Tom Brady’s perfect QB: Eli Manning’s lucky gene, Patrick Mahomes’ vision, Lamar Jackson’s speed, Steve Young’s elusiveness, and Aaron Rodgers’ arm (Image via Pinterest: Tom Brady)
“His vision of 53 and a third wide [from sideline to sideline], and all the way to the depth, and the ability to throw to all the different locations. Jackson’s career-high top speed during an NFL game play was 21.85 miles per hour. He frequently exceeds 20 miles per hour on open-field runs and pocket scrambles. He holds several quarterback rushing milestones, including becoming the first QB in NFL history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Young was sacked 358 times, which is almost 8 percent over his 15-year career. Dan Marino has the lowest all-time sack rate, and today, Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos and Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines Aaron Rodgers of the Pittsburgh Steelers have a 2.8 to 3.4 percent sack rate.
This could have left a sour taste in Brady’s mouth because, when it came to choosing special quarterback skills for every past and present signal-caller, he just said that his biggest rival, Eli Manning, was lucky!
Brady smiled his humblest smile and said, “Well, you didn’t bring up a lucky gene! There are two schools of thought on the “lucky” part. One says there were miracle plays, like then-New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning’s throw to wide receiver David Tyree that resulted in a helmet catch, which required Tyree to pin the ball against his helmet while being tackled by New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison and others. Another school of thought says that the Giants’ ferocious pass rush constantly harassed Brady. And his spatial awareness on the field when defenders are near him and how close they are…he just has the most poise in the pocket,” Brady said. And I’ve watched a lot of quarterbacking over the years,” Brady said. The seven-time Super Bowl champion said that the most untackleable quarterback was Steve Young [retired now]. “His feet were ridiculous, perfect for that West Coast offense,” Brady said. “The guy that followed Brett Favre – Aaron Rodgers, to me, could get the ball from his fingertips into the chest of the receiver as fast as anybody I’ve ever seen in terms of throwing the football,” Brady said. Rodgers has built his NFL career on rare accuracy, exceptional touch, and complete command of ball placement, according to QB1ROOM.
It’s natural to say a rival has been lucky. That’s it. Nothing else. At the end of the Dank interview, where Dank asked Tom Brady to name several quarterbacks based on their special quarterback skills, Dank asked Brady if there was no room for Eli Manning. One that just somehow seemed to bounce his way at the right time, ‘cause that would be Eli Manning. Next up was Patrick Mahomes’ field vision and ability to see plays as they develop. Mahomes has elite field vision. He combines spatial awareness, pre-snap processing, and the rare ability to manipulate defenders with his eyes. He routinely moves safeties with a glance in one direction before zipping a pass to the opposite side of the field. He maintains clear downfield vision while scrambling or spinning out of pressure. This allows him to spot open receivers when plays break down. He also senses the pass rush instinctively while keeping his eyes up and scanning the field rather than looking at the pass rushers. Lamar Jackson’s speed is unbelievable. “What he does in terms of his elusiveness in the open field. I’ve seen him make moves that I’ve never seen anyone make. When he reached that career-high top speed, he joked that he was merely jogging! He possesses elite burst and lateral quickness, which allows him to instantly flip the field on broken plays. He combines rare body control, vision, and change-of-direction skills to leave defenders gasping for air in tight spaces. Apart from open-field elusiveness, Jackson has dual-threat dominance. Steve Young’s elusiveness was defined by his cat-like agility, impeccable speed, and uncanny knack for bouncing off defenders. He could escape collapsing pockets, change direction instantly, and break multiple tackles while zig-zagging downfield. He read defensive pressure instantly. It allowed him to escape collapsing pockets before defenders could converge. Young played for the San Francisco 49ers and is a three-time Super Bowl champion. Almost un-tackle-able! For throwing power, Aaron Rodgers comes to Tom Brady’s mind. He can drive throws through tight windows. He can feather passes over linebackers. And he can deliver perfectly timed shots along the sideline. What separates Rodgers is how consistently he protects the football while still attacking difficult areas of the gridiron. His quick release, balanced mechanics, and ability to throw from multiple platforms make him dangerous even when a play breaks down. Whether he is rolling left, escaping pressure, or operating from the pocket, Rodgers gives receivers catchable passes and defenders almost no margin for error. His precision remains as elite as ever. Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
Today, Tom Brady could have been a nine-time Super Bowl champion, but Eli Manning defeated him not once, but twice.