Shohei Ohtani’s performance for the ages in the Dodgers’ Game 4 NLCS victory over the Brewers had us all thinking the same thing: Was it the greatest individual performance ever by an athlete?
Tom Brady certainly believes it’s up there.
“I think it’s one of the greatest sporting achievements ever,” Brady said in the most recent edition of his “Storytime” series. “I think what he did with 10 strikeouts, three home runs — one of those balls going out of the stadium — and then leading his team the way he has coming back from that elbow injury and performing the way he did is just absolutely incredible.”
Ohtani’s performance also had Brady wondering what the NFL equivalent would be to such a feat. Of course, there have been very few instances of a player even playing both offense and defense in the modern era, but Brady believes there have been a handful of great performances over the last few decades.
So, let’s take a look a which NFL performances he feels were the closest thing to perfection. The list also includes a couple of games from himself, although Brady also feels he left some performances on the table.
“I wasn’t a part of too many,” Brady said. “For me, I always felt like I left some out there. I had a few games that were pretty good.”
Tom Brady Reveals NFL Performances as EPIC as Shohei Ohtani’s 10-Strikeout, 3-Homer Game 🤯
Tom Brady arguably had the greatest quarter in NFL history in the Patriots’ victory over the Titans in October 2009, throwing five touchdown passes in the frame. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Even an October snowstorm couldn’t stop Brady from having an outing for the ages in 2009.
“I think the first half against Tennessee in 2009 in the snow — threw five touchdown passes in the second quarter,” Brady said. “We won the game 59-0. I think Tennessee actually finished with negative yards in that game. It was incredible.”
Brady’s five touchdown passes in the second quarter of that game were the most ever in a single quarter in NFL history. He finished the day with six touchdown passes and 380 passing yards.
And Brady’s point about the Titans’ offense was nearly correct. Tennessee was in the positive for total yards that day, but it finished with minus-7 passing yards.
Tom Brady vs. Buffalo Bills, Week 11, 2007
Tom Brady connected with Randy Moss for four touchdowns in the Patriots’ win over the Bills in November 2007, with New England scoring a touchdown on all eight drives Brady played in. (Icon Sportswire/Getty Images)
The GOAT had three games in his career where he had a perfect passer rating. However, the two performances of his that he put on this list weren’t any of those games.
“There was one other game I played in, in 2007, Patriots at Bills. I think it was a night game and we scored a touchdown on every offensive drive,” Brady said. “It was absolutely incredible. Our defense played great. Went into a tough, hostile environment against a Buffalo team that had shown a lot of toughness and we played one of the greatest games I can ever remember as a team.”
As Brady led the Patriots to a 56-10 victory that day, New England scored a touchdown on all eight drives that he was on the field for. Brady threw for 373 yards and five touchdowns in that game, with four of those scores going to Randy Moss.
Peyton Manning vs. Baltimore Ravens, Week 1, 2013
Peyton Manning threw seven touchdowns in the Broncos’ season-opening win over the Ravens in 2013. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
When Brady tuned into the Ravens-Broncos matchup that opened the 2013 season, he was hoping that Denver would lose. Instead, he stayed up past his bedtime to watch his top rival put up an all-time outing.
“Peyton threw seven touchdowns in that game,” Brady said. “I remember staying up to watch it because I couldn’t believe what was happening. I knew Peyton was always a huge rival for our team, so, in some ways, I was always rooting for them to lose because I knew they were going to be in a race with us to be the No. 1 seed.
“So, he starts the season that way, and not only did he have a great game that game, he threw 55 touchdown passes that year, which is a record that very possibly could never be broken.”
Brady actually held the touchdown passes record before Manning broke it in 2013, throwing for 50 in 2007. But Manning also held that record before Brady, so maybe “The Sheriff” was taking back something that he felt was his.
Joe Montana threw for 330 yards in Super Bowl XIX, helping the 49ers win their second Super Bowl. (Photo by Icon Sportswire)
There’s only one game from a Super Bowl on Brady’s list, but Montana’s outing in Super Bowl XIX is one of the best performances ever in the history of the Super Bowl.
” It’s kind of a hard one for you guys to pick out, but I remember that because I was a 49ers fan,” Brady said. “He threw three touchdowns, ran for a touchdown and they beat the Dolphins — 330 yards. I know that’s decent now. But back then, that was an incredible amount of yards that he threw for. That was a ridiculous performance.”
Montana also outdueled Dan Marino that day as the Dolphins quarterback became the first player to ever throw for 5,000 yards in a season that year. This was the second of Montana’s four Super Bowl victories, helping the 49ers win, 38-16.
Adrian Peterson rushed for an NFL record 296 yards in the Vikings’ win over the Chargers in 2007.. (Photo by JERRY HOLT/Star Tribune via Getty Images)
Not only did Peterson set the record for the most rushing yards ever for a running back in a game when he ran for 296 yards against the Chargers in 2007, but it also marked the Vikings running back’s second 200-yard game that season. He ran for 224 yards earlier that year before putting up 300 total yards of offense in the Vikings’ 35-17 win over the Chargers, rushing for 9.9 yards per carry that day.
“That was crazy,” Brady said of Peterson’s performance, which included four touchdowns.
Brady also had a couple of receivers he wanted to shout out for this list.
“Julio Jones, my former teammate, he went for 300 yards against the Carolina Panthers. That was an insane performance,” Brady said.
Jones had 12 receptions on 15 targets for 300 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons’ 48-33 over the defending NFC champion Panthers that day. His touchdown grab was a 75-yarder that helped seal the Falcons’ win as he had four receptions of at least 30 yards that day.
Jerry Rice had 225 receiving yards in a 49ers win over the Falcons in October 1990, catching four of Joe Montana’s six touchdown passes that day. (Photo by Gin Ellis/Getty Images)
Rice, who is arguably the greatest receiver in NFL history, had four games in his career where he had over 200 receiving yards in a game. One of them really stood out to Brady, though.
“I remember Jerry Rice one time caught five touchdowns in a game and went for over 225 yards. Another ridiculous performance,” Brady said.
The five receiving touchdowns Rice had in that game are tied for the ever in an NFL game. All five were pretty consequential, though, as the 49ers defeated the Falcons in a high-scoring affair that day, 45-35.
This list wouldn’t be complete without a defensive performance, and Brady knows that.
“There was one defensive performance that stands out,” Brady said. “This guy was one of the greatest defensive players I ever played against, Ed Reed … ends up intercepting two passes, takes one of them to the house. One of the greatest defensive performances by one of the greatest defensive players in the history of the NFL.”
That was actually one of the four times that Reed recorded two interceptions in a game during the 2008 season. But as Brady mentioned, this one stands out for a reason. Reed’s fourth-quarter interception of Kevin Kolb went down in NFL history as he had a 107-yard touchdown return, making it the longest interception return in NFL history.
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