For many the Super Bowl presented a brief respite from the political reality and Trump-dominated headlines of 2017. Whether it’s from the Tuck Rule Game, Spygate, Deflategate, their strange relationship with our new POTUS, or the inherent disdain for dynasties from those who yearn for just one championship, there are a lot of fans out there who root against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
There were no doubt millions shocked and dismayed by the historic collapse of the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl 51. It was far and away to greatest comeback victory in Super Bowl history. At one point the Falcons had a 98.9% chance of winning. After New England’s unprecedented comeback it is very fair to ask whether Tom Brady and the Patriots cemented themselves as the best quarterback and dynasty ever. Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw each have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy four times. The next most is Troy Aikman with three then several other signal-callers with two rings. The quarterbacks of Brady’s time that one could reasonably argue were the greatest of their era (Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers) have only combined for four Super Bowl victories.
The Patriots have now won five times out of seven appearances in fifteen years. Tom Brady was the MVP in four of those. This streak is only really rivaled by Otto Graham and the Browns in the pre-Super Bowl era. Like him or not, Tom Brady at the very least now needs to be the first name considered when debating the greatest ever.
