Tom Brady Only Needed Five Weeks To Throw More Touchdowns Than Every 44-Year-Old In History ... Combined
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- It was a classic Sunday Funday for Tom Brady in Tampa this weekend, as Brady threw five touchdowns with more than 400 passing yards for the first time in his GOAT-level career. It was the second time that Brady recorded more than one five-touchdown game in a season in his career, as he's playing a lot like he did in his record-setting 2007 season thus far in the 2021 season.
Brady also officially confirmed that he's better than every single person who ever tried to play quarterback at the age of 44.
With those five touchdowns, Brady increased his total on the season to 15. He's got 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions, putting him on track for ... 51 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The fact that he's on that pace despite throwing just one touchdown total in Weeks 3 and 4 kind of makes it seem like he may hit the 50 mark for just the second time of his career.
As for now, Brady has surpassed the collection of George Blanda, Steve DeBerg, Warren Moon and Vinny Testaverde. That quartet -- previously the only QBs to have attempted playing in the NFL at age 44 -- combined to throw 13 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in their 323 passing attempts.
His four wins also give him twice as many as that quartet earned as 44-year-olds.
With 12 games left in his season, Brady's already blown well past them all in touchdowns, wins and passer rating. He'll top them in completions and passing yards on Thursday night.
BLANDA, MOON, TESTAVERDE, DEBERG
2-6 record
171-for-323 (52.9%)
1,907 yards, 5.9 Y/A
13 TDs, 14 INTs
66.2 passer rating
2-6 recordTOM BRADY (5 GAMES, 2021)
149-for-225 (66.2%)
1,767 yards, 7.9 Y/A
15 TDs, 2 INTs
108.5 passer rating
4-1 record
This is not new, no. Brady did this as a 43-year-old, and as a 42-year-old. Before that, we could compare his age 41 and age 40 seasons against other player's individual seasons. But for a few years now, it's been Brady vs. the entirety of history. And he keeps winning.
(For good measure: Brady broke free for a 13-yard run on Sunday, giving him 36 rushing yards on the season. The 44-year-olds before him combined to rush for ... 14 total yards.)
Brady is, obviously, a rare quarterback. This much was known prior to the start of this season, and it will be known long after.
For now, though, the fact that Brady needed all of five weeks to surpass the entire collection of 44-year-old QBs in NFL history does help to provide some live context to the unprecedented performance he's putting forth on a weekly basis.