Tom Brady has finally decided to hang it up after 22 fantastic seasons in the NFL, most of which were spent with the New England Patriots. During that time, TB12 became the first player to win seven championships, embarking on a streak of success that may never be equaled.
Six of Brady’s seven championships came with the Patriots, who only had a handful of previous appearances thanks to the services of Steve Grogan, Tony Eason, and Drew Bledsoe. Brady helped drag this franchise out of mediocrity and into a spot among the league’s elite.
The Patriots will be forever indebted to Brady, as he was arguably the main reason for a two-decade run that saw New England get to the Super Bowl nine times while winning the title on six occasions. If not for Eli Manning and Nick Foles, Brady would have even more rings on his fingers.
While it might be tough to rank these six victories given how they were all equally important in the grand scope of the franchise, some of these games were clearly more impactful than others. Which of Brady’s six championships with the Patriots stand out above the rest?
Ranking Tom Brady’s 6 Super Bowl wins with the New England Patriots.
6. Super Bowl LIII vs. Los Angeles Rams
Brady might have won Super Bowl MVP in this game, but even the staunchest Brady supporter has to admit this was not his finest hour. Wade Phillips shut this offense down for most of the game, and some poor decisions from an overwhelmed Jared Goff helped seal this game.
Brady threw for 262 yards and no touchdowns while getting picked off once. Sony Michel actually helped generate most of the offense, as he ran for 94 yards on just 18 carries while scoring the game’s only touchdown. With Bill Belichick shutting down Todd Gurley, victory was assured.
Tom Brady and the Patriots won a slugfest against the Rams.
13 points is not a performance that the offense should’ve been happy with, but Brady put together a classic drive that ended with a beautiful throw to Rob Gronkowski and the Michel touchdown. Goff looked lost for most of the game, and that had to be one of the main reasons Sean McVay soured on him.
In terms of watchability, the quality of his opponent, and the impact on his legacy, this win might not mean as much as the other five. Still, Brady found a way to beat a DC in Phillips that gave him lots of trouble over the years, and that should count for something.
5. Super Bowl XXXVIII vs. Carolina Panthers
2003-04 was a wild time. Not only was Jake Delhomme just a few ticks of the clock away from winning a Super Bowl, but he did so after throwing for 323 yards and three touchdowns against a Patriots defense littered with Hall of Famers.
After that, Brady and Adam Vinatieri happened.
Brady threw for 354 yards, including over 210 combined to Deion Branch and Troy Brown, and a pair of touchdowns. TB12 marched New England down the field and helped Vinatieri break Carolina’s hearts with another game-winning kick. This was Brady’s second championship in three years.
Tom Brady’s sharp passing helped the Patriots take down the Panthers.
Any criticism of Brady being a game-manager who let Belichick and the defense do all of the heavy lifting eroded with this game. Brady was matched up against a quarterback that was pounding the New England secondary, and he helped keep the Pats in this contest.
While Delhomme and the Panthers would never reach these lofty heights again, Brady was able to prove once and for all that he was going to be a major force to be reckoned with over the next decade. The only reason this game is down here is the fact that other wins soon topped this one.
4. Super Bowl XXXIX vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Before Patrick Mahomes waltzed into the league, Andy Reid’s only shot at a Super Bowl was turned to dust at the hands of Brady, who went 23-33 with a pair of touchdowns in this game. Facing a Jim Johnson defense was never easy, but Brady managed to come out of it relatively unscathed.
While Donovan McNabb managed to amass 357 yards and three touchdown passes, his three interceptions helped provide Brady with some serious relief. McNabb was trying to overcome a difficult Patriots secondary, and he failed due to Brady’s interception-free day.
Tom Brady and the Patriots slowed down a high octane offense.
The Eagles were one of the toughest opponents Brady and the Patriots had to face in the early half of their dynasty. With an aggressive defense, star skill players, underrated quarterback, and solid coaching, Brady had to work overtime to seal the win here.
The victory gave Brady his third Super Bowl win in four tries, officially cementing him as one of the best quarterbacks we have ever seen. It took him a decade to get ring No. 4, but the wait proved to be more than worth it given the results.
If only his other Super Bowl against the Eagles had gone the other way.
3. Super Bowl XLIX vs. Seattle Seahawks
While Malcolm Butler saving the day and denying Russell Wilson his second consecutive championship is going to get most of the attention, Brady does not get nearly enough credit for how well he played. Even though he threw two picks against an historic defense, Brady carved up the Legion of Boom.
Brady threw for 328 yards, 109 of which went to Julian Edelman, and four touchdowns. It was Brady who put New England ahead late with two fourth-quarter touchdown passes. They would never relinquish their lead thanks to Butler.
Tom Brady and the Patriots escaped against the Seahawks.
Not only did they take down Wilson and end Seattle’s reign as the invincible kings of the NFC, but they put to bed any thought of a Seahawks dynasty. Seattle hasn’t even been to a Super Bowl since then, as the NFC has tightened around them.
This was Brady at his best. Backed up against the wall while facing one of the best defenses of all-time with no margin for error, he still found a way to get it done. Butler helped secure the win at the end, but Brady’s golden arm helped put them in front in the first place.
2. Super Bowl XXXVI vs. St. Louis Rams
Going 16-27 for 145 yards sounds like poor performance, but this game ends up here because of the context surrounding it. Brady was a backup to Drew Bledsoe with no reputation in this league, and he was going up against Kurt Warner and arguably the most explosive passing offense the game has ever seen in The Greatest Show on Turf.
Fresh off a Tuck Rule-aided appearance, Brady was able to slow the game down to limit how Warner could attack this defense. By the end of the game, Warner had been intercepted twice and the Patriots became champions for the first time in franchise history.
Tom Brady got the Patriots dynasty started against the St. Louis Rams.
Brady was far from the record-breaking dynamo he evolved into later in his career, but he deserves high marks for being able to stare down one of the best offenses the game has ever seen and come out on top. Considering how young he was at the time, that performance is worthy of praise.
The Patriots would win two more titles in the next three seasons, laying the foundation for one of the greatest dynasties that we’ve seen in American sports. It all started with a 145-yard performance in the Superdome that helped take down the mighty Rams.
1. Super Bowl LI vs. Atlanta Falcons
Could anything else be in the top spot? The Patriots overcame a 28-3 deficit against a player who was the MVP of the league in Matt Ryan. What else is left to prove after winning in such a jaw-dropping fashion against a truly elite opponent?
The running game was ineffective, which led to Brady throwing the ball 62 times. He completed 43 passes, 14 of which went to running back James White, and amassed 466 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Scoring 25 points in just over 14 minutes to tie the game borders on the impossible.
Tom Brady and the Patriots owned the Falcons.
To be fair, they did get plenty of help from the Falcons in this game, as Ryan’s inability to make big throws and some weird playcalls on both sides gave Brady the chance to get back into this game. As he usually did in situations like these, he took full advantage, ending the Falcons’ hopes and dreams.
This was as close to one player willing a team to victory as the league has ever seen. With the running game nonexistent and the defense struggling, it was up to Tom to save the day, and he did just that.
Enjoy retirement, Tom. We’ll never forget the memories you gave us.
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