TWICE AS NICE? Battle of QB Legends Could Determine NFC South Champ in 2020
March 17th 2020
Photo courtesy of the New Orleans Saints, YouTube
If you had told any Pro Football fan that both “living legends” and starting NFL QB’s Drew Brees and Tom Brady would still be playing into their early 40’s heading into the 2020 Season beginning in a few more months from now. chances are that person really wouldn’t have been all that surprised.
However with Brady reportedly about to sign a dealto play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it means that devoted and passionate fans of the New Orleans Saints could get to see something that not all that long ago, would have been unthinkable: which is the two future Hall-of-Famers battling each other twice per season; as their respective teams wage a war for the NFC South Division title later this year (and possibly beyond).
Tampa is the expected landing spot for Tom Brady barring anything unforeseen, sources tell me and @JeffDarlington.
There’s no signing date or announcement officially set up, but Brady is expected to be a Buccaneer.
Brees, who earlier this morning signed a 2-year, $50 million deal to remain in NOLA , might end up facing his friendly-rival twice per season now; as the 43-year old Brady would replace Tampa Bay’s former starting QB of the last several years, former Buccaneers #1 overall draft pick Jameis Winston.
Brady of course is considered by most football fans as the NFL’s top #1 greatest quarterback of all-time, after winning a record six (6) Super Bowl championships with the New England Patriots; after playing with them for 20 years.
6× Super Bowl Champion.
4× Super Bowl MVP.
3× NFL MVP.
(Insert Million Other Accomplishments, Records, & Accolades).
— Savage Boston Sports ???❄️☃️ (@SavageBoston) March 17, 2020
Dating all the way back to the 2002 NFL Season when Brees still played for the team then known as the San Diego Chargers (who now play in Los Angeles), Brees and Brady have met head-to-head a grand total of five different times; with Brees currently leading Brady by a tally of three victories to two (3-2).
But with Brady possibly about to take his soon-to-be 21-year NFL career down to the Florida Gulf Coast to play for the Bucs, it would guarantee (barring any injuries) that ‘Who Dat’ fans could get the opportunity to see Brees and Brady square off twice in the very same year; and very possibly with the NFC South Division Championship hanging in the balance.
The two other NFC South teams — the Saints’ hated arch-rivals the Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers (who earlier today agreed to a 3-year deal with former Saints back-up #2 QB Teddy Bridgewater, who the Black and Gold will also now get to play against twice per season) — are both expected to challenge for the division title in 2020 as well.
But that said: it seems likely that New Orleans and Tampa Bay would both emerge as the prohibitive favorites under the guidance of those two legendary QB’s. That especially will hold true if Brady still has enough proverbial “gas in the tank” (at age 43 and with 20 NFL seasons under his belt), to continue performing at a highly-competitive level.
If he is indeed signing with Tampa Bay as it’s been reported, Brady could potentially thrive in the high-powered offensive scheme / passing attack of Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians; which features the tandem of All-Pro WR’s Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are both over 1,000 receiving yards this season.
Brady didn’t have any true offensive “weapons” last season in New England, and the thought or prevalent notion among many analysts and observers covering the NFL is that if he in fact is headed south to Tampa; it will allow the Buccaneers to seriously contend for a Playoff spot (and also have a better-than-average shot at winning the NFC South Division title) after 3 straight losing seasons dating back to 2016.
That Brady could help lead Tampa back to Pro Football prominence will certainly be a very distinct possibility — particularly since the NFL will be expanding the number of Playoff teams from 12 to 14 (a total of 7 Playoff teams in each conference) — in the upcoming season ahead.
Clearly as the current 3-time defending NFC South Division Champions (2017, 2018, and once again last year) and with Brees now back in the fold, the Saints will probably be heavily favored to win a 4th consecutive NFC South Division title in 2020.
Photo courtesy of the New Orleans Saints, YouTube
But now assuming that Brady potentially will be leading the Bucs offense instead of the departed Winston (who threw a whopping 30 interceptions last year — the most QB interceptions in nearly 40 years, dating all the way back to a not-so-glamorous accomplishment by then-New York Jets QB Richard Todd during the 1980 NFL Season) — Tampa Bay would figure to be right there along with New Orleans in the fight for NFC South dominance.
The only question for fans of both teams would then likely become just which one of these two “40-something” year old quarterbacks, can win another Super Bowl title before they eventually retire.
For Brady, there’s nothing left to prove other than showing everyone that he can still play the sport at the highest level, a level that’s allowed him the opportunity to be recognized as the NFL’s greatest quarterback ever.
And while Brees certainly is in the conversation among the League’s best-ever QB’s himself, his motivation for still playing is trying to win just one more World Championship (Super Bowl victory) before he leaves the sport permanently, presumably in 2021 but perhaps this coming February; if he and the Saints can achieve their ultimate goal.
Credit: Wyatt Vaughn and Nick Boulet, JRNOLA
Make no mistake about this much: IF Brady ends up wearing the Buccaneers uniform later on this year once the month of September rolls around, it could make for one of the more intriguing Saints season schedules in quite some time; particularly given the fact that Brees will also be facing his former back-up (Bridgewater) two times per season now, as well.
But the entire League undoubtedly would be captivated by having not only one but two current QB “living legends” and future Hall-of-Famers pitted against each other— and not just once every 4 years but actually two times in a single season — with the possibility that the eventual winner of the NFC South Division Championship, would ultimately be determined in that same process.
In other words: a potential battle between two friendly-rivals and QB legends named Drew Brees and Tom Brady, could end up being something that would be ‘twice as nice’ in 2020 (and perhaps even beyond)….
Barry Hirstius is a semi-retired journalist, who has worked as a sports editor and columnist. Barry is a New Orleans native who grew up as a fan of the Saints while attending games as a young boy during the early 1970’s, at the old Tulane Stadium. He is also the proud Grandfather of two beautiful young girls, Jasmine and Serenity. Follow him on Twitter: @BarryHirstius
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