Brady moves on, making history with every throw

Tom Brady is one win away from the Super Bowl, two wins away from a seventh ring.

If that doesn’t get you excited about the final weeks of the strangest NFL season ever, perhaps the thought of Brady heading to Green Bay next weekend to take on Aaron Rodgers and the Packers will.

Lambeau Field will be as unfamiliar for Brady as putting on the Tampa Bay uniform was to begin the year. But the situation won’t be, with Brady set to play in his 14th conference title game, his first as a member of the NFC.

Best of all, he’ll do it without the dour Bill Belichick there to grab any of the glory.

The greatest ever? Uh, yeah, but was that ever really in doubt?

Certainly not after taking down Drew Brees and the Saints on

Sunday in the Superdome. Surely not when Brady can still deliver touchdown passes and find a way to win at the age of 43 in the rookie year of his second career at Tampa Bay.

No, it wasn’t exactly the Brady of old against Brees and the Saints. He barely glanced deep down the field and didn’t need to guide his team to one of his patented last-minute drives to win.

But he was steady, and he didn’t make many mistakes. And on a day when fellow 40-something Brees threw three interceptions — including one in the fourth quarter that Brady and the Bucs quickly cashed in on — that was plenty enough for a 30-20 win.

Just another Sunday at the office for a quarterback whose postseason credentials may never be challenged.

“There’s only four teams left and we’re one of them,’’

Brady said. “I’m just so proud of everyone, our organization. It’s a really unique team.’’

His team in New England was unique, too, going to nine Super Bowls with Brady under center and winning six of them. Brady’s legacy was secure before he decided to leave the icy northeast and take up residence in sunny Florida, but there were still questions that followed him to Tampa Bay.

Chief among them was who was most responsible for the great run in New England, the quarterback or the coach.

One season didn’t totally answer that, but it should be noted that the Patriots aren’t in the playoffs and Brady is one game away from the Super Bowl with a team that went 7-9 the year before he arrived. No wonder he was all smiles in the Zoom call that followed the game.

“It feels great to beat a great football team,’’ Brady said. “That’s what feels best.’’