What was your favorite Tom Brady moment?

[Gambler7]

This was unreal. I was at the game sitting near the 20 yard line of the endzone they were heading towards for the winning TD. We were on the Pats sideline side (so Amendola was heading towards the sideline on our side). Brady threw that ball so far ahead of when Amendola made the cut. Between the total distance that ball went, the timing and placement, it was insane. My father and I just stared at each other in disbelief after the play without saying a word. Probably the best throw I have ever seen in person.

Agreed - that was what I thought the youtube clip was going to be.

My favorite throw he ever made - not moment - was the ~15 yard out to Amendola in OT of SB51. Going left to right, on the near sideline. 2nd play of OT I believe.

 

[Silverdude2167]

I agree, the SB42 Moss almost catch will forever be a top moment I remember of Brady's career. Not THE top, but top 5.

That said, at the risk of a digression, that drive has always been a source of bitterness for me that I haven't really been able to express. I probably shouldn't put that in a happy Brady thread, so I'll spoiler.

Spoiler: WARNING: Scottish Game Discussion

Especially after this year's Bills/Chiefs playoff game, when both teams proved once again that modern offenses (while obviously the rules were slightly different in 2021 vs 2007) need almost no time on the clock to get into TD/FG range, I am so wistful about that final drive. The Patriots got the ball back on their 26 with 0:29 remaining and all 3 timeouts, only needing a FG to send it to OT. While I tried to burn this game from my memory, I have often thought back even on the Moss Hail Mary throw with some regret -- he shouldn't have needed to toss a Hail Mary bomb 70 yards in the air. To further extend the thread derailment, this is the first down throw, which -- despite having 7 (!) blockers against a 5 man rush -- had to be rushed because of pressure and could have been intercepted by the DB (Ross) who is backpedaling back in this frame. Welker is open in the middle of the field for an in cut throw. Pats could have had the ball at midfield with 2 timeouts and ~:24 seconds left, only needing about 15 more yards for a tying FG attempt. Ugh.

View attachment 49076

I try not to think to much about it but this is 100% true and always bothered me. Moss honestly brought out the worst in Brady (In a he is amazing, so I trust him too much sort of way). On that drive if he had looked for other receivers they probably get into fg range.

 

[Euclis20]

I don't think it's been mentioned yet - The 4th quarter comeback in against the Jaguars in the 2017 AFC title game. Down 10 in the 4th quarter, just under 11 minutes left and facing 3rd and 18 from their own 25 (skip to 2:20):

View: https://youtu.be/k_bMknUcxV0?t=140


It's remarkable, for almost every other franchise this would be a major, major moment in their history. For Brady, a double digit comeback in the 4th quarter to make it to the super bowl (against a top defense, that Jags D was 2nd in points allowed, 2nd in yards allowed and 2nd in defensive DVOA), without Gronk (out in the 1st half with a concussion, I think) doesn't even crack his top 10. Still, for me this quarter was iconic, a lesser version of the comeback against Seattle in 2014. The Pats had just won 2 super bowls in 3 years, including the greatest comeback in history less than 12 months prior, so it was just routine and expected that of course Brady and the Pats would come back against this incredible defense. When the Pats lost against Philly this game got shoved even further down the list, but not for me. For anyone else in history, that 4th quarter comeback would be a career defining moment. For Brady, it was just 1 of 35 playoff wins, 1 of 10 conference championship wins, 1 of 9 4th quarter playoff comebacks and 1 of 14 playoff game winning drives. Incredible.

 

[Deathofthebambino]

This was unreal. I was at the game sitting near the 20 yard line of the endzone they were heading towards for the winning TD. We were on the Pats sideline side (so Amendola was heading towards the sideline on our side). Brady threw that ball so far ahead of when Amendola made the cut. Between the total distance that ball went, the timing and placement, it was insane. My father and I just stared at each other in disbelief after the play without saying a word. Probably the best throw I have ever seen in person.

My season tickets during the first 15 or so years at Gillette were in the third row of the end zone opposite the light house (where they put the new club, so that's why they aren't there anymore), and from that vantage point, the speed of the game, the reads the quarterbacks are making, and when they throw the ball versus where receivers are is absolutely incredible. Game after game, play after play, it's like a video game. Brady would release passes and you'd be saying to yourself "Where the fuck is that going" and then a receiver would all of a sudden come out of a break, and run 5 yards into a perfect pass. Just sublime to watch. I miss those seats.

 

[bougrj1]

I don't think it's been mentioned yet - The 4th quarter comeback in against the Jaguars in the 2017 AFC title game. Down 10 in the 4th quarter, just under 11 minutes left and facing 3rd and 18 from their own 25 (skip to 2:20):

View: https://youtu.be/k_bMknUcxV0?t=140


It's remarkable, for almost every other franchise this would be a major, major moment in their history. For Brady, a double digit comeback in the 4th quarter to make it to the super bowl (against a top defense, that Jags D was 2nd in points allowed, 2nd in yards allowed and 2nd in defensive DVOA), without Gronk (out in the 1st half with a concussion, I think) doesn't even crack his top 10. Still, for me this quarter was iconic, a lesser version of the comeback against Seattle in 2014. The Pats had just won 2 super bowls in 3 years, including the greatest comeback in history less than 12 months prior, so it was just routine and expected that of course Brady and the Pats would come back against this incredible defense. When the Pats lost against Philly this game got shoved even further down the list, but not for me. For anyone else in history, that 4th quarter comeback would be a career defining moment. For Brady, it was just 1 of 35 playoff wins, 1 of 10 conference championship wins, 1 of 9 4th quarter playoff comebacks and 1 of 14 playoff game winning drives. Incredible.

agree with everything here and it doesn’t even mention the fact that he split open his hand a few days earlier. Just silly stuff.

 

[Old Fart Tree]

Jesus, it’s too hard. But I’ll try. It’s probably the AFCCG against the chiefs with those three huge 3rd and longs in a row.
But that comeback against the Ravens when he dropped the ball right into the breadbasket to Lafell is close.

 

[Mystic Merlin]

I can’t believe I forgot the bazillion straight passes he completed v JAX in the ‘07 divisional round. IIIRC he was like two drops from a perfect completion percentage.

 

[tims4wins]

I can’t believe I forgot the bazillion straight passes he completed v JAX in the ‘07 divisional round. IIIRC he was like two drops from a perfect completion percentage.

Pats possesions:

TD
TD
Missed 35 yard FG (leading to mistrust of Gost that will later rear its ugly head in the Scottish Game)
Kneel with 9 seconds left from their own 31
TD
TD
35 yard field goal
6 play, 16 yard drive chewing up 3:12 of the clock from 3:46 to 0:32, ending with a punt from their own 49 up by 11 points

Aside from how the Bills played vs. the Pats a couple weeks ago, it's hard to play much better offensively.

Edit and yes Brady was 26-28. His two incompletions were a 1st and 10 attempt to Watson at 10:32 of the 3rd quarter at the Jax 26 (drive ended in a TD) and 3rd and 1 from the Jax 17 intended for Welker at 6:46 of the 4th (drive ended in a FG).

 

[BaseballJones]

49 was the only time in my life i blacked out from excitement. I was melting down because they weren't calling timeout, the pick happened, and then next thing I knew I was at the other end of my friends condo having just body-checked his front door. 45 minutes earlier: 3rd and 14, down 10, absolutely have to have it, climb the pocket, rocket to Edelman, got everything started. What a bullet.

I'll echo everything that everyone else said here, personal for me is the game winning drive against Bal in '14. The last game I attended in person and it felt really felt like, if they blew yet another home playoff game as the favorite, they might never get it done. I was 10-14 when they won the first 3; I loved the team but didn't totally know what I was watching. After the "Decade in the Wilderness" with so many close but no cigars it really felt like they might somehow never get it done again. I was absolutely dying that entire game, stalking around like an insane person on the concourse. I didn't even celebrate after the TD to Lafell (learned my lesson freaking out when Moss scored in the Scottish Game...) but Brady was obviously nails the entire way down the field there. Call it dinking and dunking, very few players, with everything on the line, can be that deliberate and patient on the biggest drive of the season. And then the Harmon pick happened...Ithink I spent 3 hours jumping around Patriot Place chest bumping people.

To Seels point he really had some incredible losses (SF above, Eagles 15, Eagles Super Bowl) where you're just in awe of what you watched even if the team didn't win.

SB49 will be the subject of one of my next books. I’m really excited to write it. Greatest SB ever, IMO. Not just because it was a great game (there were other great Super Bowls), but because of what it meant, who the opponent was, what was going on at the time, etc.

 

[m0ckduck]

--2004 AFC title game at Pittsburgh

I always feel that this one gets buried in these discussions. I remember learning afterwards that he'd played the game with a high fever— after blowing out a 15-1 team in their home stadium to advance to the Super Bowl and move his postseason record to 9-0– and feeling like he honestly might never lose in the playoffs. (So much so that for years I misremembered the '05 Pats dominating the Broncos in their divisional game loss only to be undone by turnovers— that's how cocky I felt by '05— whereas I was surprised to rewatch the game and find that they were basically outplayed).

I'm not saying it belongs at the top of memorable TB moments... but how many players in NFL history have had a better moment than that + winning the SB two weeks later?

 

[Euclis20]

agree with everything here and it doesn’t even mention the fact that he split open his hand a few days earlier. Just silly stuff.

See, that had completely slipped my mind. Just unreal.

 

[slamminsammya]

The time has come for me to ask. I have read this forum for over 10 years and read this phrase hundreds of time without understanding.

Why is it called the "scottish game"?

 

[jmcc5400]

The time has come for me to ask. I have read this forum for over 10 years and read this phrase hundreds of time without understanding.

Why is it called the "scottish game"?

Bad karma, playing on this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scottish_Play#:~:text=The Scottish play and the,for William Shakespeare's Macbeth.&text=According to a theatrical superstition,or performing, will cause disaster.