The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MICHIGAN IN THE PROS PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS' TOP PLAYER IN 2016 ProFootballFocus.com called Tom Brady's regular season the best of any NFL player in 2016. "Brady ended the regular season with the best grade PFF has ever given a quarterback [99.3], and though his first playoff game — against the Texans — wasn't stellar, he was once more back to his best in the AFC Cham- pionship, and then the Super Bowl, orchestrating the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history to take the win," the web site noted. "Brady was both the most careful QB in the league in terms of protecting the football, and the one that made the most big plays on a per-snap basis … this was Tom Brady's finest season, and to do it at the age of 39 is even more staggering." Per ESPN, Brady's yards per attempt have in- creased from 6.9 in 2013 to 7.1 to 7.6 to 8.2 this season. His interceptions have dropped from 11 in 2013 to nine to seven to two. TOM BRADY'S POSTSEASON RECORDS Playoffs Most games played: 34 Most games started by a quarterback: 34 Most games won by a starting quarterback: 25 Most consecutive wins by a starting quarterback: 10 (2001, 2003-05) Most consecutive wins to start a career by a starting quarterback: 10 (2001, 2003-05) Most career home wins by a starting quarterback: 15 (2001-16) Most consecutive home wins by a starting quarterback: 8 (2001-07), tied with Jim Kelly Most fourth-quarter comebacks: 7 Most game-winning drives: 10 Most touchdown passes: 63 Most passing yards: 9,094 Most passes completed: 831 Most passes attempted: 1,325 Most division titles won by a starting quarterback: 14 Most NFL conference championship appearances by a starting quarterback: 11 Most NFL conference championship wins by a starting quarterback: 7 Most career 300-yard passing games: 12 Super Bowl (career) MVP honors: 4 Most touchdown passes: 15 Most passing yards: 2,071 Most passes completed: 207 Most passes attempted: 309 Most wins as starting QB: 5 Most passes completed in first half of a single Super Bowl: 20 (XLIX) Most passes completed in a single Super Bowl: 43 (LI) Most passes attempted in a single Super Bowl: 62 (LI) Most passing yards in a single Super Bowl: 466 (LI) Most Super Bowl appearances: 7 Most Super Bowl wins: 5, tied with DE/LB Charles Haley TOM BRADY'S TOP THREE PLAYOFF PERFORMANCES Tom Brady threw for 466 yards in Super Bowl LI, arguably his best postseason performance. ESPN.com's Mike Reiss ranked Brady's top three playoff performances (with his reasoning) like this prior to the 34-28 overtime win over Atlanta: 1. Feb. 1, 2004: Super Bowl XXXVIII — Patriots 32, Panthers 29. A scoreless game until three-plus minutes were left in the second quarter turned into a shootout the rest of the way, with Brady finishing 32-of-48 passing for 354 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Similar to his first Super Bowl, it required a game-winning drive in the final minute. 2. Jan. 22, 2017: Divisional round — Patriots 36, Steelers 17. Brady's most recent performance ranks among his best, as he was 32-of-42 pass- ing for 384 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. 3. Jan. 10, 2015: Divisional round —Patriots 35, Ravens 31. Brady was 33-of-50 passing for 367 yards with three touchdowns and one intercep- tion, to lead a furious second-half comeback from 14 points down aided by an unusual tactic in which the Patriots declared eligible receivers ineligible. BY CHRIS BALAS With his fifth Super Bowl championship and fourth game MVP award, former Michigan quarterback and current New England Patriots standout Tom Brady secured his legacy as the greatest quarterback of all time, if not the great‑ est player overall, in the eyes of many pundits. ESPN's John Clayton had him tabbed as No. 1 even before he completed 43 of 62 passes for 466 yards with two touchdowns to rally the Pats from 25 points down for a 34‑28 win over Atlanta and the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. He also became the oldest Super Bowl MVP in the process, at 39 years and 186 days. "The fact that Brady is about to play in Super Bowl LI — his seventh Super Bowl appear‑ ance — is remarkable, espe‑ cially after missing the first four games of the season because of his Deflategate suspension," Clay‑ ton wrote before the game. "On Sunday, Brady has a great chance to get his fifth Lombardi trophy and fourth Super Bowl MVP award [which, of course, he did]. He's 183‑52 as a starter in the regular season. His 24 playoff wins [now 25] are the most ever. "And the amazing part is that no one can guess when he will stop. Brady, who will turn 40 before next season, would like to play four or five more years if his body can hold up. There is nothing in his game that shows a decline. He came out of the four‑ game suspension rested and focused. He threw 28 touchdowns passes and only two interceptions in 12 games. And he did it mostly without injured tight end Rob Gronkowski, who played only eight games and had just three touchdown catches." TOM BRADY SECURES HIS LEGACY AS THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME PHOTO COURTESY NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS/JIM MAHONEY