The New England Patriots are American Football Conference Eastern Division Champions for the tenth time in Tom Brady’s historic, Hall of Fame career. It is no coincidence that since Brady became the team’s starter in 2001, the Patriots have been consistent division champions and Super Bowl contenders every season.
With five Super Bowl appearances and three Super Bowl championships, there is no doubt that Brady will be enshrined in the National Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio when his football career is over. Number twelve has given Patriots fans much to be thankful for the past decade, and shows no signs of slowing down at the age of thirty five.
Tom Brady is currently a front runner for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award. Brady has won the award two previous times, including the 2007 and 2010 seasons. Currently, Tom Brady has a completion percentage of 65.2%. He has also thrown for 3,299 yards and 24 touchdowns through week twelve.
Perhaps the most impressive stat of Brady’s season this far is that he has only thrown three interceptions, which is a reflection of how well he makes decisions when passing the football. Other quarterbacks that are considered great in the National Football League, such as Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints, have thrown five interceptions in one game this season. What sets Brady apart from the other top quarterbacks in the league is his intelligence and calm demeanor in the pocket. When Brady is under pressure, he rises to the occasion and makes the best decision for his team.
Another reason why Tom Brady is truly a great player is his ability to adapt to different situations as his career has progressed. For a great part of his career, Brady did not have a pro-bowl caliber receiver. Brady’s ability to exploit the strengths of the players around him has enabled him to be successful with a variety of different teammates.
Brady’s work ethic and desire to be the best also allowed him to come back after an extremely difficult knee injury in 2008. While tearing an ACL often means the end of careers for many football players, Tom Brady rehabbed as hard as he could to come back to his Most Valuable Player level of play that he had before the injury.
With a playoff spot all ready clinched, the Patriots are considered favorites to get back to the Super Bowl this season. With a difficult loss to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl last season, Tom Brady will not be satisfied with anything other then a victory in the championship game this season. Brady understands that the only stat that really matters throughout the season is winning the championship at the end.
While most players would be content with three super bowl championships and two Most Valuable Player awards in their career, Tom Brady is far from satisfied and wants to continue winning for as long he is physically capable of helping his team win.