Hawktawk wrote:Watching last nights battle of the greybeards it occured to me how all NFL fans have been watching historically remarkable QBs. I found myself not upset that Brady won but rather having to look at the sheer will to win, the ability to stay in shape, come into a new system and break every single season record while getting the team in for the first time in 14 years and now a game away from his 10th super bowl. You have to tip your cap at a record of wining that will never be equaled.
The other guys that come to mind are Rodgers, Big Ben and of course Drew Brees. My guess is Brees and Ben go out this year. If Tom should win another one maybe he goes. Rodgers seems to have quite a bit of gas in the tank still but its just a treat as a fan watching greatness unless its getting the hawks beat on a given sunday which has happed too much unfortunately.
RiverDog wrote:It was a shame to see what may be the end of a spectacular career end on such a sour note. Drew Brees not only lost to the underdog Bucs, he threw 3 picks and ended with a 31.7 QBR in doing so.
I can't stand Tom Brady and hope that the Packers lay them to waste next week.
QB eras come and go. Brees and Brady have been blessed with very good teams around them and Brees has benefited from having an excellent offensive HC for most of his career. You're right about their will to compete and keep themselves
in great shape all year. That's not common in any professional sport with contact but there are some exceptions and we should celebrate them.
The new era of QBs consists of (in no particular order) Wilson, Mahomes, Watson, and Josh Allen amongst others but we will see if any have the longevity of Brady and Brees.
NorthHawk wrote:He's done well in the Playoffs, no question, but he's been given an advantage of having in his career only a few times when other teams in his division had winning records.
It's been said that anything can happen in the Playoffs once you're in and half the battle is getting there so having a step up really helps.
NorthHawk wrote:How well would he have done if he was drafted by Cleveland and had 15 different OC’s in 18 years?
I somehow doubt we would be talking about him as the GOAT.
And Joe Montana was on one of the greatest dynasties in history, yet he didn't come close to that. Same type of argument. There have been multiple dominant dynasties in history with great all around teams, didn't come close what Brady did in his career. So this idea that you draft him on Cleveland is a pointless argument. Most great players even on amazing teams maybe win one or go to two and even the best of the best on the greatest dynasties maxed out at 4 wins and maybe 5 or 6 Super Bowls. Even that crazy good Buffalo team that went four years in a row didn't win one Super Bowl. The incredible Cowboys Dynasty with multiple of Hall of Famers didn't do what Brady did in New England.
It's a weak argument. You can compare QBs on the greatest dynasties in history and they still can't touch Tom Brady.
Any way you can compare it, he is the greatest QB to ever play the game. No one will likely every match what he did in our lifetimes or a few lifetimes. He literally went to the Super Bowl 50% of his tries and the Conference Championship game 75% of his tries including now on a new team. That is an insane level of dominance for a single QB.
NorthHawk wrote:What my argument speaks to is the fallacy of declaring 1 player the best ever in an ever changing ultimate team sport. The reason we have players in this discussion is good luck on their part in being selected to join a program
that perfectly matches what they are best at. There are many players who never got the chance to be in the optimal system and are thusly not considered. And others like Brady and today Mahomes are matched with coaches that
create an environment whereby they can excel and prosper. An example of this might be Archie Manning - a good QB on terrible teams. He also won Pro Bowl nominations and All NFC awards. How good might he have been in a system
that protected him? We'll never know and he's just one example.
It's true Brady has had the most success, but in saying he's THE best is to lessen the accomplishments of those who surrounded him and gave him that chance.
Some guys are just that damn good. Brady did the things he needed to do to be that good including taking less pay, which was probably one of the biggest things you can do to win as often as he did. He set the example for his team year in and year out. He's clearly the best to ever do it. It doesn't lessen anything around him. Just shows that Brady always gave all those guys around him everything he had and never let them down as far as doing his part to win. It is why people were willing to pay less to play with Brady. It's why guys like Gronk come out of retirement to play with Brady.
I may hate New England. I don't have much love for Brady. But what he's done is nutso. Never thought I'd see a player that dominant at the QB position in the NFL. Brady must be one hell of a leader within a team.
obiken wrote:No doubt, what he has done with his body at this age, is unreal. George Blanda, who I am sure River will remember as the first 40 year old, sorry he looked 50! Lebron in BB is really the only comparison in my lifetime and I just turned 65. Brees, and Ben look old, Tom doesn't. I dont hate Tom or the Pats, they are the model of the SC era, but the Steel Curtain, or the 85 Bears, would have killed the Pats. They don't compare with the great teams of the past.
trents wrote:The pro athletes of today, as has been pointed out, work at staying in shape all year long, have personal trainers and personal dieticians. That's why George Blanda looked ten years older than he was. He didn't have any of those advantages and many of those old timers were likely hard drinkers and partiers.
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