Tom Brady Can Set A New Record For Old Quarterbacks By Beating Jaguars
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- To be honest, the Tom Brady Is 40 Years Old And Wow Isn't That Amazing storyline has been driven so far into the skulls of just about everyone in the world that the amazement and wow factor has really lost its punch.
That being said ... Tom Brady is 40 years old, and wow, isn't that amazing?
Sure, nobody is surprised anymore when Brady completes 66 percent of his 53 passes for 337 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions on a frigid, windy night in Foxboro to lead the Patriots to a playoff victory. But that's only because of the standard Brady established himself as a 40-year-old quarterback all season long.
When looking through history, there's just no comparison to be found.
He already has just about every postseason record -- wins, yards, touchdowns, etc. -- to his name, but he now has a larger accolade in his sights -- one that's seemingly become quite important to him as he's embarked on a battle against Father Time. Brady has an opportunity this week not only to advance to his record eighth Super Bowl (that would be eight Super Bowl appearances in 16 seasons as a starting quarterback, and wow, isn't that amazing?), but also set a new standard for old quarterbacks.
With one more playoff win, Brady will become the only quarterback in NFL history to win two playoff games at the age of 40 or older.
Currently, he shares the title with Brett Favre, who beat the Cowboys as a member of the Vikings in the 2009 postseason. Favre was in line to win two playoff games that year, and perhaps a third, but his marvelous age-40 season came to a crashing halt when he threw an ill-advised pass that was intercepted in the final minute of the NFC Championship Game in New Orleans. The Saints won in overtime.
Favre went 43-for-70 (61.4 percent) for 544 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions for a 97.6 passer rating in that 2009 run. Both of his postseason games were played indoors.
Brady thus far is 35-for-53 (66 percent) for 377 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 102.5 passer rating so far in the 2017 playoffs. With another cold weather game at home against the No. 1 pass defense coming up, he faces a rather steep challenge.
But Brady's been answering those challenges all year, and the fact that it's just him and Favre in this discussion is mighty impressive. The two are the only members of the so-called "40 And Over Club" in NFL history to start a game at quarterback at 40 or older. On a list that includes Hall of Famers Johnny Unitas, Warren Moon, Len Dawson, and Sonny Jurgensen, nobody other than Favre and Brady has managed to be good enough at 40 years old to start a playoff game.
The few players who have taken postseason snaps at all at 40 or older have not fared well. Jurgensen threw no touchdowns and three interceptions on his 12 pass attempts. George Blanda threw two touchdowns and six interceptions on his 43 pass attempts at ages 42 and 43. Charlie Conerly went 4-for-8 in a blowout loss at age 40 for the Giants as Y.A. Tittle's backup.
And that's it. You can go back to the beginning of the Super Bowl era, and you'd have a hard time finding more than two impactful starting quarterbacks at the advanced age of 40.
And with an MVP trophy soon coming his way, Brady has at least publicly shared a mission to continue racking up those post-40 accolades, this postseason and beyond.
Obviously the story of Brady being 40 is not remotely new at this point, but from a historical context, what he continues to do on a weekly basis is truly remarkable.
You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.