Brady might be best of the bunch

If the topic is the game's best quarterbacks, you know the usual suspects: Brett Favre, Steve McNair, Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick, Daunte Culpepper. Those guys are terrific, but I'm always surprised when Tom Brady's name is left out of the discussion.

OK, he wasn't a high draft pick. And maybe he doesn't dazzle you with his ability to run or with the brute strength of his arm. Maybe his stats don't blow you away, although they're quite good--witness his league-leading 28 touchdown passes two years ago.

Many people want to quantify greatness, and that's wrong. When I watch a quarterback, I look for things that don't show up in stats--his leadership, his intelligence, his competitiveness and above all, his ability to win games.

That's the bottom line. Owners don't pay players to put up big numbers. They pay guys to win games. And nobody has done that better than Tom Brady the past three years.

Since taking over the starting job from Drew Bledsoe early in the 2001 season, Brady has gone 36-12 in the regular season, a .750 winning percentage that ranks behind only the Rams' Marc Bulger among active quarterbacks. In the postseason Brady is 6-0, leading the Patriots to wins in two of the past three Super Bowls.

Brady has the demeanor of a winner. He's unflappable. Don't get me wrong; he's an emotional guy, but when he's on the field in a high-pressure situation, he's calm and collected. He showed that in the playoffs against Oakland in the snow three years ago. He did it in Super Bowl 36, marching the Patriots downfield, into position for a game-winning field goal against the Rams. He did it again against the Panthers in the last Super Bowl. Even if he doesn't have Culpepper's arm, Vick's legs or Favre's reckless courage, Brady has the ability to make the big-time throws and put his team in position to win in the biggest of games.

Is Brady the "best" quarterback in the game today? Hard to say. It's a question I don't like to answer because there are so many factors involved in quarterback play, making it is very hard to judge who's better. Ultimately, greatness is in the eye of the beholder.

But if I had to pick one quarterback to win one game for me, I'd take Brady. When it comes to the most fundamental thing a quarterback must do, Brady stands above the rest.

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Scouts' views

Observations and opinions from two NFL pro scouts, one from each conference

One thing that showed up toward the end of last season and early this season is the lost art of cornerbacks playing press coverage correctly. You see so many guys come up to the line in press position, and then they don't use their hands to jam receivers. Receivers are getting free releases, and corners are being beaten consistently on quick slants.... Losing Stove Smith is huge for Carolina. He and Jake Delhomme had a big-time chemistry together. Their other receivers are only average NFL players as far as threatening the defense. Now, teams can really load up to try to stop that running game and not have to worry about the wide receivers hurting them.... I think the Browns are a dark horse to make the playoffs. They added solid depth on defense in the offseason, and it showed up when they were able to rotate many bodies to contain Jamal Lewis. On offense, the addition of Jeff Garcia gives them a chance.... If the Bills want to go to the playoffs, Travis Henry and Willis McGahee need to learn to coexist. You can never have too many runners, especially in a place like Buffalo with its weather. You know you're going to have to pound the ball in November and December if you're going to make a playoff push. The Bills need both to get a lot of touches if they're going to succeed.... I don't think it was a shock that the Dolphins changed quarterbacks after one game. Switching to A.J. Feeley may give them a little bit of a spark in terms of, "OK, we've gone down that road with Jay Fiedler; now let's go down this road with Feeley, and hopefully, he can give us a chance to win some games." ... I think Marshall Faulk still has a year left in his tank. His home run ability has dropped off a little bit if you're comparing him to the Faulk of old. In all honesty, he's not as fast or as explosive as he was two years ago. But he can still weave through there, make you miss and make the 10- to 15-yard run.... Other guys might be more talented, but Trent Dilfer may be the ideal backup quarterback. He understands his role; he's not going to undermine the chemistry of the Seahawks, and he's proved in the past that he can play. He's won a Super Bowl.

Adalius Thomas of the Ravens is the best special teams cover guy in the league. He's a 270-pound guy who runs a 4.55. He dominates in terms of busting wedges, getting off double-teams and flying to the ball on their kickoff team. And he can play inside or be a gunner on their punt team, He s one of the few cover guys who really can keep special teams coaches up at night wondering how to block him.

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