I'm actually sick of hearing about Brady if he's the best ever this and that. The one thing almost every Super Bowl seems to have in common is that play that is just outside the norm and changed everything. A key interception, a big sack, a fumble recovery and on. I love the story of this kid Malcolm Butler. His story is incredible and inspirational for anyone. Played only 2 years in high school, Division II guy with no interest from other teams. Worked at Popeye's. Seems like people who know him love the guy. I like stories like this - it just comes out of nowhere and now a shorter than desired guy who beat the odds only because of the love of football makes one of the biggest plays in Super Bowl history. I love that shit no matter who's team is involved. Good article on him here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...-at-popeyes-to-patriots-super-bowl-xlix-hero/
2 picks from the supposed greatest QB ever to play, in a system that was armed and devised to exploit his talents, and it still takes a terrible call from a team that has 3 significant injuries in the strongest unit on their team for the greatest QB in history to win a SB that he couldn't control the destiny of. And the opposing team was resting on the accomplishments of an ex CFL player who had never caught a single NFL pass. The Patriots were one run up the middle away from tying the Broncos for the distinction of 5 Super Bowl losses and three of those would have come under the watch of BB and TB. Think about that for a minute. This thread is so fucking stupid.
I'll just say this about Montana.... Look at the QB's Montana had to beat to win SB's. He beat Elway, he beat Marino and he beat Boomer. 2 of those guys are usually mentioned either in the all time greats or even argued as the best of all time. Brady beat Warner (who should be in the HOF) McNabb, Delhomme and Wilson. 1 of those guys is very good, one of those guys is very average and the other is still in the early stages of his career so too early to really tell. Look at Brady's 4 wins, no game winning TD drives. Yes I guess you can say yesterday he did but I'll get to that. In 3 of them it was Vinatieri who made the winning plays. Yes Brady put them in position to win the game but all 3 previous to yesterday it wasn't Brady who made the winning play. Montana has his Picasso moment with the "it's John Candy" before going on the greatest drive in SB history. In his 2 losses Brady was overshadowed by the mediocre Eli Manning and both times Brady got his teams close to winning on final drives but failed. You can say well Welker this or Tyree that but the bottom line is in both games Brady got the ball back and he didn't seal the deal. Yesterday he loses the game if Wilson either completes the pass or Lynch runs it in. Beyond Brady's control except for the fact that he threw a redzone pick early in the game which changes everything. In 1988 and 1989 when SF went back to back Montana threw 19 TD's and 1 INT..... enough said about that. 19 TD's to 1 INT!!!! Montana never lost to the Bears defense which was probably the greatest of all time, he lost to the Giants a few times who were not pushovers themselves and if not for the Giants and Lawrence Taylor maybe Montana wins 7 or 8 SB's? There was a period where Brady and the Pats lost 3 straight playoff games, to the Giants, Jets and Ravens. Montana also took the Chiefs to the AFC title game so you can ut to bed him being a system QB. And you can discount Spygate and Deflategate all you want but the reality is nobody except a very few select people know what was on those tapes and how big an advantage it had on the games they played. There is no getting around that and it will never change until someone with knowledge comes clean which I won't hold my breath for. Maybe there was no advantage at all or maybe it was beyond anything the NFL could have dealt with but that doesn't change that we know they existed and the Pats broke the rules.
Brady took Aaron Dobson and Kembrell Thompkins to the AFC title game, with half his defense on the injured list. What's that thing again that Montana never had to worry about? Oh that's right: free agency and the salary cap. Must be nice to have a team filled with HOF caliber players the whole time. What if Brady had Moss for ten years, when Moss was in his prime? Montana only had the best football player ever to throw to.
Russell Wilson took Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, Ricardo Lockette, Chris Matthews, Kevin Norwood and Brian Walters one bad playcall away from repeating in the Super Bowl against the second highest powered (and maybe highest paid) secondary in the NFL. And I don't even think Wilson is all that good. Brady has two security blankets in Gronk (arguably the best receiving TE in NFL history) and Edelman (at least as good as Welker, probably better) and he almost lost that game, and threw two picks in the process.
Also, after the game, Browner said that all during summer practices and other practices, Butler consistently led everyone in interceptions.
Really? Wilson did that? Did Trent Dilfer take the Baltimore Ravens to the championship? Nr. 1 defense, an all time great defense and arguably the best running back in the league. That's like driving a Formula 1 car against go-cart drivers.
That's funny, you'd think that the passing game had nothing to do with the Seahawks big plays. Please enlighten me how they kept scoring without the passing game without using really stupid analogies. Oh wait I get it, the Seahawks injured secondary held the Pats to 347 yards passing and 4 receiving TDs and Marshawn Lynch had all the key gains on offsense while Wilson was ineffective all day long, right? And your comparison to Dilfer, spot on guy. Those kick returns and interception returns that the Seahawks had were key, extremely important. And of course Dilfer was facing a real juggernaut team in the Giants, best defensive and offensive team in the league, Kerry Collins and Ron Dayne were beastly
Montana and that 1981 49ers team had like 2 HOFs on that team in Montana and Lott (22 yrs old). That team wasn't all that stacked when you think about All-Pros and HOFs (unless I am missing some players let me know - this was before my time). It's really no different then the Patriots when they lost to the AFCCG with those 2 guys you mentioned. Bill Walsh was a far better coach, Montana was the better QB that's the difference. Moss was motivated in NE and you could argue he's the most TALENTED WR ever to play the game.
hmmm so Brady's wins have an * but Montana and Bradshaw's do not? Bradshaw's Steelers brought steroid use to the NFL but that was ok? In SF Walsh scripted first 15-25 plays then in certain games would have his headset die so the opposing team couldn't use their headsets and make it harder to make early adjustments. if they lost he would have given his D a late lead in all 3 SB losses including bringing team back from 10 down in 4th against all time great D the other day. Montana never made SB w/ Chiefs, he led them to AFC Championship Game.
I've been watching football for 30 years and this is the 1st time I've ever heard this happening. Do you have some legit source that this actually happened? I don't want to see something that says it happened once. You can speculate about the headset thing all you want but facts are facts and you ignored them.... 19 TD's with 1 INT throwing for 270 yards and a QB average rating of 128. That was in 88 and 89 when they repeated. Has Brady or any QB ever had as dominant of postseason stretch of that? Did Brady ever beat a QB in the SB as good as Marino or Elway? You throw around elite defense yet you want to ignore that Seattle had 2 starters injured, and 2 had to leave the game due to injury. Oh and speaking of elite defenses Montana didn't do too shabby against the Bears of the mid 80's. He did knock them out of the playoffs twice. You also want to say that this team is all Brady and no one else.... Do you recall the AFC title game when Lee Evans dropped the game winning TD for Baltimore? In case I need to remind you Brady was terrible in that game and the Pats still managed to put up 23 points and win that game. 0 TD passes and 2 INTs. Do you remember how he was dominated by the Jets in 2010/2011 where if not for a garbage time TD he probably doesn't even throw for 250 yards and finishes with 1 TD. Or how bad he was the year before when the Ravens smashed him in the playoffs. Or how bad he was against SD in 2008? He was far from great when they lost to the Giants the 1st time. Montana had maybe 2 bad playoff games his entire career one against the Vikings and one against the Giants in which he was injured. Other than that find me another game where he was terrible. You'll be hard pressed. What's funny is because Wilson threw an INT Brady goes from a guy who losses 3 SB's to the greatest of all time. It's a joke.
The level of competition between eras is hard to square. There were obviously many fewer good teams back then without the parity, but the good teams then were a lot better than the good teams of today. To have sustained success in that era I think is a better accomplishment. On the flipside, having sustained success in a system that is unusually successful in creating parity is pretty impressive, too.
The exact same thing happened when Brady lost 2 SB's against the Giants. Manning throws 2 passes that had very little chance of being completed to beat Brady. Brady became the choker who can't win the SB. It works both ways and it may be cliche, but the QB gets too much of the credit and too much of the blame.
so true. It's crazy how one play can make that much difference in perception. I think Brady and Montana are both amazing but I am not going to disagree with you on giving Montana the edge. You put up a great argument and defenses were much better overall in that era. It's a close call. I see both sides.
Yes, just watched "Bill Walsh" a football life" last week and he admitted it. Again, I have no issue w/ anyone putting Joe at #1 but Brady has never had a team around him like Joe in 1988 and 1989. That does help a bit to have those weapons he had. Julian Edleman was not his #1 WR. Marino and Elway's teams stunk, they wouldn't have made the playoffs in the NFC. Injuries are part of the game, Brady was sick. Gronk was badly hurt in the NYG SB and it's part of the game. It's not ALL Brady, never have I said that but he is THE reason they are always in the hunt. so you are saying he has had bad playoff games? is this breaking news? he has many more good ones than bad ones and he's never been held to 3 pts like Joe has and Joe had more than 2-3 mediocre/bad playoff games. He did throw 3 INTs in a 21-10 win over NYG in 1984. 3 INTs and D held opponent to 10 pts. led O to 3 pts in 1985 WC game led O to 3 pts in 1986 div rd game(left early but O was doing nothing) struggled in '87 div rd vs. Minnesota before leaving late in '90 title game had only led O to 13 pts. before leaving w/ injury in '93 title game was struggling and then had poor final playoff game in 1994. again,. not bashing Joe. he has a great claim to best I have ever seen but I favor Brady. SF missed many postseasons w/ Joe, he didn't make as many title games or SBs or win as many div titles. Had Seattle scored Brady still would have moved up to #1 for me after that 4th qtr against that Seattle D. It would have been 3 SB losses that his overrated defenses blew. Going into the SB he had a great claim as greatest ever, I had him around 2-3. The funny thing is he's not done, he's going to keep adding to his legacy.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...nks-bill-walsh-cheated-during-1980s-playoffs/ Walsh admitted this in the NFLN documentary on him.
Edelman and Welker are almost exactly alike, no other QB would be bale to win big w/ them as their top WR. good, solid, tough players that are vastly overrated. I remember in our '09 game when people were making excuses why we beat them b/c Welker was out and I said Edelman is exactly like Welker and did everything Welker normally does so it was a weak excuse. I was bashed for it but it was obvious then and it's obvious now. They are good players but hard to win w/ them being your #1.