Tom Brady ranked No. 1 in NFL by fellow players

Submitted by LLG on

"New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was voted the league's top player in the NFL Network's annual top-100 poll, a ranking put together based on a tabulation of 902 players."

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Tuebor

June 27th, 2017 at 9:38 AM ^

The NFL is a QB league.

Since the 2001 season only 9 QBs have won a super bowl.

Tom Brady - 5

Payton Manning - 2

Big Ben - 2

Eli Manning - 2

Drew Brees - 1

Aaron Rodgers - 1

Flacco - 1

Brad Johnson - 1

Russell Wilson - 1

 

That list reads like the upper echelon of QBs for the past two decades.  Except for Flacco, Johnson, and Wilson who won the super bowl on the back of the NFL's best defenses in those years.  So elite QB play wins the super bowl 13/16 seasons while elite defenses only win 3/16.  To win in the NFL you need elite QB play.

Tuebor

June 27th, 2017 at 10:47 AM ^

Fair point but, he is still a top tier QB even after his neck injury.  

 

But I'll give credit.  4/16 top defenses then.  Fact still remains you need elite qb play.  And to be fair even the top defenses had above average QBs in Johnson, Flacco, and Wilson.  You gotta have a QB to be successful in the NFL.

befuggled

June 27th, 2017 at 11:08 AM ^

That was his worst season statistically, and he was nowhere near the top half of the league. You have to give him credit for gutting it out but he did not look like the same QB he'd been even the year before. He threw more interceptions (17) than touchdowns (9) for only the second time in his career.

Look at that Super Bowl game--Denver managed one offensive touchdown, and that was on a drive that started at the 4 after Newton's second fumble. Their other touchdown came on Newton's first fumble.

MI Expat NY

June 27th, 2017 at 11:33 AM ^

I'm not sure you can break it down so succinctly into elite QBs and non-elite qbs.  The difference between Eli Manning and Flacco is minimal at best and his two super bowls were won on the backs of outstanding defense in the playoffs.  Similarly, Roethlisberger was hardly an elite QB when he won his first super bowl, they had a great defense, strong running game, and middling passing game.  Hell, even Brady's first super bowl most would say was won by the defense.  

If you discount Peyton Manning's second super bowl, Brady's and Roethlisberger's first, and Eli Manning's two, you are looking at an 8/8 split in super bowls being mainly won by elite qb play vs. elite defensive play.  

Obviously the real answer is that it's best to have both strong defensive play and strong qb play, and it is possible to win if you have an elite level at one of those two traits, with just good to ok on the other.  We just say things like "it's a QB league" or "you can't win without a QB" because it is much easier to quantify one player than an entire side of the ball.  

East German Judge

June 26th, 2017 at 11:39 PM ^

5 Super Bowl wins in the modern ear AND including the greatest comeback of all time, yup, sounds correct!

Image result for tom brady 5 super bowl rings

Even if he was a buckeye or sparty, not sure how anyone can knock the GOAT label for Tom.

blueinbeantown

June 27th, 2017 at 7:48 AM ^

SInce they've started putting together the top 100 in the past 10 years, Brady has never finished lower than 4th.  Put together the all-time top 100 and you'll have the same result, definitely will be in top 3 with Jim Brown and Jerry Rice.  

Perkis-Size Me

June 27th, 2017 at 7:48 AM ^

Water is wet. Sky is blue. In other words, no kidding that he's the best in the game, and the man shows no signs of slowing down.



Greatest QB of all time, bar none, and possibly the greatest who ever will be.