Tom Brady: 8th Championship Game in 12 seasons as a starter

[UConn990411]

Brady may have been a game manager for most of his first season and their first SB win but since that point, he has become far far more. One of greatest QBs and passers to ever play. Good comparison to me with Brady is Joe Montana in terms of his skills etc.

May be not you but I am puzzled by the hate of Peyton Manning I see and hear from NE fans...I don't get it. Guy is off-the-charts great, a class act, etc. Impossible not to like as a player/athlete IMO. Yet NE fans hate him like he banged their puppy without KY or something....

I think he's "hated" in much the same way Magic was - he's consistently been the biggest competition to our team (and, from a legacy standpoint, our team's best player), so naturally some dislike has developed. And not that it's any fault of Peyton's, but the amount of media attention he gets can be annoying.

I suspect the hatred will go away shortly after he retires.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Brady may have been a game manager for most of his first season and their first SB win but since that point, he has become far far more. One of greatest QBs and passers to ever play. Good comparison to me with Brady is Joe Montana in terms of his skills etc.

May be not you but I am puzzled by the hate of Peyton Manning I see and hear from NE fans...I don't get it. Guy is off-the-charts great, a class act, etc. Impossible not to like as a player/athlete IMO. Yet NE fans hate him like he banged their puppy without KY or something....

It is weird, especially in that Pats fans care way more about the Brady vs Manning debate than Brady does. I think Peyton has simply been the biggest rival for the Pats during the Brady years and that breeds competitive dislike. Add to it Manning's overexposure on commercials. Lastly the press is often selling the Manning story and that becomes tiresome.

I was rooting for the Seahawks last night simply because I felt the Peyton Manning factor had unduly moved the spread and the public was wrong and overly influenced by one player. I think that's a microcosm of how folks end up disliking Peyton Manning.

 

[mauconnfan]

I think he's "hated" in much the same way Magic was - he's consistently been the biggest competition to our team (and, from a legacy standpoint, our team's best player), so naturally some dislike has developed. And not that it's any fault of Peyton's, but the amount of media attention he gets can be annoying.

I suspect the hatred will go away shortly after he retires.

I see way too much of Brady so I think the media is in the eye of the beholder. But Peyton definitely got the landslide of the media for 2 weeks while the team in the other side prepared to damage his weekend! They both get hype, but both also deserve most of it……….great QB's……….the Manning hate is due to his dad and ther handling of his sons, not Peyton himself. The Brady "hate" is only regional most likely because he plays for the Red Sawks…….errr…..oops Patriots!

 

[Dogdeacon]

I think he's "hated" in much the same way Magic was - he's consistently been the biggest competition to our team (and, from a legacy standpoint, our team's best player), so naturally some dislike has developed. And not that it's any fault of Peyton's, but the amount of media attention he gets can be annoying.

I suspect the hatred will go away shortly after he retires.

The difference is, and actually LeBron is an example of this - LeBron and Magic proved the public wrong by winning. Peyton Manning hasn't really done that.

Tough to think of a more apt analogy. Need an all-time top 10 great, classy player, fan favorite but maybe over-fawned by press and mediocre post-season record. Ironically Brady fits for 2nd half of his career. Maybe Greg Maddux (arguably best regular season baseball pitcher)?! I don't think anyone ever rooted against Maddux though

 

[upstater]

Brady may have been a game manager for most of his first season and their first SB win but since that point, he has become far far more. One of greatest QBs and passers to ever play. Good comparison to me with Brady is Joe Montana in terms of his skills etc.

May be not you but I am puzzled by the hate of Peyton Manning I see and hear from NE fans...I don't get it. Guy is off-the-charts great, a class act, etc. Impossible not to like as a player/athlete IMO. Yet NE fans hate him like he banged their puppy without KY or something....

Almost every New England fan I know thinks Manning is great and that applies even to people on the internet. Manning, after an abysmal first half of his career against the Patriots, has had the most success of his life against the Patriots (this year and 2007). But in between, therre's been a whole lot of failure.

The reason Patriots fans dislike him is because we constantly hear in the national media about Brady getting the Ws because of the defense. In comparison to Manning, Patriots fans hear so much detraction from Brady's play in the national media. That's about 8-% of it. The other 20% is really the undeniable fact that Manning throws multiple big interceptions in the biggest games. So, everyone thinks he's great, but because he loses composure, he's not as good as Brady or Montana or Marino for that matter. Many Patriots fans probably have him top 10. I have him at 5. I like the list of the Packers reporter quite a bit.

 

[upstater]

I see way too much of Brady so I think the media is in the eye of the beholder. But Peyton definitely got the landslide of the media for 2 weeks while the team in the other side prepared to damage his weekend! They both get hype, but both also deserve most of it……….great QB's……….the Manning hate is due to his dad and ther handling of his sons, not Peyton himself. The Brady "hate" is only regional most likely because he plays for the Red Sawks…….errr…..oops Patriots!

Brady hate is national. They did a poll and he's actually one of the most hated NFL players. Peyton one of the most well liked. I live in Buffalo and go to games so I hear it from regional fans, but when I read fan reactions to Brady's play online, the hatred is there nationally. I think it has more to do with the Patriots than Brady himself. The big thing I most often hear from fans is that Brady is effeminate, and if he is, that is one tough lady.

 

[ZooCougar]

Brady hate is national. They did a poll and he's actually one of the most hated NFL players. Peyton one of the most well liked. I live in Buffalo and go to games so I hear it from regional fans, but when I read fan reactions to Brady's play online, the hatred is there nationally. I think it has more to do with the Patriots than Brady himself. The big thing I most often hear from fans is that Brady is effeminate, and if he is, that is one tough lady.

The whole Ugg Boot sponsorship might have something to do with that.

 

[HuskyHawk]

God what a painful thread. I'm a Patriots fan, live 15 minutes from Gillette, and even I think Manning is, on the whole, probably better. Manning has had better receivers though. It's pretty close, and a debatable point that doesn't matter in the slightest. It's like arguing Clapton vs Jeff Beck. Who cares? There is no "best", only best for a particular team, style of play, and at a particular time. Brady demands a very unique style of route running. The result is that with the few receivers that can read the defense and adjust exactly the way he expects, he is hard to stop. But any receiver who reads the defense differently becomes useless. That isn't the fault of the receiver. It's the reason NE has trouble finding productive receivers, they have to adapt to Brady.

The saddest part is listening to Patriots fans whine about the "Brady window". Right now, I'm not sure how much better Brady is than Ryan Mallett. He hasn't been the same since Moss, and doesn't spread the ball around nearly as well as he once did. He's still very good, but he can certainly be replaced by somebody good enough to win a Superbowl.

 

[upstater]

Right now, I'm not sure how much better Brady is than Ryan Mallett.

Stick to Iowa basketball.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Stick to Iowa basketball.

Iowa? Drove through it once.

 

[Scoe]

Stick to Iowa basketball.

wrestling is their sport

 

[HuskyHawk]

wrestling is their sport

Not many Patriots fans either. Not sure WTF Upstater is talking about. I'm a Patriots fan, I just try not to see them through rose colored glasses like so many Pats fans do.

Brady is not what he was. Probably still a top 5 QB, but no top 5 QB has won a superbowl in the last three years (Rogers and Brees were the last two, and Manning two years prior to Brees). Brady certainly wasn't considered an elite QB when he won his first, he was a backup. It simply isn't necessary. You probably do need a guy who is top 10-12.

 

[upstater]

Not many Patriots fans either. Not sure WTF Upstater is talking about. I'm a Patriots fan, I just try not to see them through rose colored glasses like so many Pats fans do.

Brady is not what he was. Probably still a top 5 QB, but no top 5 QB has won a superbowl in the last three years (Rogers and Brees were the last two, and Manning two years prior to Brees). Brady certainly wasn't considered an elite QB when he won his first, he was a backup. It simply isn't necessary. You probably do need a guy who is top 10-12.

The guy is 13 months off the best season of his entire career when he lead the team to the 4th greatest point total in NFL history, largely by spreading the ball around to Welker, Gronkowski, Hernandez, Brandon Lloyd, Edelman and Deion Branch. Maybe he's lost it in the last 13 months --who knows. Given the short time frame, it's much likelier that the lack of Welker, Gronkowski, Hernandez and Lloyd contributed more to the downturn than anything else. This Patriots team, with only Mayo, Chandler Jones, Gronkowski, McCourty as difference makers, wins maybe 4 or 5 games without Brady. To say Mallet could accomplish anywhere near 12-13 wins is a huge huge threat.

Brad's numbers 13 months ago were astronomical.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The guy is 13 months off the best season of his entire career when he lead the team to the 4th greatest point total in NFL history, largely by spreading the ball around to Welker, Gronkowski, Hernandez, Brandon Lloyd, Edelman and Deion Branch. Maybe he's lost it in the last 13 months --who knows. Given the short time frame, it's much likelier that the lack of Welker, Gronkowski, Hernandez and Lloyd contributed more to the downturn than anything else. This Patriots team, with only Mayo, Chandler Jones, Gronkowski, McCourty as difference makers, wins maybe 4 or 5 games without Brady. To say Mallet could accomplish anywhere near 12-13 wins is a huge huge threat.

Brad's numbers 13 months ago were astronomical.

Wow. Do you even watch the games? Brady was both brilliant and awful at times last year. He probably cost them two games with horrible performances and maybe saved them 3. I don't know a single Patriots fan in the area that didn't notice it, and I have friends who live next door to Stephen Gostkowski and several with season tickets. Yes he was very good the year before, but last year was his worst season by a huge margin. It wasn't the receivers, it was bad throws...lots of them. The deep ball in particular. I think Mallet wins maybe one fewer game at worst. Matt Cassell managed pretty well when Brady went down, and Mallet is probably better. Losing Mayo and Wilfork is what hurt the team most.

 

[upstater]

Wow. Do you even watch the games? Brady was both brilliant and awful at times last year. He probably cost them two games with horrible performances and maybe saved them 3. I don't know a single Patriots fan in the area that didn't notice it, and I have friends who live next door to Stephen Gostkowski and several with season tickets. Yes he was very good the year before, but last year was his worst season by a huge margin. It wasn't the receivers, it was bad throws...lots of them. The deep ball in particular. I think Mallet wins maybe one fewer game at worst. Matt Cassell managed pretty well when Brady went down, and Mallet is probably better. Losing Mayo and Wilfork is what hurt the team most.

So, Brady lost his abilities in 6 months time. That's the argument you're making?

I'm watching Patriots week right now, and Belichick is talking about Cassell's 2009 team, and he's saying, the reason we missed the playoffs is because our schedule was soft and we didn't beat any good teams. That's with 11 wins. That same team with Brady won 18 games against 9 playoff teams the previous year.

Brady was key to the wins against the Falcons, Saints, Broncos, Texans and Browns. 5 games they win because of him. Is there a QB that doesn't have a bad game all year? And with receivers like he had?! No Gronkowski and hurt WRs all year. Dobson hurt half the games, Boyce out, Vereen missed 10 games. Ridiculous.

 

[mauconnfan]

So, Brady lost his abilities in 6 months time. That's the argument you're making?

I'm watching Patriots week right now, and Belichick is talking about Cassell's 2009 team, and he's saying, the reason we missed the playoffs is because our schedule was soft and we didn't beat any good teams. That's with 11 wins. That same team with Brady won 18 games against 9 playoff teams the previous year.

Brady was key to the wins against the Falcons, Saints, Broncos, Texans and Browns. 5 games they win because of him. Is there a QB that doesn't have a bad game all year? And with receivers like he had?! No Gronkowski and hurt WRs all year. Dobson hurt half the games, Boyce out, Vereen missed 10 games. Ridiculous.

No matter Hawk is right and I don't watch every play at all….but I've never seen him make as many BAD throws as he did last year with people wide open! It's not a bad thing he's not as good as he was, he's not, but he's still damn good!

 

[upstater]

No matter Hawk is right and I don't watch every play at all….but I've never seen him make as many BAD throws as he did last year with people wide open! It's not a bad thing he's not as good as he was, he's not, but he's still damn good!

Yikes, come on. I was astounded by how well he did with these guys. I thought he played great.

What bad throws with people wide open are you talking about?

This season, with hardly anyone to throw to, the guy lead unbelievable comebacks in 5 games. The pundits were raving about his play. Some had him as the MVP.

Hard to believe you guys were really watching.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/12/13/brady-could-steal-mvp-from-peyton/

He actually received votes, and some of the ESPN crew thought he was up there too.

Again, he had his 2nd most productive season just 13 months ago. He comes back 6 months later missing his top 4 WRs from the previous year. And people draw the conclusion that he lost it.

"Elementary" my dear Watson.

 

[mauconnfan]

Yikes, come on. I was astounded by how well he did with these guys. I thought he played great.

What bad throws with people wide open are you talking about?

This season, with hardly anyone to throw to, the guy lead unbelievable comebacks in 5 games. The pundits were raving about his play. Some had him as the MVP.

Hard to believe you guys were really watching.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/12/13/brady-could-steal-mvp-from-peyton/

He actually received votes, and some of the ESPN crew thought he was up there too.

Again, he had his 2nd most productive season just 13 months ago. He comes back 6 months later missing his top 4 WRs from the previous year. And people draw the conclusion that he lost it.

"Elementary" my dear Watson.

OK

 

[HuskyHawk]

No matter Hawk is right and I don't watch every play at all….but I've never seen him make as many BAD throws as he did last year with people wide open! It's not a bad thing he's not as good as he was, he's not, but he's still damn good!

This is what I saw, and what every other Pats fan I know saw. We talked about it every game. He didn't "lose his ability", but he certainly didn't play to his prior levels. Upstater wants to blame the WR when Brady throws behind him, or overthrows a wide open WR by 7 yards (as he did against Denver in he AFC championship).