DAVID MARTINDALE--Brady 'best big-game' QB in history

[CrazyCowboy]

Brady 'best big-game' QB in history

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH SHANNON SHARPE

By DAVID MARTINDALE

SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM

To Shannon Sharpe's way of thinking, the key to success in the NFL playoffs is experience, pure and simple.

That's why six of the eight remaining playoff teams are coached by Super Bowl coaches. That's why Sharpe, the former superstar tight end-turned-CBS studio analyst, is so high on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who has three Super Bowl rings.

And that's why -- sorry, Bears fans -- Sharpe doesn't think this is Rex Grossman's year.

Your area of expertise is the AFC. Your thoughts on this year's AFC playoff field? This might be the toughest six teams in the playoffs at one particular time. Think about it: Pittsburgh Steelers, 11-5; they're sixth seeds. The New England Patriots, three of the last four years they went to the Super Bowl; they're the fourth seed! You've got the Colts, who until they started resting players were clearly the best team in the league. You've got the Broncos, who have been as consistent as anybody.

What impresses you most about Tom Brady at this stage of his career? Sometimes I find it hard to believe he plays this well [so consistently], because the margin of error for win or lose in the NFL is very minute. Three Super Bowls in the last four years. He's going to go down as the best big-game quarterback that ever lived.

Why don't you have much faith in playoff first-timers? My second year in the league, we made it to the AFC Championship Game. I knew we were one game away from the Super Bowl. But it really never dawned on me what was transpiring. Once I saw how long it took me to get back into the playoffs, then I realized what a moment that was that I had squandered. [After you've been there] is when you realize how special the playoffs are.

Who would you rather have: a Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback or a genius coach? I don't want to dismiss anything a coach does. But I don't care how good a trainer or how good a jockey you have: You can't win the Kentucky Derby on a mule.

You keep it simpler than most NFL analysts, don't you? We make it a lot more complicated than what it needs to be. The trick to the playoffs: Can you do what you do better than the other team does what they do? If you can, you'll win. It's as simple as that.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

What about Joe Montana?

 

[burmafrd]

Joe Montana did it against much better teams then Brady ever has. roger did as well. Flavor of the period- that is Brady. He is the best QB in the game right now, frankly, but best of all time? Not yet- and unless the quality of the game improves, NEVER in my mind.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think Brady deserves all the accolades he gets, he has gone out and performed at a high level and has help to lead his team to back to back SB titles what else could anyone ask for. I think Brady does rank with the top SB QB's who have played this game

 

[Juke99]

Brady is an exceptional QB and I would hope at this stage, with what he's accomplished, people would stop referring to him as a "bus driver".

As far as greatest big game QB in history...Aikman's record was pretty darn impressive...so was the aforementioned Montana's...

But Brady is still young. He's well on his way.

 

[Tripod]

Brady is an exceptional QB and I would hope at this stage, with what he's accomplished, people would stop referring to him as a "bus driver".

As far as greatest big game QB in history...Aikman's record was pretty darn impressive...so was the aforementioned Montana's...

But Brady is still young. He's well on his way.

Brady has time to throw out the picnic blanket and take a bite of fried chicken and a swig of beer before having to release the ball. This o line has created a true, consistent pocket for this pocket quarterback. When on the rare occasion that a rusher gets in his face he can throw the bad passes and INTs with the best of them. His best pass is the 1 yard TD to the tight end on a first down play action pass. He has a million of them. Last week; 3 yard TD,
5 yard TD and 3 yard pass to his TE who turned in 57 yards of YAC for a TD.
I believe he barely completed 50% of his passes in that game.

He's got the rings but this year a regular season record of 10-6 and a win against the pitiful Jags ain't that impressive. Win in Denver with a good QB outing and you've got something. I just don't see it happening. They're done.

 

[royhitshard]

I think Brady will go down as one of the best if not the best. Montana was great, but he had A LOT of talent around him. Brady has good talent, but not what Montana had.

 

[Derinyar]

The counter point to the Brady has less talent argument is simple, hes not playing against the same talent level of team as Montana was.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

The counter point to the Brady has less talent argument is simple, hes not playing against the same talent level of team as Montana was.

So do they bascially cancel each other out then.

I mean if you want to use one argument and then the other argument, which I think both are legit arguments....then one could argue they cancel each other out.

Brady is a heck of a big game QB...people may not like him, but the proof is in the pudding.

I think the reason it irritates me that some people do not give him the credit is because for years we heard people not give Aikman the credit he deserved.

 

[Chuck 54]

I would not say Brady = Montana yet, but he's young. Let him win 2 more SB's and he'll clearly be the best big game QB to ever play. Look at his record...he's never lost a playoff game.

Sharpe didn't say the best overall QB, but the best Big Game QB...hard to argue against that.

The level of competition and the quality of teams, the CAP/Parity era has nothing to do with it...I don't accept that argument because while the teams Brady beats in the playoffs and SB may or may not be better than the teams Montana beat, Brady's team isn't any better either. Besides Brady himself, did you see any RBs or WRs on his past teams who are going to the HOF?

Bottom line is that the teams are probably more equal than ever in the history of the NFL...remember how the SB was always a blowout till recent years. That, to me, makes Brady a Great or the Greatest Big Game QB of all time....it's all about his performance in the big game.

Frankly, look at some of the teams Montana led over Cinncinnatti and other opponents....he had great players on both sides of the ball with him. Who did Cincy and some of the other teams he beat have?

Brady is young...he definitely has a great chance at blowing away every other QB who's ever played in the NFL....right now, with 3 SB wins, he's in very select company...only he and Aikman, I believe. And only Montana and Bradshaw won 4.

 

[Billy Bullocks]

I think Brady deserves all the accolades he gets, he has gone out and performed at a high level and has help to lead his team to back to back SB titles what else could anyone ask for. I think Brady does rank with the top SB QB's who have played this game

Yes and no. Is he the best winner in the league right now, of course. But Montana did something Brady didn't do...lead his team to winning TD's. To me going 90 against teh Bengals to win is alot more impressive than going 35-40 yards and having the best kicker in the league bail you out. Montana was essentially PERFECT in his 4 SB wins. It doesn't matter how amazing the talent was around him, it doesn't matter he had Jerry Rice, he STILL made no mistakes in the SB. He's better than Brady. Montana is the best QB of all time. I dont care if you think Elway is there or not. If Elway trully was the greatest of all time, like some of you claim, he wouldn't have gotten hammered by Montana's 49ers. Sorry, 55-10 is pathetic. No matter how you look at it. Supporting cast or not, eh put up 10 points against SF, and Montana pretty much led his team to 55.

 

[tyke1doe]

Joe Montana did it against much better teams then Brady ever has. roger did as well. Flavor of the period- that is Brady. He is the best QB in the game right now, frankly, but best of all time? Not yet- and unless the quality of the game improves, NEVER in my mind.

Brady did it with less talent than Montana had.

As far as level of competition, it's relative.

Montana played in an era without free agency, which promoted a few dominant teams.

Brady plays in an era with free agency, meaning more teams of equal talent.

The latter is harder, IMO, to break through than the former especially if you're one of those "few" dominant teams.

The players of yesteryear have already been "graded" as among the greatest, including Marino, Montana, Elway, LT, Reggie White, etc.

We have to wait at least another 10 years before we start assessing who did it better against what competition. For all we know, ten years from now this group of players may have its share of NFL greats, and then the next QB being measured against Brady, it may be said of him, "well, he didn't do it against the same competition as Brady did."

At this stage of his career, I'd say Brady is slightly, slightly above Montana because he has a better playoff winning percentage, he has done it with inferior receivers in comparison to Montana and he has three Super Bowl rings, including two MVPs, which equals Montana's output.

He wins another one and he's head and shoulders above Montana, IMO.

I think if Brady were born in Montana's era, he would have just as many Super Bowl rings, if not more.

 

[WV Cowboy]

Brady is good, real good, no doubt, but like others have said, Montana and Aikman were pretty darn good too.

I don't know all of the stats or anything, but they all three have been real good in big games.
Heck, so was Terry Bradshaw.

I have never understood why we as a society always have to pick one and cast the others aside.

... the best movie, the best TV show, the best Super Bowl, the best football game ever, the best QB, the best RB, the best, the best, the best.

Who's to say anyway ?
It all comes down to opinion.

 

[Juke99]

Brady is good, real good, no doubt, but like others have said, Montana and Aikman were pretty darn good too.
I don't know all of the stats or anything, but they all three have been real good in big games.
Heck, so was Terry Bradshaw.
I have never understood why we as a society always have to pick one and cast the others aside.
... the best movie, the best TV show, the best Super Bowl, the best football game ever, the best QB, the best RB, the best, the best, the best.
Who's to say anyway ?
It all comes down to opinion.

Yeah...I forgot Bradshaw...I'd like to forget Bradshaw.

And for the oldtimers, Bart Starr was no slouch in big games.

 

[Ashwynn]

I think Brady will go down as one of the best if not the best. Montana was great, but he had A LOT of talent around him. Brady has good talent, but not what Montana had.

ya know this arguement of having a lot of talent around you somehow negates your ability to be great. Ever think that maybe if he did not have them guys around him, he would not have been the same great player.

This is such a bone headed arguement. Emmitts not the best back cause he had that line. So what, without that line, Emmitt might have been bounced out of the league as a bust in 2 years. Maybe Paul Palmer would be the all time leader in rushing, if he had a better line????

To take away from Montana's greatness cause he had Rice to throw to is ludicrous. They are what they are because of who they played with. Aikman would not have been the QB he was with Houstons line. Rice would not have been the reciever we was if he had gone to a running team like Pittsburgh.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Joe Montana did it against much better teams then Brady ever has. roger did as well. Flavor of the period- that is Brady. He is the best QB in the game right now, frankly, but best of all time? Not yet- and unless the quality of the game improves, NEVER in my mind.

Brady is not the greatest QB of all time(not yet maybe not ever) but it is not because the teams he beats are lesser than the teams that Terry and Roger and Joe beat.

If Brady goes on to win 2 or 3 more SB's then YES greatest of all time. Bottom line, regardless of what you think what better teams then and now? HE get IT done.

I actually disagree with that those other guys had to beat better teams. The NFL is harder, guys are faster, hit harder, schemes are more complicated etc...

I wish we had a "Brady" for our "Bunch"!!!!

 

[Kilyin]

New England is very lucky to have Brady. It pains me to say it, but it's true.

The amazing thing about Brady is that he got it done this season behind a patchwork line plagued with injuries. NE has been plugging in rookies and second string OLinemen all season long and managed to get in the playoffs and win a game so far. Aside from the 4 interception performance in the regular season, Brady has looked pretty sharp this year from what I've seen.

It would be nice to see the Cowboys respond to a situation like that in the same way one day again, especially since we were basically in that situation this season. Just goes to show you, some QBs can make almost any OL look better than they really are.

 

[Juke99]

ya know this arguement of having a lot of talent around you somehow negates your ability to be great. Ever think that maybe if he did not have them guys around him, he would not have been the same great player.
This is such a bone headed arguement. Emmitts not the best back cause he had that line. So what, without that line, Emmitt might have been bounced out of the league as a bust in 2 years. Maybe Paul Palmer would be the all time leader in rushing, if he had a better line????
To take away from Montana's greatness cause he had Rice to throw to is ludicrous. They are what they are because of who they played with. Aikman would not have been the QB he was with Houstons line. Rice would not have been the reciever we was if he had gone to a running team like Pittsburgh.

The logic will often be spun to make a person's reality fit.

I agree with your perspective.

That Babe Ruth guy was nothing without Gehrig...oh and that Gehrig guy was nothing without Ruth..

And that Lennon character woulda been zilch without that McCartney guy..

 

[Billy Bullocks]

New England is very lucky to have Brady. It pains me to say it, but it's true.

The amazing thing about Brady is that he got it done this season behind a patchwork line plagued with injuries. NE has been plugging in rookies and second string OLinemen all season long and managed to get in the playoffs and win a game so far. Aside from the 4 interception performance in the regular season, Brady has looked pretty sharp this year from what I've seen.

It would be nice to see the Cowboys respond to a situation like that in the same way one day again, especially since we were basically in that situation this season. Just goes to show you, some QBs can make almost any OL look better than they really are.

SOME QB's can make it work. Some will run like hell, but there's only a few that are really capable of making a bad O-L work...Brady is very good, and people need to realize he's top 3, if not the best in the league right now, so he's an exception. New England also benefited from a very weak AFC East this year to help them get in the playoffs, though they got hot at the right time. Jets, Bills, and even Miami arent that great. Always easier to make the playoffs when 2/3 teams in your division provide you with cakewalk games

 

[Ashwynn]

The logic will often be spun to make a person's reality fit.
I agree with your perspective.
That Babe Ruth guy was nothing without Gehrig...oh and that Gehrig guy was nothing without Ruth..
And that Lennon character woulda been zilch without that McCartney guy..

Baseball may be different. You can be awesome in baseballand your team still suck. You dont have that same ability to make other better in baseball, thats more a team man vs man sport, where football and basketball are truely team sports.

And you know, I dont know if you were being sarcastic about that Lennon guy, but could you imagine him acheiving the same success without Paul, George and Ringo. That was magic captured in 4 magical pple. Right place at the right time, a confluence of once in a lifetime talent coming together with 3 other at the same point in time, truely a rare thing. I doubt any group of pple could positively impact so many lifes again in the history of mankind, till they find the cure for all illnesses that is.