If anyone knows the status of Paul Rudd, please let us know. We’re all a little concerned about his emotional well being.
He, like many other Chiefs fans, had high hopes for Super Bowl LV this past weekend. For the first quarter Kansas City had to love what they were seeing unfold on the field. They were up 3-0 on a 49 yard Harrison Butker field goal, and had come ever so close to hitting Tyreek Hill in the end zone the play before. Their defence was stymying the Bucs, forcing several punts. Unfortunately it was all downhill from there. When Brady hit Gronk in the flats at the 8 yard line, he walked into the endzone untouched and the rout was on. Somehow, that was the first 1st quarter touchdown pass Tom Brady had ever thrown in all his trips to the Super Bowl. But as they say, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish (Falcons fans can attest this fact). Brady and the Bucs would capture the franchise’s 2nd Lombardi trophy in convincing fashion, blowing out the Chiefs 31-9 and cementing Brady’s legacy as the greatest QB to ever play the game. Let’s take a look at some of his numbers:
| Super Bowl Records | Other NFL Records |
| SB Wins (7) SB Appearances (10) SB MVP’s (5) SB TD passes (21) SB Passing Yards (3,039) Decades with a SB win (3) Oldest QB to win a SB 300 yard games (4) SB game winning drives (6) 3+ passing TD games (4) SB Attempts (421) SB Completions (277) Completions in a SB game (43 vs. ATL) Pass yards in a SB game (505 vs. PHI) Pass attempts in a SB game (62 vs. ATL) | Reg. Season Games Started Reg. Season wins Most Playoff Passing Yards Most Playoff Wins Most Playoff TD’s Most Playoff Games Started Most TD passes all time Most Game Winning Drives Most Division Titles |
Not to mention the fact that if Brees does indeed retire this offseason and Brady comes back, he’ll pass him for all time passing yards next year as well. When an individual has more Super Bowl rings to his name than any franchise in the history of the sport, the debate about greatest of all time begins and ends right there. There is no one who has come before him, and no one in the league right now that can lay claim to that title.
For those that were hoping that Patrick Mahomes would one day supplant Brady as the greatest to ever throw a football, I’m sorry to say, that door was slammed shut Sunday evening. They’ve now met twice in the playoffs and Brady has emerged victorious both times. The ONLY remote, outside shot Mahomes would have, is if by some miracle the Bucs and Chiefs meet in the next 2 Super Bowls and he beats Brady twice giving him the edge 2-1 in SB matchups. And even then, he’d still need another 4 Super Bowl rings before you can begin that conversation.
There is no LeBron vs. Michael debate here, there is only Brady. By any metric you choose to look at (individual stats, team stats, championships, effect on the game etc.) Brady comes out on top. We found out pretty quickly what the real draw in New England was this past season when Brady left town. All the free agents suddenly became linked to Tampa Bay, and New England was left sifting through the leftovers when it came to bringing in new bodies. Evidently players went to Foxborough to play WITH Tom Brady, not FOR Bill Belichick. Just look at Brady’s move to Tampa Bay. When he arrived, Chris Godwin was wearing his number 12 jersey. Normally players take care of one another jersey wise with either a car, or cash changing hands. Godwin said all it took was Brady saying he promised him a Super Bowl and he happily made the switch to 14 this year. That’s the level of respect players have for Tom Brady. Even at age 43, when he says he’s going to deliver a title, they believe him. Now, I’m sure there was probably a very nice “gift basket” involved as well to sweeten the deal, but Godwin going public with that story when those matters are usually kept in house speaks volumes.
Who is left in the league to vanquish QB wise now for TB12? Manning is retired and was Brady’s whipping boy for years in Indy. Brees is likely done, and with only 1 SB title on his resume and Brady poised to smash what remains of his passing records he’s not a threat. Rivers, done. Roethlisberger, maybe has a season left but doesn’t have either the stats or the titles to even begin that conversation. Mahomes is 0-2 in playoffs matchups with Tom. Rodgers is nearing the end of his career and is fresh off an NFC championship loss to the ageless one, and is also severely lacking in the hardware department. Wilson and the entire Seahawks franchise still has the Malcolm Butler play seared into their memories for his only head to head matchup with Brady in the postseason. Matt Ryan, we all know how that ended. The list of QB’s who have been defeated time and time again when going up against Tom is long enough to create an emotional support group at this point. So powerful is the aura of Tom Brady’s greatness, that Eli Manning is likely headed to the Hall of Fame one day based primarily on the fact that he was able to beat Brady twice in the Superbowl. Which means that if we’re ever going to rehash the “greatest of all time” debate at the QB position, it’s going to have to come from someone not even in the league yet. Hell, maybe they’re not even born yet. So best of luck to you Trevor Lawrence and the incoming crop of rookie QB’s, you’ve got your work cut out for you!
In sports we’re always looking for the “next one”. Who’s going to be the one to break Gretzky’s records? Who will toss 60 TD’s in a season? Who can break Wilt’s record for a 100pt game? Often this actually comes at the expense of missing out on the greatness we have in front of us. What Tom Brady has accomplished is special (we’ve all seen the graphic of Brady having “2 Hall of Fame Careers” if you split his time in the league in halves). It’s so special in fact, I don’t think we’ll ever see anyone top it. So enjoy however long he has left in his career. God knows he’s still got gas left in the tank. And in the year 2047 when Tom wins his 18th Super Bowl title and FINALLY decides to call it a career, you can say that you got to see it along the way. At this rate, Nike may need to strip LeBron of his “witness” campaign and repurpose it for Brady. After all, it’s Brady’s show, and we are all witnesses.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @dynessports