What happened to all the offense? All I’ve heard this season is how quarterbacks are taking over the league and how defenses are diminishing because of the new rules. Yet here we are in the Conference Championship weekend and there is no Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers.
The lone top quarterback remaining is the one that somehow quietly threw for 5,235 yards during the regular season, while throwing for 39 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. I say quietly because Tom Brady has done this in the shadows of Brees and Rodgers and on a team with a player, Ochocinco, who normally draws attention wherever he goes.
In the divisional round when all the attention was given to Tim Tebow, Brady just kept his mouth shut and threw six touchdown passes in a route of the Broncos. I also watched him do this against the same Broncos team during the regular season. He’s always been the favorite and the one getting all the attention. When I saw him play Denver before when all the hype was on Tebow he played with a chip on his shoulder like I hadn’t seen in a while. Even spiking the football after a quarterback sneak for a touchdown.
Brady is fueled by the lack of attention he’s gotten from the media this season and he’s showing it in his play down the stretch. Now that Brees, Rodgers and Tebow are gone, it’s going to be interesting to see how he reacts against a typically great defense in the Ravens as now all the attention is on him and the Pats.
While the Patriots and Brady have been a dominating team the past decade, their three Super Bowl wins came at the beginning of that decade and their last Super Bowl appearance was now four years ago. I keep thinking the time for the Patriots is running out, but Brady keeps finding wide open receivers and Belichick keeps putting Duct Tape on his defenses to find ways to win. That being said, the end is near and opportunities like this won’t come as easy or frequent for Brady anymore.
A win against the Ravens would put him in his fifth Super Bowl with a chance to win his fourth and label himself as one of the greatest of all time. In a year where offenses have reigned supreme, the lone star quarterback standing will have to find a way to get the job done against two top defenses in Baltimore and either New York or San Francisco.
I think Brady gets by the Ravens but I don’t think he beats the Giants in the Super Bowl. This Giants team is better than the one he lost to in the Super Bowl before and they hit their stride at the right time to make a push for the championship. If he faces the ‘Niners then I think he has a chance.
But if there is one thing I’ve learned about this season, it’s to never doubt the will and ability of Tom Brady. Just when you think he’s done and you’ve written him off, he puts his game face on and shows you why he’s the best in the business.
You can follow Jake on Twitter at: @j8a1k0e or on his MLB Braves blog at: http://bravesandmore.mlblogs.com/
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