2. Tom Brady– It isn’t a best in the business project without a legend’s name on the list and he’s a consistent name year in and year out as he should be and we all know his story by now. He really needs no introduction, but he’ll get one anyway. It’s TB12, better known as Tom Brady and he claims the second spot on my list and he was the only quarterback to make the list this year. Since I started this project back in 2011, he has the most appearances out of any other player to be featured on the list with eight and when I brainstorm these things out, he’s one of the three first names to come to mind. After a season where he looked unstoppable in 2016 when he threw 28 touchdown passes and only two interceptions in 12 games and winning 11 of the 12, he was finally coming into a full season without the distractions, no scandals or anything which I felt was good for him. What gets me is when he doesn’t look like the guy we expect him to be, people write him off and say he’s seen better days after he struggles or has an off game and honestly, that’s the worst thing you can do or say to motivate a guy like Brady. The one thing I can say about him is he always does the little things better than anyone else and that’s what has separated himself from other quarterbacks. What exactly do I mean by the “little things”? I’m talking about his footwork how he’s locked into just that. He always makes sure that’s up to par. When he’s in the pocket, he’s so shifty and he’s actually more mobile now at this point of his career than he was when he was younger. I’ve seen him make some throws where the protection has been broken down, but he finds a way to stay on his feet and make the throw and that’s what I call mobility. No, it may not be him running around and he may not be the fastest and when he does move out of the pocket, it may be slow to some, but he makes it work. He extends the play always finds a way to make a throw from the pocket, no matter what. His vision and how can he make the best possible play to put the team in the best position down the field. That is what I’m referring too and he’s done the little things consistently throughout his career. No matter the situation in the game, he stays laser focused and he does his job and when the Patriots need to be bailed out of a situation, he’s always coming to the rescue. Last October, I interviewed Patriots beat writer Levan Reid the day after the Jimmy G trade went down and the first question I asked him was how much longer does Tom have in his opinion? Levan’s reply: “He’s going to stop playing when he feels like it! He’s worked extremely hard to get to this point in his career and he’s a true football junky and the guy he plays for is also a football junky”. Over the years, number 12 has become sensational when it comes to reading coverages and defensive schemes and that’s the veteran savviness in him. If he sees one on one coverage against Gronk and there’s no help, he’s attacking it, if he sees a glitch in the defense, he’s using that to his advantage and it works. One of the best throws I saw him make last season was in week two against the New Orleans Saints. He had Rex Burkhead lined up in the slot with a rookie linebacker on him and he just lobbed it up in the air and it fell in the breadbasket and right into the arms of Burkhead for six points. He put together another Brady-like year once again throwing 32 touchdown passes and 8 interceptions leading the Patriots to a 13-3 record, the top seed in the AFC, his eighth consecutive trip to the AFC title game and he became the first quarterback to start in 8 Super Bowls. He was also awarded the league’s most valuable player award for the third time in his career (07, 10 & 17) and became the oldest player to win the award at 40 years old. He showed why he earned the award in three games that stand out to me the most. The first was in week 15 against the Steelers. When the Patriots were down for most of the game and late in the fourth quarter, he orchestrated a drive where he connected with Gronkowski on every pass and even the go ahead two point conversion and helped bring the team back to win the game. Next is the AFC title game against the Jaguars. The Patriots were down for most of the game until the clutch factor kicked into high drive when it mattered most and many didn’t think he’d even play because of the enormous gash he had on his hand, but he didn’t even look bothered by it. The final game is the Super Bowl. He put the team on his back and threw for 505 yards in a losing effort. His resume speaks for itself. He’s won the five Super Bowls, a four-time Super Bowl MVP, a three-time MVP winner, the winningest quarterback in NFL history, the most playoff games started by a quarterback (37) and the most playoff wins by a quarterback with 27. He’s the greatest quarterback ever to play the game and still the best right now playing the position as he enters his nineteenth season in the NFL.
