On February 7, 2021, Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated Pat Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 31-9 in Super Bowl LV. The victory brought him his 7th ring and 5th Super Bowl MVP. He has become the 2nd quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl on two different teams and the only one to do so in different conferences.
It's a forgone conclusion that Brady will be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but what he has done this season was nothing short of amazing. It wasn't even long ago during the 2020 off-season when pundits felt the QB was washed up after his lukewarm 2019 season with the New England Patriots. A lot of his detractors argue that Brady had it easy with the Patriots due to the rest of the AFC East being bad. However, Brady took the Buccaneers to the playoffs and out-dueled Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Pat Mahomes. They are also elite QBs who will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame (provided Mahomes keeps doing what he's doing).
And that's not all. Bruce Arians's scheme is known for having a high learning curve for quarterbacks. Historically, quarterbacks would have high interception rates in their first years with Arians. Jameis Winston threw 30 INTs during his infamous 30-for-30 2019 season. Carson Palmer threw 24 TDs to 22 INTs in his first season with Arians in 2013. In 2001, Tim Touch threw 17 TDs to 21 INTs when Arians was with the Cleveland Browns. Peyton Manning finished his rookie season with a 26 TD to 28 INT statline in 1998. In fact, Carson Palmer described his first season with Arians as having a second rookie season.
In spite of that, Brady finished the 2020 regular season with a 40 TD to 12 INT ratio and a 102.2 QB rating, and the post-season with a 10 TD to 3 INT ratio and a 98.1 rating. Yes, he has lost his arm strength over the years and was never known for his agility. But he makes up for it with his technique, particularly with his footwork and timing routes. His vast experience from working with different offensive coordinators and personnel with the Patriots played a huge role in the Bucs' Super Bowl run. He is basically another offensive coach that also plays on the field:
Yeah, he gets a lot of mockery for shouting at his teammates, but as a Philadelphia Eagles fan who witnessed Carson Wentz's fall from grace, accountability is everything. Brady totally understands the importance of it and it is thanks to his tough demeanor that the Bucs won it all.
With that said, congratulations, Tom Brady, and congratulations, Bucs (especially their defense). You've earned it.
