Is Brady the best ever? With a win Sunday, the case would be overwhelming
Bill Burt
GLENDALE, Ariz. — It's time. Or at least it probably will be if what is expected to happen happens Sunday and the Patriots raise another Lombardi Trophy.
If Tom Brady leads the Patriots to their fourth Super Bowl title in seven years, it will be time to drop the question mark. Then "Best ever?" may have to become "Best ever!"
In addition to his All-American good looks and charm, Brady has something few gridiron immortals have.
Rings. Three. And counting.
In fact, with a little luck a year ago in Indianapolis when the Pats blew a late lead in the AFC title game, and one redo the year before in Denver (of that God-forsaken pass in the end zone to Champ Bailey), he could already have five rings. And there would be no question mark and no debate.
Legitimate arguments could be made for Joe Montana, Johnny Unitas, John Elway, Dan Marino, Terry Bradshaw, Bart Starr, Brett Favre and most recently, Peyton Manning.
All bring something to the table: rings, MVP trophies and awesome numbers.
Until recently, Montana and Unitas appeared to be the leaders in the clubhouse with Manning and Brady, probably in that order, a few birdies away.
But the question mark, if there still is one in Brady's case, is fading.
His wrecking-ball-of-a-season in 2007 | NFL record in touchdown passes (50), the Patriots' perfect record (18-0 heading into the Super Bowl) and his precision (117.2 quarterback rating, second best all-time to Manning's 121.4 in 2004) | elevated him to -- or near -- the head of the class.
Funny what a few talented wide receivers, like newcomers Randy Moss and Wes Welker, can do for one's reputation.
"I believed he was one of the best ever, right there with Joe Montana and Peyton Manning," said Ron Jaworski, an ex-MVP quarterback with the Philadelphia Eagles who is now an ESPN analyst.
"Peyton needed to win a championship, which he did. But this season changed everything. Now Tom Brady has the numbers and the championships. I believe if the Patriots win the Super Bowl this season, I would put him in the No. 1 spot. When everything is said and done, I believe Brady and Manning will be the two best."
If you're wondering about the 30-year-old Brady's passion to wreak havoc on the NFL, all you have to do is go back to Sunday, April 16, 2000, the name Spergon Wynn and No. 199.
It was the second day of the NFL Draft. Brady was told he'd be probably drafted the first day (rounds 1 through 3) or at worst early in the second day (rounds 4 through 7).
"By the fifth round, he had gone up to his room, laying flat out on his bed," said his father, Tom Sr. "He was a mess. Teams that said they would pick him didn't. When the sixth round started, he couldn't handle it any more and he started walking around the house.
"Marc Bulger, who turned out pretty good, was taken at the beginning of the round (No. 168), then a guy named Spergon Wynn, of Southwest Texas State, was taken by Cleveland (No. 183).
"That was it. He grabbed a baseball bat and went outside. He said he couldn't watch any more. Finally, later in the round, we got a call from the Patriots. It was Bill Belichick. I still get emotional when I think about it. (Brady Sr. pauses for about five seconds.) But Tom was somewhere outside. We couldn't find him. I lied. I told Belichick he was in the shower."
That day, Brady Sr. believes, inspired his son -- the seventh quarterback drafted -- to work harder than anybody else.
"He had gone through some tough times at Michigan, starting and then not starting," said his father. "But I think he understood that he couldn't leave anything to chance when he was drafted so late. He was going to work harder than everyone else."
The rest is history.
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One man who had a close look at Brady as a high school player was Roger Theder, a former head coach at the University of California-Berkeley and currently one of the top personal quarterback coaches in the country.
"I'm being honest. I didn't think Tom was anything special in high school," said Theder, who never worked with Brady. "He had a good arm, but his release was very long. He was good in high school, but he wasn't a great athlete. When I heard he was going to Michigan, I wasn't sure if that was the right place for him. … I was wrong."
Theder, who is spending a month in Atlanta preparing former college quarterbacks for the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Feb. 20-26, said the Brady he saw at Junipero Serra High in San Mateo, Calif., is dramatically different than the one he sees now.
"I see a guy who might be the best quarterback ever," said Theder. "And I don't say that too often. I saw Joe Montana a lot. He was a great athlete. He could really move. But Tom has turned into something special."
Theder doesn't teach only technique. He teaches common sense.
His young quarterbacking students throw the ball to real receivers who are avoiding make-believe defensive backs (tackling dummies or cones).
"It's not just about throwing the ball," said Theder. "Reading defenses is probably the most important aspect of quarterbacking."
And guess what? Nobody, according to Theder, does it better than Brady, the two-time Super Bowl MVP.
"I heard him at a press conference the other day say that he had to leave because he needed to watch nine of the opposition's last games," said Theder. "He is smarter than everyone else because nobody works harder. And when you study and do the preparation, he is prepared when it comes to the game.
"When he comes to the line of scrimmage and sees the defense, he already knows where the ball is probably going. If you know where the ball is going before it's snapped, you have a big advantage."
Theder doesn't stop there.
Where Brady is truly special is in the face of a ferocious pass rush, which he'll have to deal with against the relentless Giants.
"Look at Tom's eyes when that happens," said Theder. "They are always downfield. He senses where the pressure is and moves away. The key is he's always looking. He is special."
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Other than NFL coaches and probably AFC East defensive players, Jaworski has seen Brady more than anybody … at least the coaches' tape version.
Because of his job as co-host of the State Farm NFL Matchup show on ESPN, Jaworski watches hours and hours of game film.
And because of the Patriots' success since September 2001, he has seen every game Brady has played. In fact, considering the two views from the coaches' tape (sideline and end zone) and the fact that he reviews each play at least six or seven times, you wonder if Jaworski has NFL coaches beat.
Recently, he went out on a limb where few experts are willing to join him: the Brady vs. Manning argument.
"The last few years it was 1 and 1A," said Jaworski. "But when you look at what Tom has done this season, the best I've ever seen at the quarterback position, you have to give the edge to Tom."
Jaworski says watching Brady on film is akin to a classical pianist listening to Beethoven.
"Why do I get so excited about seeing Tom do the little things right?" asked Jaworski. "Because so few quarterbacks do. I believe the quarterback position is the worst-coached position in the league. Tom, though, has been taught very well."
What about the big things, like fourth-quarter comebacks or his ability to float around the pocket amid so much tumult?
"I think what separates Tom from the rest is his ability to make good decisions, the right decisions, especially when there is pressure," said Jaworski. "He moves a little bit; he buys more time; and then it's over."
Jaworski says the fact that the Patriots have invested in offensive linemen and recently wide receivers speaks volumes about what coach Belichick knows he has.
"This is not just a great quarterback," said Jaworski. "This is someone who is very special. What he has done this year is take his game, which was already the best, and taken it to another level. His accuracy is as good as Peyton's, but now, especially with Randy Moss, he's looking downfield more often.
"While his (NFL record) 50 touchdown passes are amazing, the number that makes my eyes open wide is the eight interceptions. Hey, I've seen them all on tape. He rarely makes a mental mistake. He almost always puts the ball where only his receiver can catch it. … I could watch him all day. In fact, I have."
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Charlie Weis, like everyone else on the Patriots coaching staff in 2001, knew this "Brady kid" had something a little special.
Stories abound about Brady's work ethic the year before, his rookie season in 2000, when as a third-string quarterback he did the homework of a starter.
"Everything you heard is true," said Weis, now the head coach at Notre Dame. "Tommy earned (the starting spot)."
Weis, who was New England's offensive coordinator, looked at Brady a little differently in only his third game as a starter in 2001. He was taking over from the injured Drew Bledsoe. The Patriots were playing the San Diego Chargers, who were then 3-1. And Brady was coming off a bad start against the Dolphins, a 30-10 loss in Miami in which he threw for only 86 yards.
Brady completed 33 of 54 passes for 364 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Even better, he led the Patriots from a 10-point deficit (26-16) in the final 8:48, including a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Wiggins with 40 seconds remaining to tie the score.
As impressive as that was for the young "Tom Terrific," it was in overtime that Weis realized Brady might be something special.
"San Diego got the ball first and we stopped them, and got the ball back," recalled Weis. "The first play was a left formation with David Patten on the right. During the week we practiced an audible versus a certain blitz. They hadn't done it the entire game.
"But Tommy saw it and audibled for Patten to do an out and go (pattern). We had maximum protection and Tommy threw it 50 yards. We get the interference call. We eventually kick the game-winning field goal. For a young quarterback, who had played only a few games … that was amazing."
Weis says since the 2001 season, which ended with a Super Bowl victory over the heavily favored St. Louis Rams, Brady's place in the quarterbacking profession has grown exponentially.
He agrees with Theder's assessment about Brady's downfield vision, especially under duress, but he says that's too simplistic.
"Look, I could talk to you all day about Tommy," said Weis. "I could talk about his footwork in the pocket. Other than Dan Marino, I don't think there is anyone better. I could talk about his accuracy. Tommy is as good as there is when it comes to hitting his target.
"I could talk about him playing under pressure. I could talk about him running the two-minute offense. I could talk about his work ethic. How about his competitiveness? Is there a guy more competitive in the league than Tommy? I don't think so. … You see where I'm going with this?
"Let me put it this way, Tommy has 'it.' Whatever 'it' is he has it. You can't teach 'it.' I can't describe what 'it' is. It permeates from great players. It makes everyone around them better. It makes your teammates feel like you're never going to lose. It's an amazing thing and Tommy has 'it.' "
And what about Weis' former Notre Dame classmate, Joe Montana?
Does he have "it?"
"Sure he does," said Weis, who didn't play football for the Fighting Irish. "Joe was a great quarterback. He was a lot like Tommy in that he was very confident, almost cocky. The funny thing is I talked to Joe last Saturday night."
And what did he tell Montana?
"I told Joe, 'You better move over big boy,' " said Weis, referring to Brady elevating himself to, perhaps, the status of the greatest quarterback of all-time.
And what did Montana say?
"He laughed," said Weis. "But he didn't argue with me."
Neither will we.
You can e-mail Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.
