In a 2023 profile of Joe Montana, ESPN’s Wright Thompson detailed how the 49ers legend used to root against Tom Brady and the Patriots in Super Bowls, knowing that Brady could pass his four Super Bowl wins and take away the title of greatest quarterback of all time.
If any part of Brady was doing the same Sunday night, he never let it show. Capping off his rookie year as FOX’s lead color commentator, Brady kept things professional throughout Super Bowl LIX and seemed to take no pleasure in the Philadelphia Eagles’ blowout 40-22 victory over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
The setup could not have been more interesting. With a win, Mahomes could have accomplished two things Brady did not: a three-peat, and four Super Bowl wins before turning 30. He would not have taken the GOAT title from Brady just yet, of course, but it certainly would have been a big step in the chase.
The game could not have been less interesting. The Eagles stormed out to a 24-0 halftime lead and never looked back. Mahomes was bad, turning the ball over three times, including a second-quarter pick-six that extended the Eagles’ lead to 17-0 and stood as the biggest play of the game. The Chiefs’ offensive line was even worse, allowing six sacks and leaving Mahomes scrambling for his life all night. The Eagles built their lead all the way to 40-6 before two late Chiefs touchdowns made the final score look slightly more respectable.
Brady broke it all down matter-of-factly, showering praise on the Eagles’ defensive line and their defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, while highlighting the Chiefs’ breakdowns in protection, Mahomes’ happy feet, and the similarities to Kansas City’s last Super Bowl loss four years ago, when Brady’s Buccaneers also had Mahomes under pressure all game.
Before the game completely got away from the Chiefs, Brady referenced his famous 28-3 comeback against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI, noting that Mahomes is “the greatest winner in the NFL” and that if anyone could find a way to claw back, it would be him.
When it became clear that there would be no such miracle for Kansas City, Brady did not gloat. There was no dancing on anyone’s grave. Instead, Brady empathized with Mahomes and the Chiefs. He discussed the pressure of chasing history and the pain of falling short, talking at length about the Patriots’ loss to the Giants in 2007 when they were trying to finish off an undefeated season.
“I think about, unfortunately, the three losses probably more than I think about the seven wins,” Brady said midway through the fourth quarter. “It hurts to lose this game. We lost to the Giants in 2007. That was 17 years ago. We were on the precipice of history, and we faced a Giants team that played their hearts out that day and beat us. I still haven’t really lived it down, because you care so deeply. And I know that this Chiefs team does as well. Patrick is the ultimate competitor. The reality of a loss in this game is you don’t ever get over them.
“…It’s the highest of highs when you’re trying to win and do something historic in the NFL, and unfortunately it’s the lowest of lows. I remember when we lost to the Giants in 2007, I got on the bus after the game – I absolutely believed 100 percent that we were going to win, and it was just devastating. I couldn’t speak for the rest of the night. … I just remember waking up the next morning and I thought, ‘That’s a nightmare. That’s a nightmare. That game didn’t happen. I was dreaming, and we lost badly, but we haven’t actually played the game yet.’ It’s a difficult feeling to have. But if there’s anybody that can rebound, it’s Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, this organization.”
It was Brady’s best and most humanizing moment all night. He is one of the few people on the planet who can possibly relate to what Mahomes dealt with leading up to the game, was dealing with during the game, and will deal with in the aftermath of this loss. And when it was time to take millions of Americans inside Mahomes’ mind, Brady rose to the occasion.
As a broadcaster, Brady certainly has his detractors. His first season in the booth did not always go smoothly. He wasn’t perfect Sunday night either (he still hasn’t mastered the telestrator, for one). But just as he so often did as a player, Brady brought his best late in the Super Bowl.