Being born and raised in Broncos Country, I admittedly saw the world through orange and blue-tinted glasses for much of my life. That being said, it’s time to call a spade a spade.
Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback ever.
Now, Brady doesn’t have the rocket launcher arm of John Elway. He isn’t quite the cerebral mastermind that is Peyton Manning.
What Brady is is a five-time Super Bowl champion, the first quarterback to ever accomplish that feat.
What makes him different? What makes him the best? Sure, it doesn’t hurt having a coach like Bill Belichick. But what truly separates Tom Brady cannot be coached, it cannot be taught, it isn’t something you can tone in the weight room.
What separates Tom Brady is his fire, his unequivocal compete level.
I was lucky enough to be in Glendale, Ariz. when Brady won his fourth Super Bowl. I witnessed him win his third Super Bowl MVP. I witnessed a team that completely embodied that never-say-die attitude, defy the odds and capture the Lombardi Trophy. At the time, I said that was the most exciting game that I had ever seen.
Now, I am not saying that Super Bowl LI was better than Super Bowl XLIX, but it was close. Like Micky Ward, the Patriots were battered, bruised and on the ropes. Like Ward, they found that fire, kept punching and got back into the match. They never gave up, grinded their way back into the game and found a way to win.
Brady’s struggle this season somewhat embodies what the Patriots went through Sunday. Battered by the Deflategate sage, he took his punches, sitting out the first four games of the 2016 season. He responded by throwing 28 touchdowns to only two interceptions, leading the Patriots to the best record in the AFC, then through the AFC Playoffs, all the way to Houston.
In Houston, Brady saw his team fall down, falling behind 28-3. He threw a pick-6, watching as he and his teammates came up just short on many occasions, whether it be a big catch that went of a receivers’s fingertips or a big tackle that just wasn’t quite wrapped up.
Brady and the Patriots could have thrown in the towel. Instead, they gritted their teeth and before you knew it, made it a game.
Slowly but surely, the Patriots climbed back into the game. By the time they cut the deficit to 16, you could just feel the cloak of inevitability starting to be cast over the game. This was Brady’s element, this is what separates him from the rest of the pack. It was his time.
In the fourth quarter, Brady went 17-22. He was masterful in overtime as well, going 5-for-7. Like an assassin, he picked apart the Falcons defense, making Roger Goodell’s greatest nightmare come to life. He would have to award the Lombardi Trophy to Robert Kraft with Brady looking on, before sheepishly slinking off into the night.
Brady would lead the Patriots to the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. Individually, he would also set a record for completions (43) and passing yards (466). When he lifted that Lombardi Trophy, he would break a tie with his boyhood idol Joe Montana, becoming the first quarterback to hoist the trophy for a fifth time.
Now, I get why a lot of people don’t like Tom Brady. He’s a pretty boy, who whines from time to time and his balls might not be as firm as some would like. He has also beaten the Broncos many, many times. Love him or hate him however, you cannot deny his acumen, nor his drive.
The Mile High City has been blessed enough to witness two of the best to ever do it lead them to football’s ultimate prize. Broncos Country knows what greatness looks like. As such, it’s time we all admit the truth. As good as Elway and Manning were, they are no Brady.
