NFL fans are one week away from the Super Bowl clash between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles in what will mark the eighth time in 16 years that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will be the starter in the big game.
It is time to end the debate: Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback in NFL history, and his case is only going to get stronger.
In the NFL, there are players who play over a decade without ever reaching the Super Bowl, let alone players who spend their entire careers chasing that beloved trophy.
Brady has been to eight now. At this point, his appearance in the game has become more of an expectation than a surprise.
The University of Michigan alumnus has accomplished unimaginable things during his time in the NFL: five Super Bowls, four Super Bowl MVPs, two regular season MVPs, 13 Pro Bowl selections and three first-team All-Pro selections.
Since taking over the starting quarterback job for the Patriots during week two of the 2001 season, Brady has never missed the playoffs (the Pats did not make the playoffs during the 2008 season when Brady suffered a torn ACL during week one).
In addition, Brady has appeared in each of the past seven AFC championship games and has gone to the Super Bowl in four of those years.
Up until last year, Brady seemed to be embedded under Joe Montana as the second best quarterback to ever play. But that was before his epic 25-point comeback over Matt Ryan and the Falcons, which was by far the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.
With his all-time leading fifth Super Bowl victory on the line, Brady’s Patriots were down 28-3 with two minutes and eight seconds left in the third quarter.
Brady, the former sixth-round pick, responded by turning in possibly his best performance ever by throwing for 466 yards (a Super Bowl record) and two touchdowns to shock the Falcons in overtime.
Last year’s game may have cemented Brady to be above the rest, but this year’s matchup with Philadelphia is shaping up to be a phenominal encore.
This season’s Eagles is perhaps the best team that Brady has faced in the Super Bowl so far, as they are the only team to face him with a top-five offense and defense.
While New England is a five-point favorite, many experts are predicting an Eagles upset due to their high-scoring offensive attack, led by quarterback Nick Foles, and the Eagles’ stout defense.
If the past is any indication, Brady will overcome this upcoming obstacle and win his sixth Super Bowl ring, which will end all discussions about who the greatest of all time is.
At this point, it’s not even a race, Brady is just running on his own.
