Sorry nantucket, but I must disagree, respectfully.
When I watched reruns of some of those miraculous Brady comeback games closer, I saw that what I heard from an informed source was right - the Patriots line virtually
NEVER got called for holding in the late third and into the fourth quarters, although they did it all the time.
Either Todd Light was the very best LT in NFL football history, or he was continually getting away with something. Brady was uber talented, granted. Accurate, quick reads of defenses and hot reads (as practiced.) Wicked good arm, threw a tight spiral, seemingly had icewater in his veins and rose to the occasion when well protected, and coached in an evolving system that put him on the field with a variety of receivers as the roster changed that he could utilize according to well-thought-out game plans. As mentioned in another thread, Belichick adapted his system to the talents of his players.
Also, from another thread, he could go deep to Moss with one roster, midrange to two tight ends with another, or flip shorties to Edelman in a third. Talent, practice, and game plan merged on the field.
Problem is that the system was rigged - capitalizing on his obvious talents while obviously concealing his faults.
The system was jacked up and tilted in his favor by factors that shouldn't come to bear in professional football.
Greatness - true greatness - is measured by standards that Brady never achieved.
Best winning record for a quarterback? Granted.
Top ten? Yeah. Top five? Maybe so.
Greatest of all time? In my book, no.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/2024 05:44PM by mtramfan.