The NFL world reacted quickly and with great respect to the (official) news that Tom Brady has announced his retirement.
As we’re all looking to Senior Bowl Week, the ramp-up to Super Bowl LVI, and draft season for the fans of most teams, there was other news from the NFL on Tuesday. A sixth-round quarterback from the year 2000 announced his retirement (officially), and it was kind of a big deal.
Tom Brady, unquestionably the greatest quarterback in NFL history, hung ’em up after 22 of the most remarkable seasons we’ll see in any sport.
As expected, the NFL world reacted quickly and with great respect.
One play after Tom Brady broke Drew Brees’ all-time passing yardage mark, he very nearly lost it.
It was of course poetic that Tom Brady broke Drew Brees’ NFL record for passing yardage in a career against the Patriots. That happened on a 28-yard pass from Brady to receiver Mike Evans, and at that point, Brady had 80,359 yards to Brees’ 80,358. It took a second for the officials to figure out where the ball should be spotted, so we didn’t know at first that Brady had broken the record, but eventually, the officials made it… official.
The Buccaneers took a timeout after that, and on the Buccaneers’ next play from scrimmage, Brady threw a quick receiver screen to Antonio Brown. Cornerback Jonathan Jones was all over it, and were it not for the efforts of receiver Chris Godwin, who got a hand on Jones and moved him out of the way, Brown could have easily lost yardage on the play.
It would have been an inauspicious follow-up to Brady’s command of yet another all-time record. Today, we warned the Steelers about the futility of flat passes to running back Najee Harris, and the same might be said of quick passes behind the line of scrimmage from Brady to Brown.
Bill Belichick had the highest praise for Peyton Manning this week, though Tom Brady waits in the wings as Belichick’s most dangerous opponent.
Throughout his NFL career, Peyton Manning faced the New England Patriots 19 times. His Colts and Broncos teams won six games to 13 losses, and in those games, Manning completed 453 of 723 passes for 5,316 yards, 43 touchdowns, 26 interceptions, and a passer rating of 89.8. This included five postseason games from 2004 through 2016 — Manning’s teams won three of those games, including the 2015 AFC Championship game victory that led Manning to his final Super Bowl, his final Super Bowl win, and his final game.
This week, on the occasion of Manning’s induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Bill Belichick was effusive in his praise of Manning.
“He is definitely the best quarterback I’ve coached against,” Belichick told Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. “There have been quarterbacks who called their own plays, but it was nowhere near the same as what he did. He basically called every play by adjusting and/or changing the play once he saw what the defense was doing. He excelled at using the cadence and recognizing blitzes, and more than any one single offensive player, he forced us to change and adapt defensive game plans.”
Fair points all, though Manning’s streak as the best quarterback Belichick has ever gameplanned against will likely take a hit leading up to Week 4 of the 2021 season. That’s when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel to Gillette Stadium, and Belichick will have to array his defense against Tom Brady — who, you may remember, had a fairly successful run with Belichick over the years.
Tom Brady tweeted his support for former Georgia Bulldog Richard Seymour for the NFL Hall of Fame. Details here
The 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021 were announced on Jan. 5. The list includes first-ballot nominees quarterback Peyton Manning, wide receiver Calvin Johnson, defensive back Charles Woodson and defensive end Jared Allen among others.
First-ballot players always seem to get the most recognition, but one name that stands out to many, including DawgNation and even Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback and Patriot legend Tom Brady, is former Georgia Bulldog and New England Patriot defensive tackle Richard Seymour.
Aug. 17, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive tackle (92) Richard Seymour in the second half against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Raiders 31-27. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Seymour was drafted by New England No. 6 overall in the 2001 NFL draft and went on to be named a three-time first-team All-Pro selection, three-time Super Bowl champion, seven-time Pro Bowler and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2000s All-Decade Team.
I would love to see Richard Seymour inducted into NFL HOF. Not only was he a dominant player but a team-first, selfless player who played championship fb each & every wk. He was a cornerstone of the Patriots dynasty & deserves to be recognized for his contributions to fb history
Seymour was named to the Patriots Hall of Fame for his eight seasons in New England.
thx TB12 the goat 🐐. go win lucky number 7 you always make us proud! playing against you for 12 years made me better… if i wasn't held by 2/3 guys on the helmet catch this would be #8 @elimanning 🙃🤭 https://t.co/t2hIMKNS1H
During his career at Georgia (1997-2000), Seymour, a Gadsen, S.C. native played 41 games, racking up 223 tackles (106 solo), 9.5 sacks, 25.5 tackles for losses and 35 quarterback pressures, earning All-SEC first team honors in 1999 and 2000 and was named First-Team All-American in 2000.
Make sure and check out the new episode of UGA Football Live with J.C. Shelton! This week I talk about Dawgs who are coming back for next season and give out more of our season superlatives. Listen here:
