 09.

In 2010 he was full on in his TB12 thing and had 10 years in and because we've seen him in his 20s and in his late 30s and early 40s, we can ascertain that was pretty much his signature year - or at least one of them

 

[Steve102]

14-17 is without a doubt peak Brady hitting on all cylinders, knowing the answers to the tests and having the ability to get it done. His finest moment is the Atlanta SB, with an encore in the AFCCG vs KC.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

14-17 is without a doubt peak Brady hitting on all cylinders, knowing the answers to the tests and having the ability to get it done. His finest moment is the Atlanta SB, with an encore in the AFCCG vs KC.

The 2014 season was when Brady, at age 37, came back against the Ravens twice from 14 points on that cold night in Foxboro, then came back from 10 against Seattle in the SB. I thought these were the two best wins of his career. In between them he crushed Indy 45-7, the start of Deflate-gate.

He missed 2008, which would have been his absolute peak: 31 years old coming off an 18-1 season where he threw 50 TD's. I felt he didn't fully get over that injury mentally for 2-3 years, so he kind of lost his peak years. 2011 was when he was all the way back from it, though by then he was 34.

 

[everlong]

2003-Present Day.

 

[VectorPrime]

Brady blowing out his knee was a blessing in disguise and I think extended his career. He had already met Guerrero in 2004 when McGinist introduced him so they were already doing some stuff but my personal theory, this isn’t supported by any reporting as far as I know, is that Brady coming face to face with his sports mortality in 2008 directly led to his obsession with doing absolutely everything perfectly for his body.

 

[1960Pats]

Brady should have finished his career here.

 

[Caretaker]

Tempted to say something like 2010-17 but that's way too drawn out for peak - some players' primes don't last that long.
I was mighty impressed with Tom in 2014 playoffs, so that definitely fits the bill. Games vs Ravens + Colts + Seahawks are like godly trifecta, I rewatched that postseason 2 or 3 times really. Focus, awareness, precision, cool.

And after that, both defamegate seasons had that peak Brady feel.
2015: amazing Week 1-10 run, also insane performance from TB and Gronk in AFCCG, against all odds
2016: all-around favorite Pats season, tearing opposition apart all the way since comeback (Steelers twice) not to mention SB LI

Ofc 2017 was his last MVP year, great stats, 13-3 record, extremely difficult bout with Jax, humongous Super Bowl performance (maybe his best?), but the result was crushing and benching Butler was so perplexing... I'm afraid that's when BB and Tom relations started to grow sour

 

[sean10mm]

Brady should have finished his career here.

If you mean the Pats should have found a way to make it work, 1,000%.

If you mean Brady should have looked at what he was actually offered (way below market value salary to throw to trash receivers & take the blame when they suck) then hell no.

Literally the only thing he could do in 2020-2021 to improve his personal legacy was to win a title without Bill, which he did immediately. Hard to call that a mistake by Brady. It was the worst possible outcome for the Pats and Belichick though.

 

[203Pat]

Brady should have finished his career here.

This is what it all boils down to for me. I don't care what else had to happen he should have been able to play here as long as he wanted.

 

[VectorPrime]

So much changes if Malcom Mitchel stays healthy and they hit on the 2019 WR. Or drafted Calvin Ridley in 2018. Either or.

 

[tom444]

Come up with an angle? The STORY of that game was Brady's performance playing with a torn thumb. Asking him if they needed to adjust the game plan because of the thumb and how he thought Brady performed with the injury are the exact questions they were supposed to ask based on how the game played out and how Brady led the comeback being hurt without Edelman or Gronk.

It was typical Bill with his dour, sour **** attitude over the story line of the game. Watching it again, you can see how much it pains him to even say Brady played great and is a tough player which is why he added the heart surgery at the heart. The thing is, a QB playing with a torn thumb on his throwing hand is the equivalent of open heart surgery in terms of his ability to perform and win the game. That is what makes this Bill's most disappointing comment IMO of all time with regards to Brady.

I just read some more about this. You're right. I underestimated the limitations the injury placed on Brady.

 

[Biffins]

This is what it all boils down to for me. I don't care what else had to happen he should have been able to play here as long as he wanted.

Yes! So true. Fck the rebuild. Fck the whole "too old" bs. I mean, he gave us 6 championships and 3 more SB visits, and countless memories. I could put up with a few years of even mediocre Brady rather than mediocre Cam or any other veteran QB.