2011 NFL Playoffs: Would Another Super Bowl Make Tom Brady The Best Ever

The quarterback is the most demanding, high-profile position in America's most popular sport. Quarterbacks tend to get all the credit when their teams win and all the credit when they lose.

Quarterbacks who transcend from the ranks of best in the game to all-time best move into the pop culture hall of fame.  These are the guys whose names get tossed around in everyday debates across the country, maybe even the world, about who is the all-time greatest.

To even make your name known in such a debate, quarterbacks must find success on the NFL's biggest stage:  the Super Bowl.  With the streaking New England Patriots heading into the 2011 playoffs, if Tom Brady captures his fourth Super Bowl this year, does he become the all-time greatest at his position?

Reality Can't Compete With Nostalgia

A man comes home from fishing. He tells his family of the beautiful 2-foot long fish he caught. "It's one of my best yet," he says.

Next year, he returns from a fishing trip empty handed and tells his family, "I can't get lucky every year. Remember last year, I caught that 4-foot long record breaker. That was my best catch ever."

Five years later, he returns empty handed again. "Tough luck this year. Remember when I caught that 10-foot long monster? I fought it for five hours. Some say that fish had eaten a small family. They wanted to give me a medal."

At some point, Brady will move from contemporary to legend, but in this regard, he will never be able to compete with the men who made us care in the first place. These men exist more in memories than in video, and videos don't change a 2-foot fish into the Loch Ness Monster.

Greatest Ever? No.

If You're Not First, You're Last

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FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 06: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots celebrates after the Patriots won 45-3 against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on December 6, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

While memories can be enhanced, numbers never change. A quarterback needs to win to be great, and Brady has won plenty.

He reached 100 victories quicker than any other quarterback to play the game. He was the youngest to ever win a Super Bowl. He led the Patriots to an undefeated regular season and won a record 21 NFL games in a row with 10 straight postseason victories. He currently is riding a 26-game home winning streak, which is also a record.

Perhaps most notably, Brady's .776 winning percentage is the highest of any quarterback with more than 100 starts.

Greatest Ever? Yes.

There Is No "I" In Team

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FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 19: Quarterback Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots talks with head coach Bill Belichick before playing against the Green Bay Packers at Gillette Stadium on December 19, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The Patriots won the g

As New York Jets coach Rex Ryan recently pointed out, Brady has a "team" (i.e. coaching staff) behind him. While he always seems to make the right decisions with the football, Brady also has a coach who always seems to establish the right game plan.

Fair or not, Bill Belichick's greatness will ultimately subtract from Brady's and vice versa. They will be forever linked together, and when it comes to debates about the best ever at their respective crafts, people will always credit one in part for the other.

Greatest Ever? No.

Variety Is The Spice Of Life

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13 Sep 1999: Quarterback Dan Marino #13 of the Miami Dolphins passes the ball during the game against the Denver Broncos at the Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado. The Dolphins defeated the Broncos 38-21. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport

Most quarterbacks win with a signature style.

Joe Montana ran the West Coast Offense at quarterback.  Dan Marino was a down-field passer.  Terry Bradshaw was a play-action guy.  Peyton Manning is a high-flying risk taker.

Brady has shown he can win a variety of ways.  Early in his career, Brady was a game manager, finding success off play action and limiting his mistakes.  He then started to win off big plays and deep passes. He is now winning with an efficient West Coast style offense.

Instead of a singular signature style, Brady has shown he has the adaptability and flexibility to excel in any style.

Greatest Ever? Yes.

It Was a Fumble

The Tuck Rule. 

Brady will forever be linked to this arcane, ridiculous rule. It is not his fault he benefited from it, and it certainly does not reflect on his skills as a quarterback.

However, when comparing résumés of the greatest quarterbacks ever, people will surely mention the Tuck Rule from the 2001-2002 AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Oakland Raiders.  Opponents especially will be quick to point out that Brady should have never even gotten to his first Super Bowl, and the argument will undoubtedly spiral to complaints of favoritism.

Greatest Ever? No.

Pop The Clutch

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22 Jan 1989: Quarterback Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass the ball during Super Bowl XXIII against the Cincinnati Bengals at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida. The 49ers won the game, 20-16. Mandatory Credit: Mike Powell /Allspor

A great quarterback must dominate in the closing minutes. When the game is on the line, they have to be at their best.

Brady has led 23 fourth quarter comebacks and 32 game-winning drives.  More importantly, he has had one fourth quarter comeback and three game winning drives in Super Bowl games.

No other quarterback can touch this level of clutch. 

Greatest Ever? Yes.

The Passing Days Of The NFL

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ATLANTA - NOVEMBER 1: Quarterback Terry Bradshaw #12 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks for an open man during the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Fulton County Stadium on November 1, 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Steelers defeated the Falcons 34-20.

This is the era of the passing game in the NFL, with the rules evolving to make it a more prominent weapon.

Defensive backs used to be able to play bump and run until the ball was in the air, then clothesline receivers once they caught it. Now, they have a 5-yard window for contact and receivers almost always benefit from interference calls.

Quarterbacks used to get leveled into the turf. Now, defensive players can only hit them in an area as big as the strike zone.

In a passer-friendly officiated game, this diminishes the value of Brady's amazing stats.

Greatest Ever? No.

Playing Like a Broken Record

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FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 02: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots celebrates a touchdown by teammate BenJarvis Green-Ellis in the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins on January 2, 2011 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa

Brady has assaulted the record books.

His 2007 and 2010 seasons are two of the greatest statistical seasons of any NFL quarterback.

Brady holds single season records in touchdowns, touchdowns to interception ratio, yards per pass attempt and consecutive passes thrown without an interception.

For numbers people, Brady has built a heavy arsenal of stats.

Greatest Ever? Yes.

The Unwritten Pages

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DETROIT, MI - JANUARY 02: Brett Favre #4 of the Minnesota Vikings talks at a post game press conference after a 13-20 loss to the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on January 2, 2011 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Brady's career is far from over. While he certainly seems poised to continue his great play, it is impossible to know what the future holds. As we just saw with Brett Favre, one season can do a lot of damage to one's legacy.

Brady will either continue to climb up the career charts or his play will drop off. At some point, everyone faces the erosion of their skills, and not many decide to go out on top.

I am not the type to bash someone for playing too long because I think it shows a love for the game that I want to see from professional athletes.

The last impression is an undeniably strong one though.

Greatest Ever? No.

Super Brady

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JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 06: Quarterback Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots celebrates with the Lombardi trophy after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX at Alltel Stadium on February 6, 2005 in Jacksonville, Florida. Th

If Brady were to win this year's Super Bowl, he would tie Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana at the top of the quarterback mountain with four Super Bowl victories. He would be one up on each of them with five appearances.

Arguments of quarterback greatness usually begin and end with Super Bowl accomplishments, and Brady is poised to be the most decorated Super Bowl quarterback of all time.

Greatest Ever? Yes.

The Verdict

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FOXBORO, MA - NOVEMBER 07: Quarterback Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots walks dejected off the field late in the fourth quarter of their 40-21 loss to the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium on November 7, 2005 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Ph

Tom Brady has built an impressive résumé over the years.

The victories, the stats, the hair and the great moments have made an indelible impression on the NFL landscape.  With another Super Bowl victory, he will no doubt cast his name to the top of the greatest quarterback ever debate.

Ultimately though, at age 33, too much lies ahead of Brady to say he is the greatest ever. He is in the debate, but needs more than a Super Bowl this season to be considered the greatest ever.