The one stat needed to prove Tom Brady is the GOAT

Throw out everything else, all you need is this one stat

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is considered by many to be the GOAT, and there are tons of statistics that back it up. There is one that outweighs the rest, however. It is something so ridiculous that I can’t imagine anyone will ever come close to it: Tom Brady has led drives to either tie the game or take the lead in the 4th quarter or overtime eight times... in the Super Bowl.

There is no situation that is more tense or important in football then the 4th quarter of a tight Super Bowl, and yet, Brady constantly shines in that moment. Remember that this doesn’t include any of the drives leading up to tying the game or taking the lead. So the one drive against Seattle, and the two drives against Atlanta, aren’t included in this number.

Can’t believe it? Don’t remember them? Here’s a handy list for you:

SB 36: Adam Vinatieri FG with 0:00 left

SB 38: Another Vinatieri FG with 0:04 left

SB 39: Corey Dillon scores with 13:44 left, Patriots take the lead 21-14

SB 42: Tom Brady to Randy Moss with 2:42 left, Patriots take the lead 14-10

SB 49: Tom Brady to Julian Edelman with 2:02 left, Patriots take the lead 28-24

SB 51: James White scores with 0:57 left, Tom Brady to Danny Amendola for 2, Patriots tie the game 28-28

SB 51: James White scores with 11:02 left in OT, Patriots win 34-28

SB 52: Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski with 9:22 left, Patriots take the lead 33-32

For some reason, I haven’t heard a lot of people bring up this stat. I think part of the reason is that it just isn’t fair. Sure, Joe Montana has four Super Bowl rings, but he has only two of these drives, both from the same game. In fact, second on the list is Eli Manning, who has three. Two of them against the Patriots in Super Bowl 42, and one of them in the rematch four years later.

Of all the amazing records and statistics that Brady has accumulated over the years, I think this is the most impressive. How could someone who performs at such a high level when it matters the most be called anything other than the GOAT?

Pat is the host of The Patriot Nation Podcast

Interact with him on Twitter @plane_pats

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