Why Tom Brady Is the Best Quarterback in the Modern Era

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Go ahead. Call me crazy. Nobody could ever pass the legendary Joe Montana. Not the Joe Montana, who threw for 40,551 yards, 273 touchdowns, 139 interceptions, and won four Super Bowls in his immortal 15-year career. He was nicknamed "Joe Cool" for not only his poise, but his ability to come up big in the playoffs. In fact, during his career, he was 16-7 in the postseason. It's tough to say that someone in the modern era is better than him, surpassing him as the best quarterback ever, but with Tom Brady, it's not so challenging.

Both were drafted considerably low, which is very surprising. Montana, mostly because of his size (only 6'0"), was drafted in the third round (82nd overall) by the San Francisco 49ers in 1979. Safe to say the Rams, who picked 81st—along with the the other 80 teams ahead of them—are kicking themselves to the day. Montana was a huge steal, no doubt, but the consensus is that Brady getting taken in the sixth round (199th overall) in 2000 is the biggest robbery in draft history. In my opinion, Tom Brady is the best quarterback in the modern era. Here's why:

Playoffs: People talk about Montana's playoff performances, and make no mistake about it: They were fantastic. Let's not forget, Brady is 14-3 in the playoffs, totaling an .823 winning percentage. Brady has played well in practically every playoff game he's appeared in. In 2001, he led the Pats to close wins over the Raiders (32-of-52, 312 yards), Steelers (12-of-18, 115 yards), and then the Rams in the Super Bowl (16-of-27, 145 yards, 1 TD).

In his postseason career, he is 372-of-595 (62.5 completion percentage) with 3,954 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. If you combine all of his December, January, and February games, Brady is an unfair 42-8.

Montana, who has also been tremendous in the playoffs, isn't quite there. His 16-7 record in the playoffs gives him a .696 winning percentage, 127 points shy of Brady. In the three dreaded months of December, January, and February, Montana is a "pedestrian" 52-16, posting .764 winning percentage, as opposed to Brady's .840. So, shockingly, there is a playoff quarterback better than the Joe Montana.

Statistics: A lot can be judged by statistics. Nobody can question the career Brady has had. From 2001 to 2007, his full years (barely played in 2000, injured in 2008, 2009 just started), he finished with over 26,000 yards, 197 touchdowns, and 84 interceptions, compiling a 93.0 quarterback rating. His average year consisted of 327 completions in 519 attempts, 3,766 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.

In Montana's glory years of 1981 to 1990, he totaled 33,107 yards, 226 touchdowns, and 114 interceptions. Montana's conventional year was composed of 3,311 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, worse than Brady's habitual line.

Let's face it: We judge quarterbacks by wins. Dan Marino is one of the best quarterbacks ever, but some knock him because he never won a Super Bowl. Montana and Brady combine for seven. In Joe's regular season career, he had a 117-47 starter's record, while Brady is a whopping 87-24. While Montana has a larger sample size, his winning percentage stands at .713, while at .784, Brady is 71 points higher.

Also, Tom Terrific's 93.0 quarterback rating is 0.7 higher than Montana's 92.3. And Brady, who has 199 career touchdowns and 87 interceptions, averages 2.3 touchdowns per interception, while Montana averaged 1.93 TD/INT.

Help: The quarterback position is an inexact science. People expect wins, but it seems that sometimes, quarterbacks get bashed far too much for losses and get too much credit for wins.

When they do manage to win, fans sometimes say the quarterbacks didn't "earn" it, saying he got far too much help from his teammates, but football is a team game, not a quarterback one. And Tom Brady, while he had considerable help around him and a great offensive line, didn't have Jerry Rice.

In 1981, when Montana won his first Super Bowl, he had Dwight Clark to throw to, who made "The Catch", and from 1980 to 1986, had 700 yards or more each season, including 1,105 in '81. On top of that, the Niners ranked second in defense that year. In 1984, Montana's second Super Bowl winning season, the 49ers ranked first in defense. He also had Roger Craig, a four-time Pro Bowler, and still had Clark. Then in 1988 and 1989, the last two times he won the Super Bowl, he had Jerry Rice, the best receiver in NFL history, at the age of 26 and 27, and in those years, he combined for 146 catches, 2,789 yards, and 26 touchdowns.

This is not to say Montana is an overrated bum who only won games because of talent around him. Montana was a sensational quarterback. He was clutch, but he also had some help. Brady never had Jerry Rice. He never had Roger Craig. In fact, until the Pats acquired Randy Moss before the 2007 season, New England never had a big-time receiver.

Sure, Troy Brown was a consistent player, but he's hardly in Hall of Fame consideration, and he only made one Pro Bowl. When the Pats won again in 2003 and 2004, Brady's main receivers were Deion Branch and Brown, who combined for just 97 receptions and seven touchdowns in '03.

Ironically enough, Brady lost his only Super Bowl with Moss to throw to. If you combine Brown, Corey Dillon, and Branch, there are just five Pro Bowls. But between Rice, Craig, and Clark, you have the best wide receiver in NFL history, one of the most complete backs ever, a consistent threat who made "The Catch", and 19 Pro Bowls.

Think about it.

The other candidates: Yes, there are other candidates. Terry Bradshaw, for one, but he applies to the Montana ruling. Ask yourself this: if Brady had the defense the Steelers had during the 70's, and two Hall of Fame wide receivers, along with Franco Harris and arguably the best center in NFL history in Mike Webster, how many rings would Brady have? I'm sure Brady would have at least five. Bradshaw was a great quarterback, and he deserved the spot he got in the Hall of Fame, no doubt. But he had the best defense, led by Joe Greene, Mel Blount, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, and L.C. Greenwood. And like I said, he had Franco Harris, a Hall of Fame center, and John Stallworth and Lynn Swann to throw to.

Steve Young and Peyton Manning are also in consideration, but Peyton's 7-8 playoff record is less than stellar, and Young was just 8-6 in the playoffs, so they are Hall of Famers, but not the best in the modern era.

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