The national media for the longest has been working to cement Tom Brady’s legacy as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. I can probably be talked into it despite all the Super Bowl L’s (and near L’s) he has taken in his career. You gotta give the guy credit for having such a long and fruitful career and even making it to 8(!!!) Super Bowls in his career.
The man is playing his best football at the ripe old age of 41, and it is impressive as hell. Forget the weird video of him kissing his son on the mouth. Forget the stupid MAGA hat, Trump (non) endorsement, and forget the fact that every time he is even sneezed on, the other team gets a penalty (and oh man does he have a history of crying to the refs for flags).
All that being said, the media has tried to flip the script and say this man is the greatest football player of all time. Do you know what kind of slap in the face that is to anyone who has ever laced them up in the NFL?
When someone says the word football player, I think of names like Deacon Jones, Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers, Warren Sapp, Mike Singletary, Ed Reed, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith, Ronnie Lott, Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders, Lawrence Taylor, Charles Woodson, Ray Lewis, Devin Hester, Charles Haley–and even Hines Ward comes to mind. Half these names I listed didn’t even play offense and hardly touched the ball. That is how destructive they were to the opposing team’s game plan. Cover corners like Deion Sanders and Charles Woodson eliminated an entire side of the field when they were in the game. LT could decimate half of a team’s playbook because he was such a destructive force. You could say the same for Ed Reed or Ray Lewis, and even Charles Haley.
More times than not, next to the kicker, the quarterback position is where the worst athlete on the field lines up. A quarterback’s success is largely tied to so many other people doing their jobs correctly that it is disrespectful to single a QB out as the best player on a team. Ask former NFL QB’s like Randall Cunningham, Jeff George, Dan Marino, and Warren Moon how well being the best player on a team with no weapons worked out for them. On the flip side consider a the production a player like Terrell Owens had despite playing with quarterbacks like Tony Romo, Jeff Garcia and Donovan McNabb.
Let’s consider all the factors that have helped Tom Brady become the player he was:
- No QB has ever had Super Bowl success without a good offensive line. In fact, the ten other players on the offensive side of the ball all have to do their jobs correctly in order for the team to even have a positive play–much less for a quarterback to put up significant production.
- Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. Two of the best tight ends of their era created all kinds of mismatches for opposing coaches and were nightmares when both were on the field at the same time. Both players were too fast to be covered by linebackers and too big and strong to be covered by defensive backs.
- Randy Moss. Brady put up record numbers when number 81 lined up for the Patriots.
- NFL Rule changes. When Brady first came into the league he was a game manager. His weapons were average wide receivers and really good running backs like Kevin Faulk, Corey Dillon, and his best wideout was a defensive back. The Patriots from 2001-2007 were largely a team carried by a dominant defensive unit and an efficient offense that got just enough points to win. They won with timely special teams plays and clutch kicks by Adam Vinatieri. They won by not making mistakes. As the league went pass friendly and started catering to all the new fans that fantasy football created, there was an impetus to protect quarterbacks and all the skill set offensive players. Suddenly players could only be hit in certain areas of the field and on their bodies. Defensive backs could no longer touch the wide receivers and pass rushing soon became a game of two hand touch. Brady and Peyton Manning and every elite QB benefited the most since these changes. Don’t believe me? Check the passing stats and records for the last 10 years. It is a quarterback’s league now.
- Josh McDaniels. McDaniels was a terrible head coach, but he is an offensive innovator and dare I say guru of a coordinator? Brady’s production suffered when McDaniels took the job in Denver, and miraculously went up when McDaniels was rehired after the Broncos gave him the boot. Coincidence????
- Lastly, Bill Belichick. Would Brady have had the same career had he played for coaches like Jason Garrett, Wade Phillips, Jim Schwartz, Dave Wannstedt, or Chan Gailey? C’mon Son FOH with that nonsense.
Football is a team sport–the ultimate team sport. Quarterbacks get way too much credit as it is, especially in this new flag football era. You show me a QB who has success and I’ll ask you who his coaches and offensive linemen are, then I’ll ask who he is throwing the ball to. Basketball at best is 5 on 5 and one player can change the outcome of a game immensely. Baseball is a team sport based upon individuals performance, but football is a collection of everyone’s efforts and success that influence the game’s outcomes. Get ready for it though, if the Patriots win this Sunday, you’re going to hear all kinds of think pieces on how Tom Brady is the ultimate winner and football player. Just remember to tell them that the history of football goes back further than a couple of decades, and tell them to show some fucking respect.
BM
Bobby Mickey is the alter ego of writer and poet Edward Austin Robertson. When he isn’t involved in some basketball related activity, actively looking for parties to deejay or venues to perform comedy, he can be found recording podcasts with Craig Stein at 
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