re: Tom Brady has made the Conference Championship game in 14 of his 19 seasons as a starter

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I always wondered what would happen to Brady if he was drafted by Washington or Cincinnati.

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Hard to say, but the Patriots had historically been pretty bottom tier. Parcells and Pete Carroll were the coaches there before Belichick, and Parcells did make one Super Bowl with Bledsoe. If Bledsoe doesn't get injured and Brady never gets to start, I think Belichick probably get fired in 2001. Robert Kraft was not known as a patient owner. Pete Carroll had never even had a losing season, went 8-8 in 1999, and Kraft fired him mainly because he didn't make the playoffs with a top 10 defense and Pro Bowl QB in Bledsoe. Belichick first season was an abysmal 5-11 and he started 2001 0-2. He also inherited some Hall of Fame talent developed by both Parcells and Pete Carroll. New England already had the 7th best in the league defense when Belichick got there, and the core of that defense that anchored three Super Bowls was installed by Pete Carroll. Drew Bledsoe was only 27 and was considered by many an elite QB, but Belichick started 5-13 with that roster. Tom Brady probably saved Belichick's career as viable candidate for a head coaching job in the league. I doubt he even gets another look after the Jets fiaco and spurning Bill Parcells.

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Cinderella situation?

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Yes as in magical for 20 straight years. Look, his ability is not in question. Brady is talented but I don't turn a blind eye on how he was able to "achieve" his success. The officials helped him alot.

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Indeed, since 2011, the Pats have hosted 12 playoff games, during which they have been penalized 24 percent less, for 34 percent less yards, than their opponents. In other words, for every 2 yards the Patriots lose on penalties in Foxborough, they gain 3 yards back on the road team’s infractions.

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I can't give him the goat status. He's always had a top defense to win games for him. Or had flags thrown to give him one more chance, or the other team just gives it to him. The other greats never had that. If they didn't put the team on their backs and win, they were fricked. We saw it with every other QB in the NFL.

Look how many times Brees drove his team down the field and scored in the last minute only to watch his team give it away. Countless. Then as his arm got weaker and he forced passes he shouldn't, he looked like Favre, Montana, Marino with INTs. Nothing to help them out. Either they went out there and won or they were doomed. No refs to step in, no defense to get them the ball back 4 times etc.

Im looking at the whole picture. Brady isn't the best. I'd say the same thing if this was Brees that had the same career.

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Well yes most teams that win Super Bowls have great defenses. Montana won 4 Super Bowls in SF.

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Correct. So how are you going to convince me Brady is the greatest? If he scores a Td or throws a pick 6, and his defense wins the game by scoring 3 TDs, that doesn't make him great. Nobody calls Trent Dilfer one of the greats. If greatness is measured by jewelry, and had Brady had the same backup QB for 20 years, we probably debating on which is the better QB.

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Correct. So how are you going to convince me Brady is the greatest? If he scores a Td or throws a pick 6, and his defense wins the game by scoring 3 TDs, that doesn't make him great. Nobody calls Trent Dilfer one of the greats. If greatness is measured by jewelry, and had Brady had the same backup QB for 20 years, we probably debating on which is the better QB.

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Look at Brady's stats in the playoffs. He's played a whole season worth of divisional playoff games and is 14-2 for 4,600 yards, 32 TD, 11 INT. So in 16 games against elite competition in the playoffs , his numbers are good enough to be top five this year in passing. That's elite. Even this year at 43 he finished second in the league in completions, second in TD's, third in passing yards, and third in first downs.

Even against the Saints, we can nitpick his stats but what needs to be mentioned is the fact that both Gronk and Godwin dropped TD's and Brate dropped a 40 yard bomb that hit him in the hands. Brady very easily could have had 4 TD 300 yard game against the Saints, but nah... all luck. Just a coincidence also the first year Brady leaves AFC East, Bills are one game from Super Bowl. Bills didn't make playoffs last year cause they got swept by Brady and the Pats. How many playoff caliber AFC East teams were eliminated by him? Bills were a good team last year too. Same thing with Tampa Bay. The moment he joins NFC South and breaks all their passing records, Bucs are suddenly good running Tom Brady offense. All just a coincidence and luck, I guess. Or maybe Bill Belichick is secretly coaching the Bucs. Could be... That must be it.

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Bills didn't make playoffs last year

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Yes they did. This is their 3rd playoff appearance in 4 years. They missed 2018, not last year. They took a giant step forward this year but I'm tired of people acting like this wasn't something that's been brewing for a while and something that came out of nowhere, it's a false narrative.

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They went from a road wild card team to hosting divisional home game

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Do you think that's because of Tom Brady? They play 14 games outside of the Patriots you know. Could it be that they became a much better team after adding Diggs and Allen taking a big step in his development?

And maybe, just maybe, the Pats had shite for weapons and thats why Tom (wisely) wanted to GTFO after going one and done against the Titans because he knew the doom that was headed for that Pats organization?

ETA: And that's not to take anything away from Tom, I think he's the GOAT. I just don't think we need to omit or skew details here, the Pats didn't look good last year and it didn't look any better going forward. Tom knew what he was doing going to a team with a plethora of offensive weapons. To his credit he took a talented team and made them more disciplined which has been their downfall, even Arians admits Tom is basically a coach. But the state of the Patriots this year, I don't think even Tom could save them or win the East over the Bills this year. And he knew that, which is why he bounced.

Brady made Charles Weis, Josh McDaniels and I’m sure others a lot of money.