Ron Cook: Brady Shows Us Again Why He's a Winner

Monday, September 26, 2005
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

First, they lost safety Rodney Harrison, the heartbeat of their defense. You knew his leg injury was bad when the New England Patriots huddled around him on the Heinz Field turf midway through the first quarter and said a prayer. Even Steelers coach Bill Cowher walked onto the field to wish Harrison well. Cowher coached him in the Pro Bowl and respects him, maybe as much as he does any opposing player.

Then left tackle Matt Light went down a few moments later with a serious leg injury. He's a big part of what the Patriots do offensively, literally and figuratively. The emergency medical cart -- the most frightening sight in football -- barely had enough time to get Harrison to the locker room and now it was back on the field to haul away Light.

Surely, this wasn't going to be the Patriots' day.

"Those guys are great players," linebacker Mike Vrabel would say later. "But nobody is too good to be replaced around here ...
"Well, maybe besides Tom."

That would be Mr. Brady, the leader of the Brady Bunch, which, until proven otherwise, remains the class team of the NFL.

It's unfortunate for the Steelers that Brady was so good yesterday in the Patriots' 23-20 win, because this was a day when the Patriots could have been had and probably should have lost a second consecutive game for the first time in going on three years now, an almost unbelievable span of 36 games. They had three turnovers after losing three in their 27-17 loss at Carolina last week. They committed 10 penalties for 118 yards after taking 12 for 86 yards at Carolina. Old friend Chad Scott -- now a Patriots cornerback -- was called for three infractions, including a 23-yard pass interference penalty on a fourth-and-11 play in the final two minutes that enabled the Steelers to score a touchdown and pull even, 20-20.

But Brady wouldn't let the Patriots lose.

"Nothing new there," Vrabel said, shrugging.

Vrabel has been with Brady for the Patriots' run to three Super Bowl championships in the past four years. He knows all about Brady's magic. Is there any more telling statistic in all of sports than Brady's 9-0 record as a starting quarterback in the postseason?

But it's all still new to linebacker Chad Brown, a former Steeler, who signed with the Patriots before this season. That's why he stood in awe in the fourth quarter and watched Brady complete 12 of 12 passes for 167 and lead scoring drives on the Patriots' final three possessions.

"I'm amazed by what he can do," Brown said.

"After the Steelers scored, I'm thinking we're going to overtime. Then, I remembered, 'We've got Tom Brady.' "

There was 1:21 remaining when Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger found Hines Ward for that tying touchdown.
"Now, it's our turn," Brady thought.
"A tie game in a tough environment. The crowd is going crazy. You're playing a great defense. There's 1:21 left. What more could you want?"

If you blinked, you missed some kind of finish. It hurt you and the Steelers badly, but you have to admit -- no matter how grudgingly -- that it was terrific theater. And, while you're at it, if you're really honest, don't you have to admit you would rather have Brady than any quarterback in the league, including Big Ben?

There was a pass for 17 yards to running back Kevin Faulk, a pass for 14 yards to fullback Patrick Pass and a pass for 6 yards to wide receiver David Givens. After that, was there any doubt Adam Vinatieri -- "the most clutch kicker in the history of football," Brady called him -- was going to make the 43-yard field goal to win the darn game and break this city's heart?
"I love that guy!" Patriots tight end Christian Fauria said of Brady. "I wish he didn't have a girlfriend."

Fauria's wife, Rhonda, might give him an earful for that playful comment, but she has to understand where he was coming from. She knows it was Brady who put those Super Bowl rings on her husband's fingers, not to mention a whole lot of money in his pocket. Brady has made all of the Patriots rich and famous and their team one of the great dynasties in NFL history.
If yesterday is any indication, Brady and the Patriots aren't done yet.

(Post-Gazette sports columnist Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1525.)