Tom Brady wasn’t perfect Sunday in the New England Patriots’ AFC Championship Game win over the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. But in typical Brady fashion, the Patriots quarterback delivered in the clutch, making huge plays in the fourth quarter and overtime to guide New England to a 37-31 overtime victory.
For that, Stephen A. Smith believes Brady deserves an “A” for his performance.
Smith’s colleague, Max Kellerman, wasn’t as high on Brady’s overall display, even suggesting the 41-year-old QB was “lucky” to defeat the Chiefs. But as Smith explained Monday on ESPN’s “First Take,” Brady more than made up for his few mistakes by stepping up when it mattered most.
Brady completed 30 of 46 passes for 348 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He also had a potential game-sealing interception waved off with under one minute remaining in the fourth quarter because Chiefs linebacker Dee Ford was lined up in the neutral zone.
Brady’s impact obviously goes beyond the box score, though. And he was masterful in key spots Sunday, which is a huge reason why the Patriots were able to take down the Chiefs and punch their tickets to Super Bowl LIII, where they’ll face the NFC champion Los Angeles Rams.
