How Tom Brady ripping apart Legion of Boom defense in Super Bowl 49 grew ex-Patriots QB's legend - "Defining moment of his career"

In the first part of the Vice docuseries "Brady vs. Belichick: The Verdict", analysts gathered to debate why Tom Brady should be heralded over Bill Belichick to be the rightful constructor of the greatest NFL dynasty. They talk about the quarterback's leadership, clutch ability, intensity, football IQ, and longevity.

While talking about his IQ, they hark back to the time when the Patriots star beat the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. Most people remember it from the last-moment interception when Seattle chose to throw the ball instead of running it. However, analysts like Fred Gaudelli gave the biggest credit to Tom Brady. The football producer reminder viewers of how good the 'Legion of Boom' defense was, saying,

"They led the NFL in fewest points and fewest yards allowed for three straight seasons."

Mad Dog Russo jumped in to second that and specifically pointed to Tom Brady's fourth-quarter performance in that game when New England scored 14 unanswered points for a come-from-behind 28-24 victory. He said,

"The last defense to be as dominant over a period of time as the Seahawks was the Steelers in the 70s. That Seahawk defense was the outright best in the NFL that year and they kept Brady contained for 3 quarters. But that 4th quarter? Different story. Something happens."

Greg Bedard added that it made for the defining moment of the quarterback's career, saying,

"No one had ripped through the Seattle Seahawks like Tom Brady did in that Super Bowl. And to do it on that stage to me was the defining moment of his career... It was truly historic. For him to do that against that defense, was the greatest single quarterback performance in the fourth quarter in Super Bowl history."

Russo concluded by noting the Patriots star's ability to lead two drives in one quarter from his own half to score touchdowns against a 'Legion of Boom' defense that had allowed one 60-yard touchdown possession all season.

"By the start of the last 15 minutes, Brady had figured out the best defense in the NFL. The Seahawks had not allowed more than one 60-yard TD drive in the 2nd half of any single game that year. And then Brady in this one leads TWO 60-yard drives in this fourth quarter alone."

Mad Dog Russo compares Tom Brady to Peyton Manning to highlight Patriots' QB's greatness

Russo further highlighted that Peyton Manning, the other great quarterback of that generation, had failed miserably in the previous Super Bowl to overcome the 'Legion of Boom' defense. He said that without Tom Brady, Malcolm Butler's interception would not even happen because other players would not have been able to dig their team out of a hole and into the lead against the Seahawks' defense. He commented,

"Replace Brady with anyone else, does that 4th quarter even happen? Peyton Manning, you’re thinking? Hey, he played the Seahawks the Super Bowl the year before. You know what his passing rating was? 73.5 and guess what? Broncos lost… If it weren’t for Brady, we’re not even talking about Malcolm Butler, you know what we’re talking about? Seattle back-to-back"

"Brady vs. Belichick: The Verdict" is a three-part series. The first episode makes the case for Brady as the head of the Patriots' dynasty, with the next episode advocating for Belichick. The February 4, 2025 finale will see Mad Dog Russo reveal his verdict on who between the quarterback and head coach deserves more credit for two decades of sustained success in New England.