NFL analysts agree in Broncos RB comparison to Tom Brady’s right-hand back
Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Russell Wilson all have a history with the Denver Broncos on some of the biggest stages in sports. Two NFL analysts have now added an additional wrinkle to such a tangled backstory for the team.
In the final go-ahead drive of the Broncos' game against the Minnesota Vikings, Samaje Perine received the ball on seemingly every play until the dagger Courtland Sutton catch. As the comeback was unfolding, the foundation was laid for Kyle Brandt and Peter Schrager to compare James White, one of Tom Brady's more clutch running backs, to Perine. Here's how Brandt put it:
"[00:01:31] Reminds me of James White on the Patriots. [00:01:32]"
Schrager echoed the sentiment before crediting Denver for clawing their way back from the brink:
"[00:01:32] A lot of James White in Samaje. ... I'm proud to wear a Russell Wilson jersey this morning. They were 1-5. They're 5-5. They're rolling. [00:01:51]"
Exploring Tom Brady's history against the Denver Broncos
The core of the quarterback's history against the Denver Broncos lands roughly in the middle of the John Elway and Russell Wilson eras.
Before the start of the 2010s, the Broncos were just another footnote in Tom Brady's rise. They had never ruined a run or otherwise significantly impacted the team in a negative fashion.
That first changed when the team hired Brady's offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as the team's head coach in 2009. He stayed with the team for just a season and a half, but it was a poaching that ultimately made the Patriots play left-handed.
Then, when the team received Peyton Manning, the Patriots and Broncos were two of the biggest powerhouses in the first half of the 2010s. During that time, Manning reached two Super Bowls instead of Tom Brady. In their final showdown in the 2015 AFC Championship, Manning ended Brady's season before hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in his final game.
Just as Manning was exiting, James White was entering. White's first year with Brady came in 2014 and his first meaningful season was in 2015. During the team's second Super Bowl surge in the second half of the 2010s, White proved instrumental in many clutch playoff performances.
While he never crossed 1,000 rushing yards in a season (his best was 751 in 2018), he served as the clutch bonus lever the team could pull to catch a defense off guard at the worst moment. His final season was in 2021.
If any of the above quotes are used, credit Good Morning Football and H/T Sportskeeda.