JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Tom Brady did not win the third Super Bowl MVP award of his career Sunday night.
But he did just about everything else. Brady was 23-of-33 for 236 yards and two touchdowns.
After a quietly efficient first half that featured a touchdown pass, Brady led the Patriots to touchdowns on their first and third possessions of the second half, breaking a tie each time, and a field goal on the fourth possession.
The second-half outburst started innocuously, with Brady throwing an 8-yard pass to wide receiver Deion Branch. Three completions later (all of them to Branch), the Patriots again were in position to score, and Brady capped off the drive with a 2-yard pass to Mike Vrabel, a linebacker who was lined up at tight end. Vrabel also caught a touchdown pass from Brady in last season’s Super Bowl.
On the next scoring drive, which put New England up 21-14, Brady completed all four of his attempts, including a 14-yard screen to running back Kevin Faulk, who was stopped at Philadelphia’s 2-yard line. Corey Dillon capped the drive with a 2-yard run.
Few, if any, expected Brady to mature into such a superstar.
The Patriots used the 199th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft to select Brady, a native of San Mateo, Calif., who started the starting job at Michigan.
Then, after attempting only three passes during his rookie season, he emerged on the scene when starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe sustained an injury early in the 2001 season. He led the Patriots to their first-ever world championship with his MVP performance in Super Bowl MVP.
After winning Super Bowl XXXVIII last year, Brady threw for 3,692 yards and 28 touchdowns against 14 interceptions this season.
He was similarly impressive Sunday night, even after he was charged with a lost fumble on a botched handoff to Faulk.
Brady responded on the next New England possession, leading the Patriots to a seven-play, 37-yard drive that featured five completions, including a 4-yard touchdown throw to wide receiver David Givens late in the first half.
The quarterback had delivered when his team needed him most. New England had trailed 7-0, and Givens’ score tied the game at 7. The Patriots never would trail again.
A spectacular performance by Branch-a Super Bowl-record 11 receptions-denied Brady his second consecutive MVP trophy, a feat only Green Bay’s Bart Starr and Pittsburgh’s Terry Bradshaw have achieved.
Brady averaged 7.2 yards per completion-nothing spectacular but effective. But Brady now has earned his third Super Bowl ring. Bradshaw and San Francisco’s Joe Montana are the only other starting quarterbacks who have accomplished that feat.
And, now, Brady may have ensured himself a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
He held the Vince Lombardi Trophy during the post-game ceremony at midfield, a smile on his face and confetti everywhere. At the time, it was all too easy to believe he just might win a few more championships along the way.
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(c) 2005, The Orlando Sentinel (Fla.).
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AP-NY-02-06-05 2312EST
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