Ranking top 5 seasons of Tom Brady's career
brady" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tom Brady is only a couple of seasons away from growing gray, but he's still taking hits, completing passes, and winning Super Bowls. Over the last 20 years, Brady has been about as perfect as any quarterback in NFL history. However, what are the most perfect years? Here's a look at the top five seasons of Tom Brady's career.
Tom Brady's career: the best seasons
#1 - 2020
There may be some recency bias in this choice, but even an objective look at what he did should be shocked at what he was able to accomplish. In 2020, Tom Brady was coming off a year in which he was bounced from the playoffs in their first game. It felt like the beginning of the end. Brady left the Patriots and landed in Tampa Bay.
He learned a new system under Bruce Arians, played through a fully torn MCL, and won the Super Bowl as a Wild Card, beating the best new quarterback of the last decade-plus. He became only the second quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two teams. Lastly, his career stats were the second-best in his career with 440 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
#2 - 2007
The best statistical season of Tom Brady's career came in 2007. This season, he threw for 50 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The Patriots went 16-0 and almost completed a perfect season. They would have, too, if not for the meddling of Eli Manning and the New York Giants.
This was when the Patriots had Randy Moss and were able to put up massive points. Bill Belichick handled the defense and the combination led to a goliath unlike few in NFL history.
#3 - 2016
Brady only played in 12 regular-season games in 2016 due to a deflate-gate suspension, but he made them count. This season, he threw for an eye-popping 28 touchdowns and two interceptions. Like every other year on this list, Tom Brady's team made the Super Bowl.
They faced the Atlanta Falcons and led arguably the greatest comeback in NFL history. Down 28-3, the Patriots flipped a switch towards the end of the third quarter and played perfectly, forcing the only overtime in Super Bowl history. The Patriots emerged victorious and the Atlanta Falcons have not been the same since.
#4 - 2001
One cannot forget the beginning. 2001 was Tom Brady's first full season as a starter and it ended as his first Super Bowl victory. He only threw for 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, but the quarterback was 11-3 in 14 games that year and led the Patriots through the playoffs to a victory over the St. Louis Rams.
#5 - 2014
Tom Brady had an average season, throwing for 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions. The Patriots went 12-4 and eventually played their way to the Super Bowl. They faced the Seattle Seahawks, who were riding high after dominating the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl one year prior. However, this game was much closer.
The Seahawks made it to the goal line with only seconds left in the game. Instead of running the ball with Marshawn Lynch, the Seahawks decided to throw. Malcolm Butler intercepted the ball, creating one of the most infamous plays in Super Bowl history. Basically, Tom Brady had a great year and set up one of the most infamous plays in the history of the NFL. That was enough to make the top five.