Oscar Gamble Society

Up until the end of calendar year 2006, we were always told that both Peyton and Brady were good quarterbacks, but each excelled in a different area:  Peyton is the passer and Brady is the leader.  And by extension, Peyton can’t lead like Brady and Brady can’t pass like Peyton.

Then the Colts find a defense in the 2006 playoffs, while Peyton keeps doing what he always does - and the Colts win the Super Bowl.  So… I guess Peyton *is* a leader - when he has a defense like Brady had the first half of this decade, that is. 

Through seven games this season, Tom Brady has 27 TD passes (and only 2 INTs).  Next closest is Romo with 16 TDs, fwiw.  He’s on pace for 62 TD passes and 5 INTs.  Now, he won’t get there - but Peyton’s record of 49 TD passes seems to be reasonably attainable.  Where did this come from?

Well, now that Tom Brady has a HOF-caliber WR to throw to, all of a sudden [sic] he can actually pass the ball!  Imagine that!  If you saw the past two Patriots game, or at least highlights of them, you saw why Randy Moss is clearly the most talented WR in this game today - and possibly ever.  In the Dallas game, he made a catch on the side of the end zone and got his feet down when he had *no* business getting one foot down - much less two.  Now he bobbled the ball when he hit the ground, so it was correctly ruled “no catch”… but the amazing thing is that if it were *any* other WR, they don’t even review the play.  I still can’t believe he got both feet down inbounds - and I’m talking about a play that wasn’t an official reception!

Against the Dolphins, his two TD catches were Brett Favre specials:  Go deep, into double coverage, and I’ll throw it up… and you go get it.  No wonder Favre was lobbying Packers brass to get this guy - he fits right into Favre’s gunslinging specialty!  (And now wonder Culpepper has been exposed as poop since Moss left his huddle.)  He had no business making either TD catch - but he did.  That said, I was as much in awe over a catch he made that was *not* a TD.  The Pats did a Marino-special fake spike at the end of the first half, and Brady overthrew Moss on the right side of the end zone.  Moss extends, makes a one-hand grab, covered “perfectly” by the defense - and made it look like he was catching car keys that his wife tossed him from the couch on his way out the door to work.  Just effortless.

For the record, I agreed with the Moss acquisition in that (a) it only cost the Pats a fourth-round pick, and (b) his contract was re-structured such that if he got cut, the team wouldn’t take any meaningful cap hit.  But… I thought for sure the experiment would fail.  I was wrong.

If Moss can continue to keep his focus on football, and behave accordingly on and off the field, then its scary to consider the numbers that Brady could put up.  In the short term, the hope is that Randy maintains at least for the rest of the year.  Maybe he does this another five(?) years before his talents start eroding.

If so, how many (a) TDs, (b) passing yards, (c) wins, and (d) Lombardi Trophies will Brady accrue in the process?  Moss catches almost everything thrown within his zip code, and because he necessarily draws the defense’s attention, he opens things up for everyone else in the offense - with a QB in Brady who’s not only a good leader, but also happens to be a good passer.  Its downright scary - and borderline unfair.

Let’s be clear:  Peyton Manning is a great passer and a great leader - he’s a great quarterback, period.  Tom Brady is a great passer and a great leader - he’s a great quarterback, period.  If Harrison/Wayne stay healthy for a while longer, and Moss stays healthy (and in New England) for a while longer… would *anyone* be surprised if/when Manning and Brady end up 1-2 (or 2-1) in almost every major quarterback category once their amazing careers are finished?

You can have Montana, Unitas, Marino, Favre, Elway, Tittle, Luckman, and whoever else you want.  In my mind, when all’s said and done, Manning and Brady will be at *least* in that company - maybe even *above* it. 

Let’s enjoy it, shall we?

This entry was posted on Monday, October 22nd, 2007 at 12:23 pm and is filed under Sports, Football. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.