HOUSTON — Everyone who just watched Super Bowl LI witnessed the greatest comeback in NFL history, and all credit goes out to The GOAT, Thomas Edward Brady.
Sure, teams have come back from more points in less time, but it wasn’t against a team as good as the 2016 Atlanta Falcons in a game as big as the Super Bowl.
As the Patriots trailed 21-3, and then 28-3, the tweets started coming that the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history was just 10 points.
Then Brady led the Patriots on a 25-point comeback (that’s two and-half-times the amount of points as the previous comebacks), which included a 91-yard game-tying drive because he needed to add something this insane to his already ridiculous resume. Then, of course he was going to lead them on a game-winning overtime drive, because there was no other possible conclusion to this game.
He obliterated a Super Bowl record with 466 yards while going 43 of 61 with two touchdowns and an interception. And quite frankly, the stats don’t matter. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan finished the game with a higher passer rating than Brady. There was only one quarterback in NFL history who could have led this type of comeback, and it’s Tom Brady.
He has five Super Bowl wins. That’s the most of all-time.
He’s playing the best football of his career at 39 years old and clearly has no intention of ending his career or slowing down anytime soon. The guys jokes about the fact that he’s OBVIOUSLY more athletic at 39 years old than he was at 22. Like that’s a silly thing to even ask about.
Patriots players were asked throughout the week if Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time and if Bill Belichick is the greatest head coach of all time. The answer is yes and yes. Absolutely yes.
Perhaps what’s most impressive is Brady didn’t even look like himself early in the game. He was grounding passes, throwing them out of bounds and behind his intended targets. He threw a terrible pick six when he didn’t see Robert Alford as he was chucking the ball into double coverage.
Coming back from a 28-3 deficit with 8:31 left in the third quarter seemed completely impossible to even the most logical human beings. And it seemed even more unlikely when the Patriots took almost six and-a-half minutes to drive down the field for a touchdown. But the Patriots chipped away quickly as the fourth quarter raced by in the greatest second-half comeback of all time.
Anyone who says Peyton Manning, Roger Staubach, John Elway, Joe Montana or Johnny Unitas is the greatest quarterback of all time didn’t watch Super Bowl LI. It’s Tom Brady, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he was even better somehow next season, and odds might as well be even that the Patriots will be back in the Super Bowl next season with Brady and Belichick back for another run.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
