For various reasons, these are the best playoff performances of this sports colossus
Number 45 was the goal Tom Brady. His goal for a long time was to play at least until that age.
When Brady takes Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Super Bowl LV against Kansas City Chiefs On February 7, he will reach this number in a different way: it will be the 45th match in the playoff of his career.
45!
There are almost three additional football seasons.
Brady’s performance in Sunday’s NFC championship game is not one of his most important gems in the postseason; 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 is clear this season is how Brady’s impact on the Buccaneers has far exceeded the statistics.
Bruce Arians remarked after the victory: “The belief that he gave to everyone in this organization, that this could be done; it took one man. “
In this regard, Brady’s work over the past three weeks as a leader in the Buccaneers ’solid complementary game, weaving together offensive, defensive and special teams, is one of the best of all time, especially when you consider what it’s his first year in Tampa and the season is playing out during a pandemic.
Brady is now 33-11 in the playoff games and ranking best in the post-season often raises debates about what should be a priority: level of competition, statistics, decisive play, impact on the franchise, etc.
A list of the top 10 also provides an ever-evolving roadmap for a trip to Memory Lane, one that will continue 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 the lineman became defensive end Mike Vrabel), the defense holding the Eagles when needed. Deion Branch was the favorite target for Brady, who had 11 receptions for 133 meters and was MVP.
10. NFC Divisional Round: Bucs 30, Saints 20
Date: January 17, 2021
Brady’s excellence did not appear in the statistics (18-33, 199 meters, 2 TDs, 0 Int), but this game is tied for 10th place in part because it reflects its impact on the franchise. The Buccaneers were beaten twice by the Saints in the regular season, they started with a slow game, however, Brady’s tough mentality of taking the Saints’ tough defense was at the championship level and did not allow his team to give way and overcame the deficits of 6-0, 13-10 and 20-13. Sometimes, the best performances – which capitalize on the change of possession and are complemented by fierce defenses – exceed the statistics.
9. Super Bowl LII: Eagles 41, Patriots 33
Date: February 4, 2018
Brady was fired while trying to drive one last possible drive to win the game, leading to disappointment, but he was brilliant throughout: 28 of 48 for 505 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. One of the pieces he would have liked to fulfill was one with a wide receiver, which hurt even more after the Eagles turned a similar piece for TD.
8. AFC Championship: Patriots 24, Jaguars 20
Date: January 21, 2018
He wasn’t the best from start to finish, but he was magical in the quarterfinals when he led the team and turned a deficit of 10. Brady finished 26 of 38 for 290 yards with two touchdowns. and without interceptions, this performance was more impressive considering that he played with 12 points on his left hand, the result of a significant cut five days earlier in practice.
7. Super Bowl XXXVI: Patriots 20, Rams 17
Date: February 3, 2002
From a statistical perspective, this game would be close to the bottom of the table (16-27 for 145 meters, a touchdown and 0 int), but it increases in terms of the situation of the game. While analyst John Madden told television that the Patriots should go into overtime, Brady – then in his second season in the NFL and his first as a starter – took the Patriots off the field and won the game.
6. AFC Championship: Patriots 36, Steelers 17
Date: January 22, 2017
The Steelers defense was not a game for Brady, who finished 32-42 for 384 yards, with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Brady masterfully manipulated the defense, and his accuracy was decisive in almost every tone. Chris Hogan (nine receptions, 180 meters, two touchdowns) and Julian Edelman (8 receptions, 118 meters, 1 TD) were the main targets. It wasn’t the first time Brady had stabbed the Steelers defense, as Brady recalled on the NFL 100 All-Time Team, the 60-yard touchdown pass to Deion Branch in the January 23, 2004 AFC championship game was one of the best launches of his career.
5. Super Bowl XXXVIII: Patriots 32, Panthers 29
Date: February 1, 2004
A game that started without points ended up being a shootout, Brady completing 32 of 48 passes for 354 meters, with three touchdowns and an interception. Similar to his first Super Bowl, he needed a last-minute winning streak, aided by Carolina’s deck that finished the field and allowed the Patriots to start from their 40-yard line.
4. AFC Championship: Patriots 37, Chiefs 31
Date: January 20, 2019
The 3rd and 10th different transformation in the final series that wins overtime is the definition of a clutch, Brady finishing 30 out of 46 for 348 meters, with a touchdown and two interceptions. One of the interceptions at the bosses’ court line could have been costly, but Brady’s mental toughness pushed the situation forward and was an epic aspect of the effort. The fact that this game was at Arrowhead Stadium, in front of a noisy crowd, adds why it was so impressive.
3. Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots 28, Seahawks 24
Date: February 1, 2015
Malcolm Butler’s interception at the goal line sealed the victory, but Brady was excellent in the fourth quarter against one of the best defenses in the NFL to help the Patriots bounce back from a 10-point deficit. He had 37 of 50 for 328 yards, with four touchdowns and two interceptions and received MVP honors. Then he gave the truck he won for MVP to Butler.
2. Divisional Round: Patriots 35, Ravens 31
Date: January 10, 2015
Brady completed 33 of 50 yards for 367 yards with three touchdowns and an interception and led a furious comeback in the second quarter from 14 points down, with an unusual tactic in which the Patriots declared eligible recipients are ineligible players. Brady added a 4-yard touchdown that culminated in an emphatic celebration, and then his fire was picked up for post-game interviews when he responded to criticism from Ravens coach John Harbaugh, saying he was studying the rules.
1. Super Bowl LI: Patriots 34, Falcons 28
Date: February 5, 2017
Following 28-3 in the third quarter, partly because Brady threw a pick-six, the Patriots needed the best comeback in Super Bowl history to pull it off. Brady was sensational in the second half and overtime, eventually finishing 43 of 62 for 466 meters, with two touchdowns and an interception. He was caught five times, reflecting his toughness to take a beating and not give up. What made the victory even more exciting was the presence of his mother, Galynn, who was participating in her first game of the season because she was battling breast cancer.