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Tom Brady and his 44-year-old body will run out onto a football field tonight the same way he has seven other times during his now 21-year career – as the defending Super Bowl champion.
He and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammates will be back at Raymond James Stadium, where they beat the Chiefs just last February for the second Super Bowl title in the franchise’s history, to face Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys in the 2021 season opener that will be watched by millions and millions of people.
And I have to think that a lot of those people will be thinking the same things that I’ll be thinking about as Brady steps back under center – there’s no way he can do this again, right? There’s no way he can go out there and get another Super Bowl ring, right? There’s no way the GOAT can continue to play at the GOAT level, right?
History has shown that doubting Brady isn’t the smartest thing in the world to do – just ask ESPN’s Max Kellerman, who wrote Brady off about three Super Bowl wins ago.
Brady does have a couple of things going against him this year, starting with the fact that no team has won back-to-back Super Bowl titles since the 2003 and 2004 seasons when… Brady led the New England Patriots to back-to-back Super Bowl titles. It’s a very hard thing to pull off these days, especially when you’re 44 years old.
He also now has the challenge of playing a 17-game regular season, which the NFL is doing for the first time this year. One extra game might not sound like a lot but it is more wear and tear on everyone involved and could prove to be why Brady might not being the last QB standing in February.
Brady does however have a some good advantages going his way, too. The Bucs have brought back every big-name player from last year’s team and are poised to run it back with a team that peaked at the right time last year.
Brady also has a defense that was dominant down the stretch last year and gave Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes fits in the playoffs and Super Bowl.
Doubting Mr. Pliability is never a good thing to do and it seems like that sentiment remains the same heading into another football season for the QB who was taken with the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft.
He was written off by many people, including myself, during parts of last season when he seemed off and old – like the time when he forgot what down it was late in a loss against the Bears.
Lots of us piled on Brady, thinking his days of being a champion were over. Father Time, as we all know, is undefeated but Father Time did take a few lumps late last year from Brady as he won road playoff games in New Orleans and Green Bay before throwing three TD passes in the 31-9 victory over the Chiefs.
So can Brady really do this again?
I’m not gonna be foolish here and doubt the GOAT. Everything points to another good year for a guy who lives to stare down a challenge and overcome it on the biggest of stages. He’s done that so many times during his legendary career and I don’t see why he doesn’t do it again here in the year of 2021.
The Bucs will be contenders again and No. 12 will be a big reason why.
Football is back tonight. The old man is back tonight. And the start of another NFL season is giving me life this morning.
As Brady would say… LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Quick hits: NFL Week 1 picks against the spread… Jeter takes playoff shot at HOF voter… College football watch grid… And more.
– Charles Curtis and Charles McDonald have their Week 1 NFL picks against the spread.
– Jason Kirk is back with his college football Week 2 watch grid, which you should definitely check out in order to get ready for more college football.
– The great Derek Jeter was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame yesterday and during his speech he took a playful shot at the one writer who snubbed him.
– Michelle Martinelli has 5 things you need to know about Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s upcoming lone race of the 2021 NASCAR season.
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