Tom Brady is a two-time league MVP and winner of three Super Bowls. He threw for 5,235 yards during the season, second in NFL history to Drew Brees’ 5,476 (also this season). He has a ridiculously hot supermodel wife Gisele who doubles as a global environmental ambassador (she just got back from a mission trip to Africa). Yet it seemed like the media completely ignored him this week.
Brees overshadowed the fact that Brady also broke Dan Marino’s passing record. And that’s understandable.
What’s not understandable is how the entire nation became so transfixed by Tebow’s play, and his polarizing personality that they almost forgot Brady existed.
He reminded them with authority Saturday night.
This NFL playoff game was must-see TV at the start. Record ratings possible, but quickly turned into a blow out that only Tebow haters and New England fans would care to watch. Brady moved to third place in career touchdown passes in the playoffs with 36, trailing only Joe Montana (45) and Brett Favre (44).
Brady led an absolute offensive juggernaut onto the field as the Pats won 45-10. The franchise QB was 26 for 34 for 363 yards and Gronkowski made 10 catches for 145 yards (his 3 receiving TDs tied the NFL single postseason game record) as the Patriots gained 510 yards (most in team postseason history). Their 45 points were the most in Patriots playoff history. In stark contrast, Tebow was 9 for 26 for 136 yards, and the Denver offense never got going.
Brady played with the 9-9 Broncos, who reminded everyone how they backed in to the playoffs, as he threw more TD passes than Tebow had completions (three) in the first 30 minutes. It was their first playoff win at Gillette Stadium since the AFC Title game defeat of the San Diego Chargers in 2007, the 18th win in the season that started 18-0 and finished 18-1.
Now they await the Baltimore/Houston winner. The winner of that match-up will come to Foxboro next week to face a Pats team which has won 9 in a row.The win also gave Brady and Bill Belichick the all-time playoff victories for a quarterback/coach combination. They were tied heading in.
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site generating millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports
A Fulbright scholar and MBA, Banks has appeared on live radio all over the world; and he’s a member of the Football Writers Association of America, U.S. Basketball Writers Association, and Society of Professional Journalists. The President of the United States follows him on Twitter (@Paul_M_BanksTSB) You should too.