Tom brady playoff stats

American football player (born 1977)

This article is about the American football player. For other people named Tom Brady, see Thomas Brady.

American football player

Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional footballquarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots and was a central contributor to the franchise's dynasty from 2001 to 2019. In his final three seasons, he was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady is widely regarded as the greatest quarterback of all time.^[3]

After playing college football for the Michigan Wolverines, Brady was selected 199th overall by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft, later earning him a reputation as the NFL's biggest draft steal.^[4][5][6] He became the starting quarterback during his second season, which saw the Patriots win their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXVI. As the team's primary starter for 18 seasons,^[a] Brady led the Patriots to 17 division titles (including 11 consecutive from 2009 to 2019), 13 AFC Championship Games (including eight consecutive from 2011 to 2018), nine Super Bowl appearances, and six Super Bowl titles, all NFL records for a player and franchise.^[b] He joined the Buccaneers in 2020 and won Super Bowl LV, extending his individual records to 10 Super Bowl appearances and seven victories.^[9] In 2024, Brady became the lead color commentator for the NFL on Fox^[10][11] and a partial owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Brady holds many major quarterback records, including most career passing yards, completions, touchdown passes, and games started. He is the NFL leader in career quarterback wins, quarterback regular season wins, quarterback playoff wins, and Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards, and the only Super Bowl MVP for two different franchises. Additional accolades held by Brady include the most Pro Bowl selections and the first unanimous NFL MVP. The only quarterback to win a Super Bowl in three separate decades, Brady is also noted for the longevity of his success. He was the oldest NFL MVP at age 40, the oldest Super Bowl MVP at age 43, and the oldest quarterback selected to the Pro Bowl at age 44.^[12][13] Brady is the only NFL quarterback named to two all-decade teams (2000s and 2010s)^[14] and was unanimously named to the 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019.

Early life

Brady was born in San Mateo, California, on August 3, 1977, the only son and fourth child of Galynn Patricia (née Johnson) and Thomas Brady Sr.^[15] Brady was raised as a Catholic. His mother has Swedish, Norwegian, German, and Polish ancestry, while his father is of Irish descent. Brady has said that his father is 100% Irish ^[16][17][18]

In the 1980s, Brady regularly attended San Francisco 49ers games at Candlestick Park, where he was a fan of quarterback Joe Montana; Brady has called Montana his idol and one of his inspirations.^[19] At age four, Brady attended the 1981 NFC Championship, against the Dallas Cowboys, in which Montana threw "The Catch" to Dwight Clark.^[20] As a child, Brady attended football camp at the College of San Mateo, where he was taught to throw the football by camp counselor and future NFL/AFL quarterback Tony Graziani.^[21] Despite the rivalry between the two teams, Brady grew up as a Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics fan.^[22]

Brady attended Junípero Serra High School in San Mateo, where he graduated in 1995.^[23] He played football, basketball, and baseball in high school. He played against Bellarmine College Preparatory rival Pat Burrell in both football and baseball.^[24] Brady began his football career as the backup quarterback on the Padres junior varsity team. At first, Brady was not good enough to start on the 0–8 junior varsity team, which had not scored a touchdown all year.^[25] Brady ascended to the starting position when the starting quarterback was injured. He became the varsity starter in his junior year and held the position until he graduated.^[26] By Brady's senior year, he was striving to be noticed by college coaches. He created highlight tapes and sent them to schools he considered attending.^[27] This led to strong interest from many football programs.

The process of recruiting was much different during Brady's time when athletes' rankings were not as prominent. In terms of recruiting in the 2000s, Brady would have been considered a three or four-star recruit.^[28] He was a highly rated prospect.^[29] Brady was also on Blue Chip Illustrated as well as a Prep Football Report All-American selection.^[30] After his recruiting process, he narrowed his list to five schools.^[31] "Probably the ones that we did hear from and ultimately pared the list to were Cal–Berkeley, UCLA, USC, Michigan and Illinois," his father said.^[31] As a Cal-Berkeley fan, his father hoped that Brady would attend the nearby school, where Brady was a silent commit, and that he would be able to watch his son play.^[32][33]

Brady was also known as a great baseball player in high school.^[34] He was a left-handed-batting catcher with power. His skills impressed MLB scouts, and he was drafted in the 18th round of the 1995 MLB Draft by the Montreal Expos,^[25][35] after the team brought Brady to Candlestick Park to work out with players, a very unusual decision.^[36] The Expos projected Brady as a potential All-Star, with then-GM Kevin Malone claiming that he had the potential to be "one of the greatest catchers ever".^[37] The team offered him money typical of that offered to a late second-round or early third-round pick,^[38] but Brady was recruited by Michigan football assistant Bill Harris, signing to play for the University of Michigan in 1995.^[31][39] Brady would become the last active athlete drafted by the Expos.^[40] He finished his high school football career by completing 236 of 447 passes for 3,702 yards and 31 touchdowns.^[41] Brady also won All-State and All-Far West honors and the team's Most Valuable Player Award.^[42]

During summer 1998 and 1999, Brady was an intern at Merrill Lynch.^[43] He was inducted into the Junípero Serra High School Hall of Fame in 2003.^[42] When Brady visited the school in 2012, two weeks after Super Bowl XLVI, administrators announced that they named the football stadium Brady Family Stadium.^[44]

College career

Brady played college football at the University of Michigan for the Wolverines from 1995 to 1999.^[45][46] After redshirting in 1995,^[47] Brady spent the next two years as a backup quarterback, while teammate and future NFL quarterback Brian Griese led the 1997 Wolverines to an undefeated season, which was capped by a victory in the Rose Bowl and a share of the national championship.^[48] When he initially enrolled at Michigan, Brady was seventh on the depth chart, and struggled to get playing time.^[49] At one point, Brady hired a sports psychologist to help him cope with frustration and anxiety; he even considered transferring to the University of California, Berkeley.^[50][51] He worked closely with assistant athletic director Greg Harden, who met with Brady every week to build his confidence and to maximize his performance.^[52] Brady told 60 Minutes in 2014: "He will always be somebody I rely on for sound advice and mentorship. He has helped me with my own personal struggles in both athletics and in life. Greg really pushed me in a direction that I wasn't sure I could go."^[53]

On September 28, 1996, Brady appeared in his first collegiate game after Michigan was up 35–3 against UCLA late in the fourth quarter. His first-ever pass attempt was intercepted by Phillip Ward and returned for a 42-yard touchdown.^[54]

Under Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, Brady battled for the starting job with Drew Henson^[46] and ultimately started every game in the 1998 and 1999 seasons. Brady was All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention both seasons and was the team captain in his senior year.^[55]

During his first full year as the starter, he set new Michigan records for most pass attempts and completions in a season, for a total of 214.^[56] He set a school record for completions in a 31–16 loss against Ohio State in 1998, a season in which Michigan shared the Big Ten title.^[57] Brady capped that season with a 45–31 win over Arkansas in the Citrus Bowl.

In the 1999 season, Brady had to once again hold off Henson for the starting job. The two players platooned during the season's first seven games, with Brady playing the first quarter, Henson the second, and Carr then deciding upon a quarterback for the second half. The 1999 Michigan Wolverines started with a 5–0 record, including a 26–22 win over Notre Dame, and a road win against eventual powerhouse Wisconsin.^[59] Against Michigan State, Brady was not chosen to play the second half; however, after being reinserted into the game with Michigan down by 17 points, he nearly led Michigan all the way back before losing 34–31.^[60] After a 300-yard passing game the following week, Carr went exclusively with Brady for the remainder of the season. On October 30 against Indiana, Brady played the entire game for the first time in the season and threw for 226 yards, his fifth straight game throwing for 200 yards, to lead Michigan out of a close game, which ended in a 34–31 win.^[61] Against Penn State, Brady led Michigan to another 4th-quarter comeback in a 31–27 win, heading into the regular season's final game as winners of three straight.^[62]

Michigan concluded the regular season against Ohio State; this was a dramatic game with a trip to the Orange Bowl on the line. With five minutes left, tied 17–17, Brady led Michigan to the winning score.^[63] He led Michigan to an overtime win in the Orange Bowl over Alabama, throwing for 369 yards and four touchdowns, leading the team back from a pair of 14-point deficits in regulation (14–0 in the first half, and 28–14 in the second). He threw the game-winning score on a bootleg play to tight end Shawn Thompson. Michigan won the game when Alabama missed an extra point following its touchdown.^[64]

In the two seasons that Brady started at Michigan, he posted a 20–5 record, including wins at the 1999 Citrus Bowl and the 2000 Orange Bowl. Brady finished his career ranking third in Michigan history with 710 attempts and 442 completions, fourth with 5,351 yards and 62.3 completion percentage, and fifth with 35 touchdown passes.^[42][65] He graduated from Michigan in December 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies.^[66]

College statistics

Professional career

Overview

Brady's success as a passer has been attributed to his work ethic, competitive spirit, pocket awareness, and intelligence.^[67][68] Brady started 333 regular season and 48 playoff games. in 23 seasons, the most for an NFL quarterback. His first 20 seasons were with the Patriots, which is the most for an NFL quarterback with one franchise. He served as the primary starter in 21 of his seasons, holding a backup role during his rookie campaign and missing nearly all the 2008 season due to injury.^[69] The 2008 season marks the only time Brady did not start because of injury. During his 21 seasons as the primary starter, he missed the playoffs only once (in 2002) and had only one losing season (in 2022). Throughout his 23 seasons in the NFL, Brady never played a snap in which his team was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.^[70] With the Patriots, Brady led the team to 17 AFC East titles. He led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 to a wild card berth, the only time his team did not make the playoffs as a division winner, and NFC South titles the following two seasons.^[71]

The winningest quarterback in NFL history, Brady won 251 regular season games and 35 postseason games. Brady holds a .754 winning percentage. He is the only NFL quarterback to win 200 regular season games and his 35 postseason victories are more than twice those of any other quarterback. Brady is the only NFL quarterback to win all 16 regular season games (2007).^[73] In 2021, Brady became one of four quarterbacks to defeat all 32 NFL teams.^[c] Brady has the most Pro Bowl selections in NFL history at 15 and was named league MVP three times in 2007, 2010 and 2017.^[74][75] His 2010 MVP was awarded in a unanimous decision; the first time this distinction was achieved.^[76] Brady was named Male Athlete of the Year in 2007.^[77] He is one of only three players to win multiple NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP awards.^[d][78]

Brady's 21 seasons as the primary starter led to seven Super Bowl titles, the most of any player and more than any NFL franchise.^[80] Overall, he appeared in a record 10 Super Bowls; just under half of the seasons in which he was the primary starter and more than any NFL franchise other than the Patriots. He and Peyton Manning are the only starting quarterbacks to win the Super Bowl for more than one franchise, with Brady winning six for the Patriots and one for the Buccaneers. In his seven victories, Brady set the record for Super Bowl MVP awards with five.^[81] Having earned Super Bowl MVP honors with both New England and Tampa Bay, Brady is the only player to win the award with multiple franchises.^[82]

Holding nearly every major quarterback record, Brady is the regular season and playoff NFL leader in passing yards, attempts, and touchdown passes. He is the only NFL quarterback to have 600 passing touchdowns in the regular season. Brady holds regular and postseason records for completions.^[83][84][85] In his 333 career starts, he is the only NFL quarterback to have three separate streaks of consecutive starts of over 100 games. Brady's 111 consecutive starts from 2001 to 2008 ended because of his injury, and his 112 consecutive starts from 2009 to 2016 ended after he was suspended.^[42] For the remainder of his career, Brady had 110 consecutive starts from 2016 to 2022. His longevity led to him setting age records. Brady is the NFL's oldest quarterback to be named to the Pro Bowl (age 44), be named Super Bowl MVP (43), win a Super Bowl as the starting quarterback (43), and be named league MVP (40).^[86] Up until his retirement, he was the last player drafted before 2004 on an NFL roster.^[89][90][91]

On the Patriots, Brady and head coach Bill Belichick formed the NFL's most successful quarterback–head coach tandem.^[92] They were consistently credited with the Patriots' dynasty from 2001 to 2019, resulting in the dynasty being named the Brady–Belichick era after them.^{[93][94][95][96][97]} The dynasty is regarded as one of the greatest in sports history, with Brady's successes helping the Patriots set the records for Super Bowl appearances (11) and wins (6, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers).^[98] During Brady's first season as the primary starter, the franchise won its first championship in Super Bowl XXXVI, with consecutive titles following in 2003 and 2004.^[99][100] The Patriots won an NFL-record 21 consecutive games (regular season and playoffs) during this period, while Brady won 10 consecutive postseason games (also his first 10 postseason games), another NFL record.^[101][102]

Brady maintained the Patriots' status as perennial postseason contenders throughout his tenure, although they did not win another Super Bowl until a decade after their third. His next two appearances both ended in upset defeats to the New York Giants; the first loss in 2007's Super Bowl XLII also prevented Brady and the Patriots from obtaining a perfect 19–0 season.^[103] Brady returned to dominant postseason form in 2014 when he led the Patriots to their fourth title in Super Bowl XLIX.^[104] This was followed by Brady making three consecutive Super Bowl appearances from 2016 to 2018, which secured New England's fifth and sixth titles in Super Bowl LI and Super Bowl LIII.^[105]

When Brady signed with Tampa Bay in 2020, the team had not reached the postseason since 2007 or won a playoff game since 2002.^[106] Brady helped end both droughts en route to the Buccaneers winning Super Bowl LV.^[107] In 2021, he set the season record for completions and led the league in passing yards and touchdowns; his passing yards were also a career-high.^[108] In his final season, despite finishing with a losing record for the first time, Brady broke his single-season completion record and set the season record for attempts.^[109]

One of the NFL's most decorated and accomplished players, Brady is widely cited as the greatest quarterback of all time.^[3] He is one of NFL's greatest players of all time^{[110][111][112][113]} and one of the greatest athletes in sports history.^{[114][115][116][117]}

New England Patriots

2000–2004: Rookie season and initial Super Bowl runs

2000: Draft and rookie season on the bench

Brady was a lightly regarded prospect coming out of college,^[122] with an unimpressive NFL Scouting Combine performance reinforcing this reputation.^[123] As a result, he was not selected until the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft by the New England Patriots, 199th overall, a compensatory pick the Patriots earned due to the loss of punter Tom Tupa to free agency in 1999,^[124] and was the seventh quarterback taken. He and his family believed Brady would be drafted in the second or third round; they watched the draft on television, stunned as six other quarterbacks were drafted before he was. Brady was so embarrassed he briefly left the family home during the sixth round and cried when recalling the experience for an interview 11 years later. Brady later said that when the Patriots notified him that he would be drafted, he was grateful he would not "have to be an insurance salesman".^[125] According to Michael Holley's book Patriot Reign, the Patriots were considering Brady and Tim Rattay, both of whom had received positive reviews from then-quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein.^[126] Ultimately, the Patriots front office chose Brady. Considering his subsequent success, many analysts have called Brady the best NFL draft pick of all time.^{[127][128][129][130]} Patriots owner Robert Kraft recalled: "I still have the image of Tom Brady coming down the old Foxboro Stadium steps with that pizza box under his arm, a skinny beanpole, and when he introduced himself to me and said 'Hi Mr. Kraft,' he was about to say who he was, but I said 'I know who you are, you're Tom Brady. You're our sixth round draft choice,'" recalled Kraft. "And he looked me in the eye and said 'I'm the best decision this organization has ever made.' It looks like he could be right."^[131]

Brady started the 2000 season as the fourth-string quarterback, behind starter Drew Bledsoe and backups John Friesz and Michael Bishop; by the end of the season, he was number two on the depth chart behind Bledsoe.^[132] During his rookie season, he was 1-for-3 passing, for six yards.^[133] Tight end Rod Rutledge caught Brady's first and only completed pass of the season in a 34–9 loss to the Detroit Lions on November 23.^[134][135]

2001: Taking over as starter and first Super Bowl victory

With Bledsoe as the starting quarterback, the Patriots opened the 2001 season with a 23–17 road loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.^[136] In their second game and home opener on September 23, the Patriots squared off against their AFC East rivals, the New York Jets. Bledsoe was again the starter; in the fourth quarter, he suffered internal bleeding after a hit from Jets linebackerMo Lewis. Bledsoe returned for the next series, but was replaced with Brady for the Patriots' final series of the game. New York held on to win 10–3, and the Patriots fell to 0–2 on the season.^[137] Brady was named the starter for the season's third game, against the Indianapolis Colts, in which the Patriots posted a 44–13 win.^[138][139]

In the Patriots' fifth game, Brady began to find his stride. Trailing the visiting San Diego Chargers 26–16 in the fourth quarter, he led the Patriots on two scoring drives to force overtime, and another in overtime to set up a winning field goal for a 29–26 victory. Brady finished the game with 33 of 54, for 364 yards and two touchdowns, and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career.^[140][141] The following week, Brady again played well during the rematch at Indianapolis, with a passer rating of 148.3 in a 38–17 win.^[142] Brady won his second AFC Offensive Player of the Week nomination after a four-touchdown day in a 34–17 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 11.^[143] The Patriots went on to win eleven of the fourteen games Brady started, and six straight to finish the regular season, winning the AFC East and entering the NFL playoffs with a first-round bye.^[144] He finished the 2001 season with 2,843 passing yards and 18 touchdowns, earning an invitation to the Pro Bowl.^[145][146]

In Brady's first playoff game, he threw for 312 yards against the Oakland Raiders and led the Patriots back from a ten-point fourth-quarter deficit to send the game to overtime, where they won on an Adam Vinatieri field goal 16–13. A controversial play occurred in the fourth quarter of that game. Trailing by three points, Brady lost control of the ball after being hit by Raiders cornerback and former Michigan teammate Charles Woodson. Oakland initially recovered the ball but, citing the "tuck rule" – which states that any forward throwing motion by a quarterback begins a pass even if the quarterback loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body – referee Walt Coleman overturned the call on instant replay, ruling it an incomplete pass rather than a fumble.^[147] Brady finished the game 32-of-52 for 312 passing yards and one interception.^[148]

In the AFC Championship Game against the Steelers, Brady injured his knee, and was relieved by Bledsoe. The Patriots won the game by a score of 24–17.^[149] Subsequently, Las Vegas oddsmakers positioned them as 14-point underdogs against the NFC champion St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.^[150]

Brady returned from his knee injury in the AFC Championship Game to start in the Super Bowl a week later at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Despite being heavy underdogs, the Patriots played well, holding the Rams' high-powered offense in check through the first three quarters. The Rams rallied from a 17–3 deficit to tie the game with 1:30 left in regulation. The Patriots then got the ball back at their own 17-yard line with no timeouts remaining. Sportscaster and former Super Bowl-winning coach John Madden argued that the Patriots should run out the clock and try to win the game in overtime.^[151] Instead, Brady drove the Patriots' offense down the field to the Rams' 31-yard line before spiking the ball with seven seconds left. Kicker Adam Vinatieri converted a 48-yard field goal as time expired to give the Patriots a 20–17 win and their first ever league championship.^[152] When discussing the game winning drive, Madden stated that "what Tom Brady just did, gives me goosebumps".^[153] Brady was named Super Bowl MVP while throwing for 145 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. At the age of 24 years and six months, Brady became the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl, surpassing Joe Namath (III) and Joe Montana (XVI).^[154][155] Bledsoe was traded to the Buffalo Bills in April,^[156] which cemented Brady's status as the Patriots' starting quarterback in 2002.^[157]

2002 season

In the Patriots' season opener, Brady had 294 passing yards and three touchdowns in the 30–14 win over the Steelers, and earned his third AFC Offensive Player of the Week title.^[158][159] In Week 9, Brady won his second AFC Offensive Player of the Week title for a three-touchdown game in a 38–7 win over Buffalo.^[160] Brady and the Patriots finished the season at 9–7, tied with the Jets and Miami Dolphins for the best record in the division; however, the Patriots lost the division title to the Jets on tiebreakers. Additionally, the Patriots lost the tiebreaker to the Cleveland Browns for the final wild card spot, causing them to miss the playoffs entirely.^[161] Though Brady posted a career-low single-season passer rating of 85.7 and a career-high of 14 interceptions, he threw for a league-leading 28 touchdown passes.^[162]

2003 and 2004 seasons: Back-to-back Super Bowl wins

After opening the 2003 season at 2–2, Brady led the Patriots to twelve consecutive victories to finish the regular season at 14–2 to win the AFC East.^[163] In Week 14, a 12–0 victory over the Dolphins, he recorded a 36-yard punt.^[164] He won AFC Offensive Player of the Week twice in the 2003 season, in Week 9 and Week 17.^[165][166] Brady finished with 3,620 passing yards and 23 touchdowns,^[167] and was third in NFL MVP voting to co-winners Peyton Manning and Steve McNair.^[168]

After earning a first-round bye, the Patriots defeated the Tennessee Titans in the Divisional Round, 17–14. In the AFC Championship Game, they defeated the Colts, 24–14. In Super Bowl XXXVIII, Brady led the Patriots to a 32–29 victory over the NFC champion Carolina Panthers and was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time. During the game, Brady threw for 354 yards with three touchdowns and set the record for most completions by a quarterback in a Super Bowl with 32. With 1:08 left in the fourth quarter and the score tied 29–29, Brady led a drive with five completions to put the Patriots in position for the game-winning 41-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri.^[169]

During the 2004 season, Brady helped the Patriots set an NFL record with 21 straight wins dating from the previous year, an accomplishment honored in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (though for official records, the NFL considers it an 18-game regular season winning streak; it does not count playoff games).^[170] New England finished with a 14–2 record, equaling their 2003 record and the best regular-season record ever for a defending champion.^[171] The Patriots also won the AFC East title for the third time in four years.^[172] Brady threw for 3,692 yards and 28 touchdowns, with a 92.6 passer rating, and was voted to his second Pro Bowl.^[173][174]

In the playoffs, Brady led the Patriots to wins over the Colts in the Divisional Round by a score of 20–3 and the Steelers in the AFC Championship by a score of 41–27.^[175] Brady played his best game of the year in Pittsburgh despite requiring intravenous treatment the previous night when he ran a temperature of 103 °F.^[176] Against the NFL's best defense,^[175] he recorded a quarterback passer rating of 130.5, his highest of the season.^[138] In Super Bowl XXXIX, the Patriots narrowly defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 24–21, capturing their third championship in four years. They became the first franchise since the Dallas Cowboys to do so.^[177] Up until the 2023 season, the 2004 New England Patriots were the last NFL team to win a second straight Super Bowl. Brady threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns in the win.^[178]

2005–2008: Beginning of Super Bowl drought and injury

2005 and 2006 seasons

During the 2005 season, injuries suffered by running backs Corey Dillon, Patrick Pass, and Kevin Faulk forced the Patriots to rely more on Brady's passing.^[179][180] Brady also had to adjust to new center Russ Hochstein and running back Heath Evans. Brady won AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his Week 5 350-yard, three-touchdown victory over the Falcons.^[181] Brady finished the season with 4,110 yards and 26 touchdowns, the former of which led the league.^[182][183] He and the Patriots finished with a 10–6 record, winning their third straight AFC East title.^[184] He was named to his third Pro Bowl at the end of the season.^[185]

In the playoffs, Brady recorded 201 passing yards and three passing touchdowns to help lead the Patriots to a 28–3 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card Round. In the Divisional Round the Patriots lost 27–13 to the Denver Broncos.^[186][187] Brady threw for 341 yards in the game with one touchdown and two interceptions in the first playoff loss of his career after ten consecutive victories.^[188] After the season's end, it was revealed that Brady had been playing with a sports hernia since December.^[189]

In 2006, Brady led the Patriots to a 12–4 record and the fourth seed in the AFC playoffs.^[190] Brady finished the regular season with 3,529 yards and 24 touchdowns.^[191] He was not among the players initially selected to the Pro Bowl,^[192] although he was offered an injury-replacement selection when Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers was forced to withdraw. Brady ended up declining the invitation.^[193]

In the postseason, the Patriots first hosted their division rivals, the Jets, in the Wild Card Round. The Patriots defeated the Jets 37–16, as Brady went 22–34 for 212 yards and two touchdowns.^[194] The Patriots traveled to San Diego to take on the Chargers in the Divisional Round. This was Brady's first playoff game in his home state of California. Brady and the Patriots struggled against the Chargers, whom many had picked as favorites to win Super Bowl XLI. With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Patriots down by eight points, Brady and the Patriots started a key drive that would ultimately decide the game. During the drive, Brady threw a fourth-down interception to safety Marlon McCree, but wide receiver Troy Brown forced a fumble on McCree that wide receiver Reche Caldwell recovered to convert the first down.^[195] With a new set of downs, Brady threw a touchdown pass to Caldwell and Faulk scored the two-point conversion to tie the game. On what would be the Patriots' final drive, Brady threw a 49-yard pass play to Caldwell, setting up a Stephen Gostkowski field goal that gave New England a 24–21 lead with 1:10 remaining. The Chargers drove down the field, but Nate Kaeding missed a game-tying field goal attempt, as the Patriots held on to win.^[196]

In the AFC Championship, the Patriots traveled to Indianapolis to play the Colts, marking the third time the Patriots played the Colts in four postseasons. The Patriots led at halftime, 21–6; however, Peyton Manning led the Colts to a comeback. Brady threw a late-game interception and the Patriots lost the game to the Colts, 38–34.^[197] Brady finished the loss 21 of 34 for 232 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.^[198]

2007: Perfect regular season and first MVP

Playing with an overhauled receiver corps—in the 2007 off-season, the Patriots acquired wide receivers Donté Stallworth, Wes Welker, Kelley Washington, and Randy Moss; tight end Kyle Brady; and running back Sammy Morris—Brady enjoyed what many sportswriters described as one of the best seasons by a quarterback.^[199][200] Brady was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for both September and October.^[201][202] Brady led the Patriots to the first 16–0 regular-season record in NFL history, outscoring opponents by an average score of 37–17.^[203] He also attained numerous career, franchise, and NFL records and milestones in the process. He was named as the AFC Offensive Player of the Week five times that year.^[204] In a Week 6 game against the Dallas Cowboys, he had a career-high five passing touchdowns in a 48–27 win. The win tied him with Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach for the most wins ever by a starting quarterback in his first 100 regular-season starts, with 76.^[205] The next week, in part of a 49–28 win against the Dolphins, he had another record day, with a career-high six passing touchdowns, setting a franchise record. He also had the first game with a perfect passer rating of his career.^[206] Two weeks later, as part of a come-from-behind 24–20 victory against the Colts, he threw for another three touchdowns, the ninth consecutive game in which he had done so, breaking Peyton Manning's NFL record of eight.^[207] During the last game of the season against the Giants in which the Patriots won 38–35, Brady threw his 50th touchdown of the season, breaking Peyton Manning's single-season record of 49 from the 2004 season.^[208]

Brady finished the season with 4,806 passing yards, 50 touchdown passes, eight interceptions, and a career-high 117.2 passer rating.^[209] It was unanimously voted the greatest passing season of all time by ESPN in 2013. His 50:8 touchdown to interception ratio was, at the time, an NFL record. He became the first quarterback to pass for 50 touchdowns. He led the Patriots to the first undefeated regular season since the 16-game schedule was implemented in 1978. He directed an offense that scored a then-NFL record 589 points and 75 total touchdowns. The team's 50 total touchdown passes is the fourth-most ever in a season. For his efforts, Brady was named the Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year. He was also honored by the Associated Press as their Male Athlete of the Year, the first time an NFL player earned the honor since Joe Montana won the award in 1990.^[210] He was named as a First-Team All-Pro and to his fourth career Pro Bowl as a result of his historic season.^[211][212]

In the Patriots' first playoff game, a Divisional Round game against the Jaguars, Brady began the game with an NFL postseason record 16 consecutive completed passes, and finished the game with 26 completions in 28 attempts, a completion rate of 92.9% as the Patriots won 31–20. That mark was the highest single-game completion percentage (with at least 20 attempts) in NFL history, regular season or postseason.^[213] With the win, the Patriots matched the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only team to win 17 consecutive games in one season.

Statistically, Brady did not fare as well in the AFC Championship Game against the Chargers, throwing for 209 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. Nevertheless, the Patriots won their 18th game of the season, 21–12, to advance to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in seven seasons. Brady, with the 100th win of his career, also set an NFL record for the fewest games needed by a starting quarterback to do so: his 100–26 record is sixteen games better than Joe Montana's.^[214] In Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants, Brady was pressured heavily and sacked five times. The Patriots managed to take the lead with a Brady touchdown to Moss with less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Giants were able to drive and score a last-minute touchdown to upset the Patriots 17–14, taking away what would have been the first perfect season since the NFL expanded its regular season to 16 games.^[215]

2008: Injury

In the Patriots' season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium (in which the Patriots won 17–10), Brady's left knee was seriously injured midway through the first quarter on a hit by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard; Brady left the game and did not return. The team later confirmed that he would require surgery, and it would prematurely end his 2008 season.^[216] Brady tore both his anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament.^[217] The injury ended Brady's streak of 111 consecutive starts.^[218] Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction at the Los Angeles Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic on October 6, using Brady's patellar tendon graft to replace the torn ligament, and also repaired his medial collateral ligament, through a separate incision in his left knee.^[219] An infection in the wound resulted in further debridement surgery several times since the original procedure. Brady received IV antibiotics for this infection which, at the time, threatened to delay his rehab.^[220][221] Despite Brady's absence, the Patriots managed to finish the 2008 season with an 11–5 record; however, due to tiebreakers, the Patriots not only failed to win the AFC East division title, but missed the playoffs altogether for the first time since the 2002 season.^[222]

2009–2013: Statistical success and continued Super Bowl drought

2009: Return from injury

In the 2009 season opener against the Bills, Brady's first game in more than a year, he threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns. In the final three minutes of the game, the Patriots were down 24–13 before Brady and tight end Benjamin Watson connected on two straight touchdowns to lead the Patriots to a 25–24 win.^[223] He won AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Bills.^[224]

On October 18, 2009, under blizzard conditions, Brady set an NFL record against the Titans for most touchdowns in a quarter, throwing five in the second quarter. Brady finished the game with six touchdowns, tying his career-high from the 2007 season, and 380 yards, completing 29-of-34 attempts, finishing with a nearly perfect passer rating of 152.8.^[225][226] The Patriots' 59–0 victory over the Titans tied the record for the largest margin of victory since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger,^[227] and set a record for largest halftime lead in NFL history, which was 45–0.^[228] He won AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game against the Titans.^[229] Brady was later named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for October.^[230] For Week 16, Brady won AFC Offensive Player of the Week for a four-touchdown game in a 35–7 win over the Jaguars.^[231]

Brady finished the 2009 regular season with 4,398 yards passing and 28 touchdowns for a 96.2 rating,^[232] despite a broken right ring finger and three fractured ribs, which were suffered over the course of the season.^[233] He was selected as a reserve to the 2010 Pro Bowl and named the 2009 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.^[234][235]

Brady ended the 2009 season throwing for 154 passing yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions in a 33–14 Wild Card Round loss to the Baltimore Ravens.^[236] This was his first career home playoff loss and the Patriots' first home playoff loss since 1978.^[237]

2010: Second MVP

On September 10, 2010, Brady signed a four-year, $72 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid player in the NFL. The extension included $48.5 million in guaranteed money.^[238]

Brady became the fastest quarterback to achieve 100 regular season wins by helping his team defeat the Dolphins 41–14 on October 4.^[239] On November 25, in a Thanksgiving Day game against the Lions, he earned a perfect passer rating for the second time in his career as the Patriots won 45–24.^[240][241] The next week, a 45–3 victory over the Jets, Brady set a record of 26 consecutive regular-season home wins, breaking Brett Favre's record.^[242][243] He won AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the two games against the Lions and Jets.^[244][245] For December, Brady was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month.^[246] Brady threw for 3,900 yards with 36 touchdowns and only four interceptions on the season.^[247]

Brady was selected as a starter to the 2011 Pro Bowl.^[248] However, he pulled out of the game (and was replaced by his former backup Matt Cassel, who then played for the Chiefs) after undergoing surgery for a stress fracture in his right foot dating back to 2008.^[249] Brady was also the only unanimous selection for the AP All-Pro Team and was named the 2010 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year. By unanimous decision, he won the MVP award for the second time in his career.^[250] On the inaugural NFL Top 100 Players list, Brady was ranked as the best player in the NFL by his peers.^[251]

After earning the #1 seed and a bye week, the Patriots lost to the Jets in the Divisional Round, 28–21. Brady finished the game 29-of-45 for 299 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception which ended his NFL record of consecutive pass attempts without an interception at 340.^[252][253]

2011: Loss in Super Bowl XLVI

In Week 1 of the 2011 season, Brady threw for a career-high 517 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception in a 38–24 win over the Dolphins and earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.^[254] In the game, he threw a record-tying 99-yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker.^[255]