Victory and history in sights of Brady bunch
TOM Brady and the New England Patriots will have a slew of records in their sights today as they aim to defend their Super Bowl crown against a Philadelphia Eagles team chasing a first ever win.
Brady, 40, will become the oldest quarterback in history to win the Lombardi Trophy if he successfully leads the Patriots to a record-equalling sixth title. A sixth title for Brady would also give him more Super Bowl rings than any other player in history, taking him one clear of San Francisco 49ers great Charles Haley.
Win or lose, Brady will become the oldest non-kicker to play in the showpiece when he suits today, 16 years after guiding the Patriots to his first Super Bowl triumph, a 20-17 defeat of the St Louis Rams in 2002.
More than 100 million households in the US are expected to tune in for Brady’s latest tilt with Father Time, ending a tumultuous NFL season rocked by player protests and a feud with President Donald Trump.
Trump triggered a backlash across the NFL last September after disparaging mostly African-American players who refused to stand for the national anthem in a protest against social injustices. Advertisers are expected to steer clear of politically charged TV ads, in contrast to last year, when issues such as immigration and women’s rights were tackled.
Today’s finale comes one year after Brady inspired New England to the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, when the Patriots overturned a 28-3 third-quarter deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime. Since then the veteran quarterback has shown no signs of being on the wane.
Yesterday, he became the oldest recipient of the NFL’s Player of the Year award, the third time he has won the honour. It follows a season in which Brady threw for 4577 yards and 32 touchdowns with eight interceptions.
“I don’t think much about legacy, I never have,” Brady said. “My motivation comes from just trying to be the best I can be for this team.”