Patriots Gridiron News: Tom Brady is still one dangerous man

Watch out NFL, the New England Patriots and Tom Brady will be putting everything they have into this postseason run.

At 41, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is treating this postseason like it is his last and that means pouring every inch of the passion he has for the game into each snap he takes.

No matter who the Patriots take on in the Divisional Round of the AFC playoffs, the man making his 38th career playoff start come the second week of January will give it all he got.

Yes, the stage is set for young quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes II, Jared Goff, Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson, but the old man on the block probably has more excitement and energy pent up than all of them combined.  After a shaky regular season and all the doubt now placed in the corner of the reigning NFL MVP, Tom Brady is locked in and out to prove again that he is not one to be doubted.

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"“It is naturally a level of intensity that you can’t really emulate at any other point in the season, and really for us, any other point in our life,” Brady said Thursday.  “We all work hard to get to this point and to have an opportunity like we have I don’t think you take them for granted.  There’s been so many plays that I have seen I my career that have we not made that one play, which could just be an extra effort, could be an arm tackle, could be just one extra push of the pile that ends up being the difference of an entire game, and really an entire season.”"

Oh, how right he is.  Especially this season.  The New England Patriots still managed an 11-5 season, won their 10th consecutive AFC East title and locked up the No. 2 seed with Brady not playing his best football at times.  In fact, had the “Miami Miracle” not happened or if Brady himself had not thrown an interception in the red zone against the Pittsburgh Steelers a week later, the Patriots would be sitting pretty with the No. 1 seed.

It’s a crazy and unpredictable game, but one thing a player like Tom Brady can control is his focus and the leadership he brings on the field.  Out of the entire field, he doesn’t have the best supporting cast, but what he does have is a team in which every player understands their role and willing to sacrifice that role for the betterment of the team.

Passion for the game still yearns

Coming off a game in which he moved a little better in the pocket and threw for four touchdown passes, Tom Brady still has his doubters and haters doing victory laps in honor of his demise.

Well, not so fast.  Not only has Brady committed to 2019, he plans on playing beyond that.  There have been times during the season in which he looked washed up, but there has also been times in which he looked every bit the MVP he was in 2018.

In fact, the man still threw for 4,355 yards with 29 touchdowns.  The 11 interceptions were something to scratch your head about, but even half of those weren’t his fault as they either bounced off a receiver’s hands or someone took a wrong route.  While some blamed a lack of playmakers, others blamed Tom Brady and his lack of preparation heading into the season.

There was even cause for concern that he was hiding an injury.  That could very well be the case, but with a week off going into yet another postseason, No. 12 is as focused and ready as ever and he hopes it rubs off on the other 52 guys around him.

"“Like I said, our story is still being written and fortunately we have an opportunity to write it,” Brady said.  “We have to go out there and play our best.  Every team we play – next week and beyond, hopefully, is a great team.  They’ve earned it.  The way we play have won a playoff game.  We’re going to have to play our best game of the year.”"

That best game is still out there, and Tom Brady is one hungry man.  Knowing that any game could be his last, the passion is greater and that makes the New England Patriots quarterback one dangerous man.