Give the Devil His Due

I've never been a fan of Tom Brady. But I'll tell you this. In a world where mediocre media-made sports celebs pick up awards they've done nothing to earn, this guy is real.

Brady is always among the top 10 quarterbacks in my IAYPA statistics. That may not sound so great, but it's a volatile group. Guys have good games and jump in, then bad games and fall out. Brady's always there.

Brady has done this while leading the league in passing yards, which is amazing. As a rule of thumb, the best IAYPA performances come from people who don't throw all the time. If the defense knows you're going to pass, they can call a pass defense, which makes it harder for the QB to complete passes. IAYPA leader Roethlisberger has less than half as many attempts as Brady. Chris Palmer and Peyton Manning are other quarterbacks who excel in IAYPA despite having to pass a lot.

Brady also ranks 7th on the League's misguided pass rating system, which emphasizes completion percentage.

The man's only 28 years old, but I think if you're honest about it, Brady's already a Hall-of-Famer. He's demonstrably better player than people like Namath or Bradshaw. He's Namath with mobility and multiple rings, Bradshaw with better brains and fewer picks.

I could show you statistics, but think about what you want a quarterback to do:

• Lead the football team.
• Pass the ball effectively.
• Evade pressure and make rushing yards if possible.
• Don't throw interceptions.
• Play effectively in the clutch.
• Win championships.
• Be a role model.

So, from the Hall of Fame, I would put down Montana as your straight "A" student, and maybe Staubach and Young as other guys who do well on this list.

And you can add Tom Brady. Sports Illustrated has it right.