The King is Still on the Throne

Tom Brady celebrating after capturing an NFL record 7 Super Bowl Championships. ( AP Photo)

Tom Brady’s the greatest football player to have ever lived. There is no more denying what’s been right in front of our faces for more than 20 years.

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs were the new cool kids on the block. The reigning defending Super Bowl champions at the time were trying to become the first team to win consecutive championships since Tom Brady led the Patriots teams in 2003–2004.

Mahomes, deservingly so, is viewed as the best quarterback in the game at the moment. Some even consider him, at just age 24, to be the best to have ever played the sport. This past Sunday the Chiefs took on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Tom Brady at the helm. By many, the game between the two teams represented the passing of the torch, an ushering in of a new era, and the start of a new dynasty.

Brady and the Bucs had different plans and wanted payback from their previous week 12 beat down, in which Tyreek Hill registered over 200 yards in three touchdowns in the first quarter alone. All coming from the rocket of an arm in Patrick Mahomes, who supplanted over 300 passing yards himself in the quarter to defeat the buccaneers 24–21 in Tampa. But this time around what took place was much different.

In Super Bowl 55 , the Tampa defense put on a defensive clinic, one of the best in Super Bowl history considering the sort of fire power Kansas City has. The Bucs defensive front were all over Mahomes throughout the night, guys such as Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaq Barrett, and Ndamukong Suh took great advantage of a depleted Chiefs offensive line. For the very first time in Patrick Mahomes- Kansas City era, the offense went without scoring a touchdown.

The stout defensive game plan defensive coordinator Todd Bowles put together was phenomenal, and had been throughout the postseason, even in games where Brady struggled. Brady’s final numbers of 3 touchdowns 201 yards on Sunday were good, it wasn’t the typical iconic Brady Super Bowl moment as he has had so many years prior. It was enough to get the job done.

The Bucs for many years were a stacked team without the requisite talent at the games most important position. With signing Brady during the off-season not only did Tampa get a player and seasoned vet, a man that had already captured 6 rings, a player that knows what it takes to stand upon the mountain top, an on the field coach who recognizes defensive schemes like none other, and a leader who inspires.

Tom Brady’s best attributes are his inspiration, ability to see the best in everyone, and his dare to dream for something even greater when he already has accomplished so much. He’s the type of person who let teammate Antonio Brown live in his home at the height of his legal troubles, put in a great word for him with Tampa Bay management after being released from two teams while coming off suspension. Brown repaid his debt by catching one of three touchdowns thrown by Brady in the Superbowl. Rob Gronkowski came out of retirement to play for his friend, something he didn’t have to do. Just as Brady’s legacy is solidified, the tight end is as well. Did I mention, it was Gronk that caught the other two touchdowns from the guy he previously already won three super bowls with in New England?

Brady’s ability to galvanize his teammates, to dream for something bigger, motivated the Buccaneers, running back Leonard Fournette after Sunday’s win, described it best.

“It felt great. Just knowing his resume and understanding why he wins. All week he made us believe we were going to win. He was texting us at 11 o’clock at night, ‘We will win this game.’ We believed in him. We believed in the play-calling, what the coaches were calling and we just ran with it.”

Seven Super Bowl wins, more than any player or team has ever accomplished. With the audacity to dream at age 43 when the naysayers have closed the book on a story with unwritten chapters, distancing himself from the shadow of Bill Belichick. He’s proven that there was more to the Patriots Dynasty than just spectacular coaching. Finally the 31–9 humiliating loss the Bucs gave the Chiefs, signified that only Brady is sitting at the throne. He’s standing upon the mountain top alone, looking over everyone, on Sunday the passing of the torch everyone so greatly wanted to see, was a reassurance and notice to the world, that Tom Brady is and forever will be the greatest quarterback the game will ever see. The King is still on the THRONE.