Brady is key in the Rise from the Demise

Book it: the Patriots will stand atop the NFL elite once again as Champions.

Let’s be honest: it’s been a long offseason. Sure, the additions of free agents Brandon Lloyd and Steve Gregory coupled with high profile draft picks Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower may have clouded the events of the fateful night of February 5^th, but the pain is still there. I don’t think a day goes by where I don’t think about what could have been had Welker made that catch, or had the Patriots recovered one of THREE forced fumbles... I’m twitching.

It is that precise stinging feeling that will drive Tom Brady – and the rest of this Patriots team – to a sixth Super Bowl appearance.

As we've seen time and time again, 2-time Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady is a man who holds his grudges. He was forced out of his starting role at the University of Michigan, he was overlooked by every team in the 2000 NFL Draft, and  was placed 4th on the Patriots' depth chart his rookie season. Despite overwhelming adversity, Tom Brady has worked relentlessly to overcome these obstacles and become arguably the greatest QB to ever play in the NFL. To put it simply: The man does not quit.

It is this exact competitive nature that leads me to believe that Tom Brady will return next season with a fiery passion that would have engulfed Rome in its heyday. The bitter taste of defeat from Super Bowl XLVI will drive the Comeback Kid back to greatness.

Think back to January 16, 2011. The always-loud New York Jets roll into town for what Patriots fans believe to be your average, run-of-the-mill beatdown on their way to the AFC Championship Game. If you haven’t repressed most of your memories of that game – like I have – you may remember that it didn’t go quite as planned.

Fast forward to September 12, 2011.

What you saw that cool Monday night was a brutal assault; 8 months of pent-up aggression that Brady released all over the Miami Dolphins’ defensive backfield. It was pretty obvious that Brady was livid at how the 2010 season ended, and he responded by throwing for 517 yards and 4 touchdowns. This gave way to a statistically superb regular season en route to an appearance in Super Bowl XLVI. Point being, the man is for real. Regardless of how many times you may knock him down, he will always return for another fight.

We have yet to see Brady following a Super Bowl loss, – Brady was injured for the entire 2008 season, save 8 minutes – but you can bet that the level of aggression he will bring for the 2012 season will be unmatched. Given the disappointing finish to 2011, He will be looking for some Championship champagne to wash the bitter taste of Super Bowl XLVI from his mouth. Despite his inclining success, it is the ever-growing chip upon the shoulder of Mr. Brady that will continue to propel him into the upper-echelon of elite NFL Quarterbacks.