For several reasons, these are the best playoff performances of this sports giant
The number 45 has been the target Tom Brady. His goal for a long time was to play at least until that age.
When Brady de Tampa Bay Buccaneers against Super Bowl LV Kansas City Chiefs On February 7, he will hit that number in a different way: it will be the 45th playoff game of his career.
¡45!
It’s been nearly three full extra seasons of football.
Brady’s performance in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game is not among his top post-season stats; it was his first playoff game with three interceptions since the 2009 Wild Card round (a landslide loss to the Ravens). But one thing that’s clear this season is how Brady’s impact on the Buccaneers went well beyond the statistics.
Bruce Arians remarked after the win, “The belief that everyone in this organization gave that this was possible; it only took one man ”.
In that regard, Brady’s work over the past three weeks, as a leader in the Buccaneers’ solid complementary play of offense, defense and special teams, is one of the best of all time, especially when you consider his first. year in Tampa and the season is played during a pandemic.
Brady is now 33-11 in playoff games, and ranking his best post-season performance often leads to discussion of what to prioritize: league level, stats, match-deciding, impact on the franchise, etc.
A top 10 list also offers an ever-evolving roadmap for a journey through Memory Lane, one that’s likely to be updated in the future as Brady continues to defy Father Time:
10. Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots 24, Eagles 21
Date: February 6, 2005
Brady completed 23 of 33 for 236 yards with two touchdowns (one to lineman’s defensive end by Mike Vrabel) with the defense holding the Eagles when needed. Deion Branch was Brady’s favorite target, who had 11 receptions for 133 yards and was MVP.
10. Ronda Divisional NFC: Bucs 30, Saints 20
Date: January 17, 2021
Brady’s excellence wasn’t reflected in the stat (18-33, 199 yards, 2 TDs, 0 Int), but this game comes in 10th, in part because it reflects his impact on the franchise. The Buccaneers were beaten loudly by the Saints twice during the regular season, they got off to a slow start to the game, but Brady’s tough mentality to take on the tough Saints defense was at the championship level and didn’t allow his team. overcame arrears of 6-0, 13-10 and 20-13. Sometimes the best performances – which take advantage of changes in possession and are supplemented by fierce defenses – are outside the statistics.
Super Bowl LII: Eagles 41, Patriots 33
Date: February 4, 2018
Brady was fired while trying to lead a final drive, possibly to win the game, which led to disappointment, but he was brilliant all around: 28 from 48 for 505 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. One of the plays he would have liked to complete was one in which he was a wide and wide receiver, which hurt even more after the Eagles turned a similar piece for TD.
8. Campeonato AFC: Patriots 24, Jaguars 20
Date: January 21, 2018
It wasn’t the best from start to finish, but it was magical in the quarter-quarter as he led the team, trailing 10. Brady completed 26 of 38 for 290 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions, a feat. that was more impressive when you consider that he played with 12 points on his left hand, the result of a significant drop five days earlier in practice.
Super Bowl XXXVI: Patriots 20, Rams 17
Date: February 3, 2002
From a statistical standpoint, this game would be near the bottom of the table (16-27 for 145 yards, one touchdown and 0 int), but it goes up from a game situation standpoint. While analyst John Madden said on television that the Patriots should be working overtime, Brady – then in his second season in the NFL and his first as a starter – pulled the Patriots away from the field goal and won the game.
6. AFC Campeonato: Patriots 36, Steelers 17
Date: January 22, 2017
The Steelers defense was no match for Brady, who finished 32-42 for 384 yards, with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Brady masterfully manipulated the defense and his precision was decisive on almost every throw. Chris Hogan (nine receptions, 180 yards, two touchdowns) and Julian Edelman (8 receptions, 118 yards, 1 TD) were the main targets. It wasn’t the first time Brady stabbed the Steelers defense, as Brady recalled in the NFL 100 All-Time Team, the 60-yard touchdown pass to Deion Branch in the AFC Championship game on January 23, 2004, it was one of his best releases of his career.
Super Bowl XXXVIII: Patriots 32, Panthers 29
Date: February 1, 2004
A game that started with no points eventually turned into a shootout, with Brady completing 32 of 48 passes for 354 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception. As with the first Super Bowl, it required a last-minute winning streak, aided by Carolina’s punt who finished off the field and allowed the Patriots to start at the 40-yard line of their own field.
4. Campeonato AFC: Patriots 37, Chiefs 31
Date: January 20, 2019
Converting three different 3rd and 10th in the final set of winning extra times is the definition of a clutch, with Brady finishing 30 of 46 for 348 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. One of the interceptions, at the Chiefs’ one-yard line, could have been expensive, but Brady’s mental toughness brought out the situation and it was an epic aspect of the effort. That this match took place in Arrowhead Stadium, in front of a rowdy crowd, adds to why it was so impressive.
3. Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots 28, Seahawks 24
Date: February 1, 2015
It was Malcolm Butler’s interception on the goal line that sealed the win, but Brady was outstanding in the fourth quarter against one of the best defenses in the NFL to help the Patriots come back from a 10-point deficit. He was 37 out of 50 for 328 yards, with four touchdowns and two interceptions, and took MVP honors. Then he gave the truck he won for the MVP to Butler.
2. Ronda Divisional: Patriots 35, Ravens 31
Date: January 10, 2015
Brady completed 33 of the 50 yards for 367 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception, and led a furious second quarter comeback 14 points behind with an unusual tactic in which the Patriots declared eligible receivers ineligible. Brady added a 4-yard touchdown that culminated in an emphatic celebration, then his fire carried over to post-game interviews when he responded to criticism from Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who said he was studying the rules.
1. Super Bowl LI: Patriots 34, Falcons 28
Date: February 5, 2017
Trailing 28-3 in the third quarter, in part because Brady threw a pick-six, the Patriots needed the best comeback in Super Bowl history to make it happen. Brady was sensational in the second half and extra time, eventually finishing 43 out of 62 for 466 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. He was caught five times, due to his toughness to take a beating and not give in. What made the win even more emotional was the presence of her mother, Galynn, who attended her first game of the season as she had been fighting breast cancer.