NFL 2016

[Kazmyr]

I do think he's good. He's one of the greats. I'm just not sure he's The Greatest.

The Pats won a whole lot of games without him in the past few years.

I'd pump the brakes on the 'whole lot of games' in Brady's absence.

[SilverEagle]

I do think he's good. He's one of the greats. I'm just not sure he's The Greatest.

The Pats won a whole lot of games without him in the past few years.

I'd pump the brakes on the 'whole lot of games' in Brady's absence.

I can't wait for the season when the Pats turn into the Cowboys of the early 2000's. Starting next season would be fine with me.

[Kazmyr]

I can't wait for the season when the Pats turn into the Cowboys of the early 2000's. Starting next season would be fine with me.

It's going to happen, because when Brady hangs it up, so too will Belichick and Adams, in all likelihood. At that point, point everyone else can OD on the schadenfreude.

Although, I think you still got a few more seasons to wait, SE (unless Brady goes the way of Frankenstein's Monster in DEN).

Report: Patriots Expect Brady to Play 3-5 More Years

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Pats believe Brady will play three to five more seasons, which means they will consider trading backup Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason.

[SuburbanFarmer]

I do think he's good. He's one of the greats. I'm just not sure he's The Greatest.

The Pats won a whole lot of games without him in the past few years.

I'd pump the brakes on the 'whole lot of games' in Brady's absence.

2008 - Brady tears an ACL, Matt Cassel takes them 11-5.
2016 - Brady suspended 4 games, team goes 3-1 with Garappolo

He's not irreplaceable, dudes. If belichek sticks around for a year after Brady leaves, we'll get a pretty clear answer to this question.

[Kazmyr]

I do think he's good. He's one of the greats. I'm just not sure he's The Greatest.

The Pats won a whole lot of games without him in the past few years.

I'd pump the brakes on the 'whole lot of games' in Brady's absence.

2008 - Brady tears an ACL, Matt Cassel takes them 11-5.
2016 - Brady suspended 4 games, team goes 3-1 with Garappolo

He's not irreplaceable, dudes. If belichek sticks around for a year after Brady leaves, we'll get a pretty clear answer to this question.

2008 - Brady done for season, gives keys to high-powered Patriots offense that, the previous year, was nearly first in almost all offensive categories, to Cassel. Patriots proceed to miss the playoffs (one of two instances since 2001).
2016 - Garoppolo only plays 1.5 games (quite well, I might add). Brisette gets help by being given a huge lead in the Miami game and by Houston shitting the bed. Brisette tries to QB against Buffalo and the Pats get shit-whipped.

You take any of the back-ups that have been on the Patriots roster since 2001 and plug them in as your QB for those 16 seasons and I can guarantee you that the Patriots don't nearly have the same level of success that they have had. Best bet would be Garoppolo and even then, it's still not close.

[Okeefenokee]

Not a Patriots fan here at all.

But Brady is the greatest and Belichek is the greatest coach. Period.

I'm not ready to concede the first point - I still think Manning was the better QB. Montana and some others are comparable as well.

But I firmly believe there's never been a system like Belichek and Co. - even if they do cut corners from time to time. They're the best analytical and strategic group that's ever managed a game.

Manning doesn't come close.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Not a Patriots fan here at all.

But Brady is the greatest and Belichek is the greatest coach. Period.

I'm not ready to concede the first point - I still think Manning was the better QB. Montana and some others are comparable as well.

But I firmly believe there's never been a system like Belichek and Co. - even if they do cut corners from time to time. They're the best analytical and strategic group that's ever managed a game.

Manning doesn't come close.

Peyton, not Eli. Why not? Total yardage, pass completions, etc etc

The biggest thing for me is that Peyton was his own OC for most of his career. That dude was playing chess on every damn snap. It's fascinating to watch.

[Okeefenokee]

I'm not ready to concede the first point - I still think Manning was the better QB. Montana and some others are comparable as well.

But I firmly believe there's never been a system like Belichek and Co. - even if they do cut corners from time to time. They're the best analytical and strategic group that's ever managed a game.

Manning doesn't come close.

Peyton, not Eli. Why not? Total yardage, pass completions, etc etc

The biggest thing for me is that Peyton was his own OC for most of his career. That dude was playing chess on every damn snap. It's fascinating to watch.

That defense that you saw hold Brady scoreless for a good portion of the game the other night, it bent Manning over royally in it's first year under Shanahan. That was when it was brand new. Four years later, at it's peak, well, you saw what Brady ended up doing to it.

Edit: Nolan, not Shanahan.

[The Conservative]

I do think he's good. He's one of the greats. I'm just not sure he's The Greatest.

The Pats won a whole lot of games without him in the past few years.

Few years? Ummmm... since when?

[The Conservative]

Manning doesn't come close.

Peyton, not Eli. Why not? Total yardage, pass completions, etc etc

The biggest thing for me is that Peyton was his own OC for most of his career. That dude was playing chess on every damn snap. It's fascinating to watch.

That defense that you saw hold Brady scoreless for a good portion of the game the other night, it bent Manning over royally in it's first year under Shanahan. That was when it was brand new. Four years later, at it's peak, well, you saw what Brady ended up doing to it.

Edit: Nolan, not Shanahan.

Brady and the rest of the team... it wasn't just Brady... hence why he gave his truck to White... because without White, the Pats wouldn't have won.