I have never been a huge fan of Tom Brady. I am a die-hard Eagles fan and will never let Patriots fans hear the end of Super Bowl LII, when Eagles quarterback Nick Foles beat Tom Brady’s Patriots for Philadelphia’s first Super Bowl title. The underdog mentality in me always rooted for the opposing teams in the playoffs to beat him. Now that Brady has cemented himself as the greatest of all time by making it to his tenth Super Bowl, I will give him the praise he deserves by talking about how he got there and why he will lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title.

Brady, now at age 43, has defied all the odds for starting quarterbacks in the NFL, as he continues to put up monster numbers despite his age. He led Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl staged in a team’s home stadium for the first time in NFL history. This is only the beginning regarding Brady’s incredible accomplishments in the NFL. According to the Greeny podcast on ESPN radio, Brady has appeared in the Super Bowl in four of the last five seasons and five of the last seven. Out of the four major sports, he is only one of three players that has played in three championship games/series after turning forty. He is one of three players in the NFL to play in the Super Bowl in three different decades and the first in NFL history to play in ten Super Bowls.  Finally, he has as many NFC Championship wins as NFC legends, Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees and Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who Brady beat last Sunday. Both of these future Hall of Famers only have one NFC Championship win each, and they have been playing in the NFC for almost two decades, while Brady has only played one season in the conference.

The season is even more incredible because Brady made it to the Super Bowl despite the challenges coronavirus presented on the NFL season. Brady left his post in New England after six Super Bowl titles for a new challenge in Tampa Bay. He had to learn a new offensive system with a vertical passing attack employed by new head coach Bruce Arians. He had no OTAs (organized team activities), training camp or preseason games to get in a rhythm with his new weapons on offense. His statistics from this season are incredible nonetheless. 

According to ESPN, Brady is third in the NFL for the 2020 season with 4,633 passing yards, and is tied for second with 40 total touchdown passes for the regular season.

This playoff run is even more special, as the team won three road playoff games over the Washington Football Team, New Orleans Saints, and Green Bay Packers. There were little to no fans watching, but winning three road playoff games in a row is incredibly hard. Many teams struggle to make it to the playoffs or win one, but Brady makes it look easy.   

Brady’s job will not be easy, as the Buccaneers are facing a formidable opponent in the Kansas City Chiefs. This team is led by the young superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes and legendary coach Andy Reid, who are seeking their second straight Super Bowl championship.  They have all the makings of a championship team, especially when it comes to offensive strategy. Though Mahomes is almost unstoppable on offense with all the weapons he has and the amazing plays he can make, I believe Tampa Bay’s defense will hold him back just enough for Brady to lead his team to a Super Bowl title.

Brady has Kansas City right where he wants them. He is playing in Raymond James Stadium, Tampa’s home field. He has all the motivation in the world to capture a seventh Super Bowl title and first without his former Coach Bill Belichick, giving him the opportunity to prove to the world he played a bigger role on those Super Bowl teams in New England than people give him credit for.  He will keep his team in the game by scoring timely touchdowns, leading a game winning fourth quarter drive as time dwindles, and win Super Bowl LV 30-27 over the Kansas City Chiefs.