Tom Brady
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
Tom Brady was drafted by the NFL's New England Patriots in 2000, and the star quarterback has won three NFL MVP awards, four Super Bowl MVP awards and a record six Super Bowl championships. Tom Brady is the epitome at his position and Dungy is mediocre at best. He road Manning’s coat tails to a SB ring. Nflhistorybuff68 says: December 22, 2020 at 8:46 pm.
Tom Brady's extraordinary spell in New England came to a surprising end last month, when the veteran quarterback announced he had decided to leave the Patriots as a free agent after two success.
BOSTON (CBS) — People love to argue, and it can be difficult to compare two different people doing two different things at two different times in this godforsaken universe of ours, so the debate about Tom Brady being the greatest quarterback to ever live won’t ever be unanimous. (Also, people tend to be dumb. That’s a big factor.)
Yet while people can fight about that all they want, there is simply no arguing against the fact that Tom Brady is the most accomplished quarterback to ever play the sport. His six Super Bowl titles, and his 229 regular-season wins and his 30 playoff wins say all that need to be said on that front.
He also has the chance this week to pull perhaps the silliest of silly accomplishments known to man. If his Bucs can beat the Falcons on Sunday, and if the Saints lose in Carolina (that’s a big if, admittedly), then Brady will finish the year at least in a tie for first place in his division for every single one of his full seasons as a starter. When the Patriots missed the playoffs in 2002, it was via tiebreaker in a three-way tie atop the AFC East. In all 17 of his other seasons as starter, he was a division champion.
Obviously, that “streak” (which I just now invented) probably comes to an end this year, but the point is this: Tom Brady is accomplished, man. More than anybody ever.
But if there’s one area where Tom Brady has been an abject failure, a complete and total loser, a bumbling bozo, a real BLOCKHEAD, it’s been in playoff games against the New York (football) Giants.
Brady is 0-2 when facing the Giants in the postseason. Winless! A true bum!
Now of course, it’s a small sample size. But it’s nevertheless a rather significant sample size, because, you know, they were Super Bowls.
In a somewhat humorous development, the Giants are the only team that Brady has faced in the playoffs without beating. His remaining nine postseason losses — three to Denver, two to Baltimore, and one apiece to Indy, Philadelphia, Tennessee, and the Jets — have all come against teams he has beaten in the postseason. (Side note: Tom Brady is 30-11 in the playoffs. LOL! Joe Montana, the former GOAT himself, was 16-7. Terry Bradshaw was 14-5. John Elway was 14-7. Peyton Manning was 14-13, which … Yikes!! Big Ben? 13-8. Tom is 30-11. Hilarious.)
Long story short: The world’s most successful quarterback’s lone failure has come in the playoffs against the New York Giants.
But he may get to slay that beast this year. With the key word being may.
For this to happen, it’s really quite simple. The Giants need to beat the Cowboys on Sunday afternoon, and the Eagles have to beat the Washington Football Team of Washington on Sunday night. If those two things happen, and if the Bucs take care of business against the Falcons, then we’ll all be gifted a wild-card round meeting that looks like this:
The 11-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers visiting the 6-10 New York Giants
Folks, it would be a beautiful thing.
And though it seems like a mismatch on paper, the Bucs had a whole lot of trouble dealing with that Giants team at MetLife Stadium in early November. Despite the Giants being a very sad 1-6 heading into that game, they held a 14-6 lead in the second quarter and took a 17-15 lead in the waning moments of the third quarter. Brady had an excellent passer rating (106.1) but his overall performance was mostly mediocre.
So a Bucs win in northern New Jersey? Not a sure thing. Not at all.
And while all Tom Brady games are ratings gold (his one-half decimation of the Lions on Saturday was a hit!), adding that Giant intrigue could make for some must-watch television for every football fan in this beautiful world.
I hope it happens.
But first — PICKS.
(Home team in CAPS; Thursday lines)
I actually climbed back over .500 on the season last week after the 1 p.m. games, but I face-planted in the afternoon and prime-time games to drop to 117-120-3 on the year. Good gravy.
Now we’ve got Patrick Mahomes sitting out, 9 million different playoff scenarios, COVID in Cleveland and Miami, Kyler Murray on a bum leg, a ridiculous end to an embarrassing NFC East season, and all of the other uncertainty of a Week 17 slate of games. I’m sure I’ll do great.
Fortunately, due to my oath of silence, I don’t have to say anything about any of the games. So if I end up being more right than wrong, I’m a genius. If the opposite happens … SEE YOU IN THE PLAYOFFS, BABY!
BUFFALO (-3) over Miami
Baltimore (-13) over CINCINNATI
Pittsburgh (+9) over CLEVELAND
Minnesota (-6.5) over DETROIT
New York Jets (+3) over NEW ENGLAND
NEW YORK GIANTS (+2) over Dallas
TAMPA BAY (-6.5) over Atlanta
Green Bay (-5.5) over CHICAGO
DENVER (+2.5) over Las Vegas
Jacksonville (+14) over INDIANAPOLIS
KANSAS CITY (+3.5) over L.A. Chargers
L.A. RAMS (+3) over Arizona
Seattle (-5.5) over SAN FRANCISCO
New Orleans (-7) over CAROLINA
Tennessee (-7.5) over HOUSTON
Philadelphia (+2) over WASHINGTON
Last week: 7-9
Season: 117-120-3
You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.
TAMPA, Fla. -- In what will go down as one of the most unlikely free-agent signings in NFL history, quarterback Tom Brady, winner of six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, became a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a franchise synonymous with losing for the past decade-plus.
But as far-fetched as it seemed, 10 months later, Brady has led the Bucs to just their fourth 11-win season in franchise history. They're in the NFC divisional round of the playoffs for the first time since the 2002 season, facing the New Orleans Saints on Sunday (6:40 p.m. ET, Fox).
So much has happened for Brady both professionally and personally in that span, from learning a new route to get to work each day to navigating a new offense under coach Bruce Arians. It wasn't without hiccups, but there were also triumphant moments and quite a few laughs. Here's a look back at the events and moments that shaped Brady's first season with the Bucs.
Tom Brady Diet
March 17, 2020: Brady signs with Bucs
Brady signed a two-year contract worth $50 million to play for a Bucs team that hadn't been to the postseason since 2007. But it was a chance for him to start over, to do something new for the first time in 20 years, and Tampa Bay's offensive playmakers were appealing. Brady said, 'I'm prepared to give them every bit of commitment I've had my entire career to be the best I could be, to help this team be the best it could be.'
April 2: Brady moves into Derek Jeter's house
In an unprecedented move for a former Bostonian, Brady moved into the 'St. Jetersburg' home of former New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter on Davis Islands. When asked by Howard Stern what happens when the washing machine breaks, Brady said, 'I call and I bitch to him and he gets it fixed,' Brady said. 'Everyone thinks they want to own a home, and it's nice to rent. You get all the benefits with no responsibility, so I'm totally cool with this.'
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But it was only for the short term, as Jeter put the home on the market. Brady and his family have since relocated.
April 7: Brady mistakenly enters wrong home
In an attempt to retrieve his playbook from offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and social distance himself, Brady walked into what he thought was Leftwich's home, but it instead was the house next door. 'I'm sitting here, and I see this big shadow come up to my front door .. and I hear my doorknob turning .. and I'm like, 'What the hell?' Like, 'Who's coming in my house?' homeowner David Kramer told TMZ. 'He just goes, 'Am I in the wrong house?!'
April 21: Brady reunites with Rob Gronkowski after trade
The Patriots traded Gronkowski to the Bucs for a fourth-round pick. The reunion has led to stories -- LOTS of stories -- over the course of the season, with some hilarious back-and-forths on Zoom and even some epic impersonations. Brady recalled one offseason when Gronk was preparing for a GQ photo shoot and feeling out of shape, so he asked Brady to work out. The two had a throwing session on a baseball field in the rain. Utorrent editor for mac download.
'The ball never hit the ground,' Brady said. 'And then he was like (lowers voice in an attempt to sound like Gronkowski), 'Dude, that was great. That was perfect. That was just what I needed. I feel ripped now.' And he was ready for his photo shoot because of one day of the two of us working out together.'
Gronk responded the following week by mocking Brady's 'struggle face' after he took a shot of Fireball at the Kentucky Derby. 'Just seeing his face after, like in disgust, like, 'I'm putting this alcohol in my body?' .. He's just like, 'How am I gonna throw next week?'
May 24: Brady splits pants after making epic golf shot
In The Match: Champions for Charity golf tournament, one of the few live sporting events on television during the height of COVID-19 lockdowns, Brady was paired with Phil Mickelson against Peyton Manning and Tiger Woods. Brady struggled throughout the day and was taunted by announcer Charles Barkley. But then Brady sunk the shot of his life with a birdie on the No. 7 hole, before telling Barkley, 'Chuck, shut your mouth.' Brady then suffered an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction, tweeting after, 'Pants wanted in on social distancing I guess.'
Sept. 13: Brady suffers first loss as a Buc
In his debut with the Buccaneers at New Orleans, Brady threw two interceptions, including a pick-six to Janoris Jenkins, while left tackle Donovan Smith surrendered two sacks in a 34-23 loss. But what generated even more attention was Arians pointing out Brady's mistakes publicly afterward.
Arians said, 'He looked like Tom Brady in practice all the time, so it's kind of unusual to see that in a ballgame because they didn't do things that we didn't get ready for. Everything they did, we thought we were ready for.' It didn't sit well with Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre who said of Arians, 'I think you're barking up the wrong tree.' Later on, Brady said he appreciated Arians' tough coaching.
Oct. 4: Brady leads comeback from 17-point deficit
Brady overcame a first-half pick-six to lead the Bucs to a 38-31 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. It was the second-largest comeback in franchise history, and Brady's biggest comeback since his 28-3 comeback in Super Bowl LI. 'How can you not believe in him?' wide receiver Scotty Miller said. 'He's the greatest to ever do it.'
At age 43, Brady became the oldest player in NFL history to record five passing touchdowns in a game, according to ESPN Stats & Information. It also signified the start of a culture shift in Tampa Bay. 'I can honestly say, had this been last year, we would have gotten our ass beat by 20,' coach Bruce Arians said. '[With] Tom -- he's never behind in his mind, so we can always make plays to win games.'
Oct. 9: Brady forgets it's fourth down
In Brady's first primetime game with the Bucs and down by 20-19 with 38 seconds to go, he failed to connect with tight end Cam Brate on fourth-and-6. After the pass was ruled incomplete, TV cameras zoomed in to Brady flashing four fingers, appearing puzzled. Brady said after the game he was focused more on yardage and not on the down. Brady did, however, manage to poke fun at himself a few days later. In congratulating the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James for winning his fourth NBA title, Brady tweeted a superimposed image of James on his body, holding up four fingers.
Oct. 18: Brady gets first signature win with Bucs
Tom Brady Instagram
After being down 10-0 in the first quarter to the Packers, Brady threw two touchdown passes -- including one to Gronkowski for his first as a Buccaneer -- with Ronald Jones tacking on two more for arguably the Bucs' biggest win of the season. It was all ignited by an interception returned for a touchdown from cornerback Jamel Dean in the second quarter. It was also just the second time in franchise history that the Bucs had zero penalties in a game, which came after a tongue-lashing from Brady in their loss to the Bears. Prior to Brady's arrival, the Bucs had been the most-penalized team in the league with 133 penalties in 2019. They finished 2020 with 84 penalties this season -- 11th fewest in the league.
Oct. 27: Brady persuades Bucs to get Antonio Brown
Despite Brown's well-documented off-the-field struggles and Arians initially saying Brown 'wasn't a fit' for the Bucs' locker room, Brady, who had been pushing for the Bucs to sign Brown for months, finally got his wish. Brady said he didn't believe he was risking his own reputation by taking Brown under his wing and letting him stay at his home.
'A lot of people weren't born with the same advantages that I've had growing up, they weren't born with the same background or support systems that I had,' Brady said. 'I think a lot of joy in my experience comes from seeing other people be their best and seeing people succeed in ways that can set their family up. I think that's a really important aspect of football for me.'
Nov. 11: Brady loses dock, jet skis in Tropical Storm Eta
Experiencing his first tropical storm as a Florida resident, Brady attempted to secure his jet skis by tying them to his dock. Except the dock broke. 'They were about 300 yards away at someone else's house, and I got a bunch of messages from people that were like, 'Hey, man, are [those] your jet skis?' Brady said. 'They got fixed. We dragged 'em back.'
Nov. 8: Brady suffers worst Bucs loss in sweep by Saints
Without left guard Ali Marpet, who missed the game with a concussion, Brady was pressured on 46% of his dropbacks, among the highest in his career. He threw no touchdowns and three interceptions in the 38-3 defeat -- the worst loss of his career.
'They kicked our ass in every phase,' Arians said.
'That was rock bottom,' Brate said. 'Nothing worked [and] everyone played terribly.'
It was their third poor showing on prime-time TV this season. (They would lose once more in prime time to the Rams.)
'We need to perform better at every time,' Brady said. 'One o'clock, 4 o'clock, 8 o'clock, Monday night, Sunday night. Doesn't matter. .. 'As players we got to prepare harder, we got to execute better, there's no excuses for what it is. It's a poor performance by a team that's got a lot ahead of it.'
Dec. 13, 2020-Jan. 3, 2021: Brady goes on tear to end regular season
After back-to-back three-point losses to the Rams and Kansas City Chiefs in a span of nine days, Brady and the Bucs exploded out of the bye week. They won four straight, with Brady throwing 12 touchdowns and one interception in the best final four-game stretch of his career. That included a 17-point comeback at the Falcons, which marked a turning point for the offense. 'The second half of the [Falcons] game -- it's been on fire since then,' Arians said.
Jan. 9: Brady delivers Bucs' first playoff win since '02 season
All week long, Washington second-overall draft pick Chase Young said, 'Tom Brady, I'm coming.' But instead of sacking Brady, he came up to Brady after the game to offer his congratulations, with Brady promising to send him a jersey.
Brady threw two touchdowns, with left tackle Donovan Smith having arguably one of his best NFL games. 'That's the boy,' running back Leonard Fournette said. 'We've got faith in him. We're gonna protect our butts off for him to make sure he gets that throw.'
Sunday: Brady and Drew Brees set to make history
To commemorate Sunday's historic matchup featuring the first time two quarterbacks over the age of 40 will face off, Brady tweeted a meme of him and Brees using age progression software and slapped a History Channel logo on it. Brady also had a bit of a 'senior moment,' when asked about it, forgetting whether Brees was, in fact, younger or older than him (Brady is, in fact, older).
'He's a lot younger than me,' Brady joked. 'He's 18 months older than me..18 months younger. Well, 18 months ago I felt pretty good, so I've got a little advanced age on him and experience.
'Just, think so much of him as a person, as a player,' Brady said. 'I know what it takes to do what he's doing. He knows what it takes to do what I'm doing. And I just think there's a lot of mutual respect.'
Jokes and memes aside, Brees said it came as no surprise that they're facing each other for a third time this season in the playoffs.
Tom Brady Contract
'When Tom Brady signed with the Bucs and I knew that he was coming to our division, I envisioned this game,' Brees said.