Patriots: 4 most underrated Tom Brady wins to celebrate his birthday
By Jerry Trotta
New England Patriots legend Tom Brady’s 43rd birthday is today.
Though he’s no longer with the organization, Aug. 3 is a day that New England Patriots fans should still have circled on their calendars. For those who forgot (we forgive you), franchise legend Tom Brady turns 43 today. Of course, this marks the six-time Super Bowl champion’s first birthday as a member of any NFL team that isn’t the Patriots.
It’s anyone’s guess as to how much longer Brady’s career will last. He’s been outspoken about wanting to play through his age-45 season, and we haven’t been given a reason to think that won’t happen.
Some haters will say he hit a wall last season, but we fully believe that was a product of New England’s poor roster construction on offense more than it was about the three-time MVP falling off the proverbial cliff.
Regardless of how much longer we’ll be able to watch him play, the resume Brady’s put together through 20 NFL seasons is historic. To celebrate his 43rd birthday, let’s take a look back at some of the most underrated wins of his career.
4. Super Bowl XXXIX
Brady needs more credit for the Patriots’ win over the Eagles.
While there’s no doubting that Brady has often been the lone bright spot on a number of New England teams across his 20-year tenure with the franchise, the sheer magnitude of talent on some teams saw his excellence get overlooked. Look no further than the 2004 Patriots, who finished with a top-10 offense and defense and broke a slew of NFL records.
Brady didn’t necessarily pad the stat sheet in Super Bowl XXXIX against a 13-3 Philadelphia Eagles team, but he also didn’t need to as the game was much more lopsided than the 24-21 final score indicated. The Patriots opened up a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter and the Eagles didn’t reach the end zone to make it a one-score game again until the final two minutes.
On top of that, Brady’s two touchdown passes went for a combined six yards. Was it the flashiest performance from the Michigan product with a championship on the line? We all know the answer to that question and that’s precisely why Super Bowl XXXIX should be recognized as one of his most underrated wins with New England.