The question is now on the table. Who is the GOAT (or greatest of all-time)?
The two legendary quarterbacks' numbers are listed below. The final decision is up to you.
Super Bowl Marks:
Championships — Tom Brady: 5 | Joe Montana: 4
Most Valuable Player Awards — Tom Brady: 4 | Joe Montana: 3
Record — Tom Brady: 5-2 | Joe Montana: 4-0
Touchdowns — Tom Brady: 15 | Joe Montana: 11
Interceptions — Tom Brady: 5 | Joe Montana: 0
Completion Percentage — Tom Brady: 67.0 | Joe Montana: 68.0
Passing Yards — Tom Brady: 2,071 | Joe Montana: 1,142
Completions — Tom Brady: 207 | Joe Montana: 83
Passer Rating — Tom Brady: 95.3 | Joe Montana: 127.8
Margin of Victory in Super Bowl Wins — Tom Brady: +19 | Joe Montana: +76
Career Postseason Marks:
Record — Tom Brady: 25-9 | Joe Montana: 16-7
Touchdowns — Tom Brady: 63 | Joe Montana: 45
Interceptions — Tom Brady: 31 | Joe Montana: 21
Completion Percentage — Tom Brady: 62.7 | Joe Montana: 62.7
Passing Yards — Tom Brady: 9,094 | Joe Montana: 5,772
Completions — Tom Brady: 831 | Joe Montana: 460
Passer Rating — Tom Brady: 89.0 | Joe Montana: 95.6
Game-Winning Drives — Tom Brady: 10 | Joe Montana: 5
The defense also got them at least 10 points with the pick 6 and strip fumble preventing at least a NE FG. Considering what we knew about the Atlanta defense going into the game, they played about what I think most people expected. I just couldnt foresee such a huge discrepancy in time of possession. If the Atlanta offense just extended their series by a couple of first downs in the second half it would have given the defense a break and ate the clock. The only thing I'd question about the defense is they somewhat changed their aggression level. They were content to give up the short stuff which let NE put drives together. And the pressure on Brady dropped off big time so he had plenty of time to go through his progressions when the quick short stuff wasnt there. But maybe it was more about Brady simply missing receivers and drops in the first half, and once he settled in there wasnt anything they could do. Like with most collapses it probably took a series of things for this to happen, not any one thing or aspect of the game. It was a collective effort on Atlanta's part, and you can always count on NE to not give up, even down 25. I remember thinking Atlanta was up too much too soon. Yeah its a big lead, but basically 3 possessions and you have a game. I think if the game was closer Atlanta wouldnt have had the mental breakdowns. They would have played to win instead of not to lose. But if this was going to happen to any team you just knew it was going to be the Falcons.
In reality if anyone is to blame its the Packers! I love Aaron Rodgers but he could have saved Atlanta from themselves by not beating the Cowboys. Atlanta more than likely would have choked on the road in Dallas, and this would have just been another Flacons season, not a historic collapse.
In SUPER BOWL history - there have been larger comebacks in pro football: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/buffalo-bills-pull-off-greatest-comeback-in-nfl-history
This is the thing, there are simply too many variables involved to definitively answer that question. They played in different era's with different rules (salary cap vs no cap) and so on. One may have a better stat line in one area vs the other besting in another area, at the end of the day it's just not possible to accurately answer that question.
This is the thing, there are simply too many variables involved to definitively answer that question. They played in different era's with different rules (salary cap vs no cap) and so on. One may have a better stat line in one area vs the other besting in another area, at the end of the day it's just not possible to accurately answer that question.
I also can't believe Brady would chance the INT from the 2 yard line. I know they tried to trick them but it's a bad gamble that they should realize from 2 years ago
I saw online contentions that it should have been overturned, it's not just me. I think the officials looked at the situation, saw the thousands of people on the field, realized that it would be monumentally difficult to get everyone off, play 3rd down etc. IMO they whiffed it.And you're wrong, the football crossed the plain before his knee touched nobody but you have said it was not a touchdown.
Even so, it made me sick. It shouldn't have happened. The Falcons have to rue some mistakes there, passing when they should have been running, setting up that FG attempt. Giving the Pats the ball back with 2:40+ minutes and 2 time outs the way things had been going, you could smell OT coming and the Pats had all the momentum. The Falcons blew it. It's sad. You can say it was a great comeback, but to me it was a sickening display of lousy football.That's exactly why it's the greatest. It happened under the biggest of pressures, the SUPER BOWL. 25 Points. In little more than a quarter.
Or was it because of the score at that point? Not only did the ATL pass rush fail, the secondary and LBs (unnoticeable) couldn't stop a pass to save their life. Brady was surgical in delivering 10-yd passes the entire rest of the game. They knew it and couldn't stop it.
Depends on the team and the game, Denver's defense handed Manning a ring, Tom had to come from behind and beat unheard of odds for his, THAT'S the difference.The Falcons PLAYERS didn't choke- they gave it their all. The Falcons coaching staff was simply not on the level of that of the Patriots. The difference in physical and mental conditioning was easy to see in the second half. Quinn will probably learn from this next year.
This is why it's hard for me to definitively label Brady as the GOAT because of his rings. Brady has played for the best coach and GM in the history of the game - he always has a team around him and an ice-cold leader at the head of it. Brady is right near the top and maybe at it, but the rings are less important to me because he had an unstoppable force on his side. No matter how great a QB is, he cannot win five Super Bowls without a TREMENDOUS amount of help. Rings are much more of a team stat than an individual one, even for a QB.
It wasn't just Tom. It didn't help the Falcons couldn't get past the Pat's D (which let Brady down before against the Giants).Depends on the team and the game, Denver's defense handed Manning a ring, Tom had to come from behind and beat unheard of odds for his, THAT'S the difference.
I saw online contentions that it should have been overturned, it's not just me.
Even so, it made me sick. It shouldn't have happened. The Falcons have to rue some mistakes there, passing when they should have been running, setting up that FG attempt. Giving the Pats the ball back with 2:40+ minutes and 2 time outs the way things had been going, you could smell OT coming and the Pats had all the momentum. The Falcons blew it. It's sad. You can say it was a great comeback, but to me it was a sickening display of lousy football.
Add in the number of Hall of Famers and All Pros that each played with and it makes it much easier. Brady is the GOAT!!!
And again, you're wrong. All of those other butthurt fans are wrong. I suggest you learn about football, get better eyesight and stop being helpless.
Really most of the blame has to be on the play-calling, after J Jones made that ungodly catch the Falcons were in business right there. Now I'm all for trying to get better field position for your kicker but he's like 93% over the last 2 seasons in the 40-45yrd range so those should have been running plays where at worst a stuff might lose 2-3yrds and given how shifty and quick Freeman is (he averaged 6.8/carry) that was IMO the route to go. By passing you turned Freeman into a blocker and his attempt at slowing down Hightower on the sack was feeble plus the Pats (in desperation mode) were blitzing quite a lot in the 4th Qtr so yet another reason to run it. I was shocked to see the Pats, from the 1yrd line, try the ill-advised fade to Bennett. Was Josh McDaniels trying to do his best Darryl Bevelle imitation?. If your gonna pass from there the best thing is to roll the QB (and some blocking) off to one side, that way he see's it or it's not there so it's easily chucked out of play if it's not. I think Atlanta has a lot of quality players and Ryan's numbers and MVP award speak for themselves, this is a young team that will defiantly contend in the future.
if not edelman's glue hands, one ring
This argument is misleading. Montana made players like Rice and Craig All Pros - they didn't just magically appear one day as HOFers. The same goes for Manning - Harrison became a star only after Manning appeared, etc. Brady has had some major talent on the offense (Moss, Welker) and couldn't get the job done.
Montana also played against far, far tougher competition and the rules weren't as friendly towards the offense as they are today. Additionally, the NFL talent pool is more diluted today than it was in the 80s - you have 200+ players in the league today who wouldn't have made an NFL roster in the 80s. Montana also wouldn't have lost a game like SB 42 especially with the talent on the offensive side of the ball that NE had in that game.
I was with you right up until this point. As time goes on, athletes have become more and more fine tuned to the position they're playing. I believe today's players are much better at their respective positions than they've ever been. It's hard to judge such a thing based on decades of changes, but the thought that today's athletes are less capable than the ones nearly 40 years ago is absurd IMO.
No, it wasn't.
You're missing the point - there were 4 fewer teams in Montana's day, meaning 200+ fewer players in the league. Talent dilution due to expansion is a real thing.
This argument is misleading. Montana made players like Rice and Craig All Pros - they didn't just magically appear one day as HOFers. The same goes for Manning - Harrison became a star only after Manning appeared, etc. Brady has had some major talent on the offense (Moss, Welker) and couldn't get the job done.
Montana also played against far, far tougher competition and the rules weren't as friendly towards the offense as they are today. Additionally, the NFL talent pool is more diluted today than it was in the 80s - you have 200+ players in the league today who wouldn't have made an NFL roster in the 80s. Montana also wouldn't have lost a game like SB 42 especially with the talent on the offensive side of the ball that NE had in that game.