Clock is ticking on Tom Brady's illustrious career

The clock is ticking.

That's the thing to remember as the New England Patriots are now just one win away from another trip to the Super Bowl.

The clock is ticking.

No longer is Tom Brady the guy with his career all ahead of him, the three Super Bowls titles, the celebrity, the stature, the incredible runway life, the spotlight he's been in the middle of for the past decade or so.

He will be 35 in August, approaching dangerous territory for an NFL quarterback, and how many years can we expect him to be the Tom Brady we know now?

The clock is ticking.

There is no overstating this.

The Patriots have been on an amazing run since that 2001 season when Drew Bledsoe got hurt, and Brady, the sixth-round draft pick in 2000, got his chance.

And it's more than just that they've been to four Super Bowls, winning three of them. It's even more than that during this stretch Bill Belichick has cemented his status as the coach of his generation, one of the all-time NFL coaching greats.

It's that the Patriots have become synonymous with NFL excellence, one of its great franchises. To anyone who remembers the old days, when the Pats were known as "the Patsies," and the franchise that was on the opposite side of glamour, this has been the most unbelievable part of this great run.

The Patriots now have arguably the best owner, the best coach, the best quarterback, and have become the new NFL gold standard.

Who would ever have believed that back in 2000 when the Patriots drafted a skinny kid from Michigan in the sixth round, the round from which most guys go on to be scrimmage fodder until they finally go back to where they came from, their dead dreams packed in their suitcases?

We all know that Belichick is one of the iconic coaches in NFL history. We all know that Rob Gronkowski's star is on the rise. We all know that this is a franchise with a lot of pride, a franchise that knows how do things right. But when all that's been said, it still comes down to Brady.

With all too few exceptions, you win in the NFL with a great quarterback. Especially now, when the rules benefit both quarterbacks and receivers. Especially now, when running backs have been devalued. Especially now, in a pass-happy league.

This is Brady's turf.

To watch him is to see an artist at work, a man in total control of his craft. He runs the no-huddle offense like he invented it. He knows opposing coverages as if he invented them. He tells offensive linemen where the pressure is coming from as if he spent the week in opponents' team meetings. Most of the time the expression "coach on the field" is a cliche. Not now.

Maybe most of all, he exudes experience.

There's not a defense he hasn't seen, a situation he hasn't been in.

This is Brady at the peak of his powers as a quarterback.

It's easy to take this all for granted, of course. On those rare occasions where opponents get in his face, and he gets a little out of rhythm, on those rare occasions when he has a bad day, odds are the Patriots do not win, The last two playoff losses are a case in point.

So we should not take him for granted.

For one day all too soon, Brady will not be here.

(Contact Bill Reynolds at breynold(at)providencejournal.com. For more stories visit scrippsnews.com)

SOURCE: The Providence Journal