Giants vs. Patriots: Tom Brady's Legacy Will Be Tainted by a Super Bowl Loss

Tom Brady’s legacy suffers from multiple personality disorder.

He may rock three Super Bowl rings.  He may have shepherded the greatest offense in NFL history.

But Brady’s legacy will still suffer if the New England Patriots lose to the New York Giants.

Now, don’t get it twisted.  Brady is without a doubt a first-ballot Hall of Famer.  His name is already engraved under a bronze bust.

While he’s one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, though, he isn’t on the same level as Joe Montana and Johnny Unitas until he wins one more.  All-World, Air-it-out Brady never won a world title.  Extremely efficient, Mr. Fourth Quarter Brady triumphed in a trio.

Throwing flies to Randy Moss and quick screens to Wes Welker never translated to the hoisting of a Lombardi Trophy.  On the other hand, managing and finishing games in which a defense featuring Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Ty Law, Willie McGinest, and Richard Seymour paved the way to a championship.

Montana and Unitas put up insane numbers in the same campaigns that they buckled the heavyweight title belt.  Brady isn’t in that class head and shoulders about the rest because he played in a Terry Bradshaw-like role during the New England Patriots dynasty years and then he recorded Dan Marino-like numbers after the fall.

Brady finished the 2001 and 2002 seasons with passer ratings of 86.5 and 85.7.  In 2004, he had a passer rating of 92.6, but Brady didn’t put the Patriots offense on his back, Corey Dillon did with 1,635 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.

Those aren’t the statistics of a dominant passer.  They put him in the same league as Bradshaw and Troy Aikman. 

Again, don’t get confused.  Brady is a beast, but he didn’t lead the Pats like he does now.

Imagine Kobe Bryant if he would’ve never won a championship without Shaquille O’Neal.  That is how Brady should be remembered in history if he doesn’t win on February 5^th.  Not as some god who mercilessly mowed down all opposition in his path and finished through the line.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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