Tom Brady has defeated Father Time. Despite playing in his age-42 season, the six-time Super Bowl champion is the NFL’s best quarterback through three weeks, according to Pro Football Focus. Through New England’s first three games, Brady has completed 67.9% of his passes for 911 yards, seven touchdowns, and zero interceptions while guiding the Patriots to a 3-0 record.
PFF: Tom Brady Still NFL’s Best Quarterback
There are a lot of good quarterbacks in the league, but Brady still reigns supreme over all of them. According to PFF, what sets Brady apart is his ability to make big throws while minimizing dangerous passes. Brady currently ranks second in big-time throw percentage (7.4%) and has yet to make a turnover-worthy play. Say what you will about the underwhelming competition, but playing this well is nearly impossible regardless of the opponent. After experiencing some minor regression in 2018, Brady is back to playing at his elite 2015-2017 form.
Coming in just behind Brady is Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott is having a great year, completing 74.5% of his passes for 920 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions. What presumably places him behind Brady is the two picks, as Prescott has otherwise been fantastic in Kellen Moore’s system.
Patrick Mahomes is widely viewed as the best quarterback in the league, but he only comes in sixth by PFF grades. Statistically, Mahomes is on another level this year, leading the league in yards (1,195) and touchdowns (10). However, even though he hasn’t thrown an interception, he’s made a few bad decisions. PFF currently has Mahomes ranked 19th in turnover-worthy plays, meaning he hasn’t done a great job taking care of the ball. Ultimately, Brady’s ability to make big plays while keeping the ball out of harm’s way makes him the best in the league, even in this unparalleled age of quarterbacking.
The stats back up PFF’s claim that Brady is having a ridiculously good season. As of this posting, Brady ranks fourth in Adjusted New Yards per Attempt (9.92), third in QBR (87.90), and fourth in passer rating (122). No matter how you slice it, the fact remains that Tom Brady is a long way away from any cliff.
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