Today marks Tom Brady’s 45th birthday, and it only seems fair that we celebrate one of his greatest accomplishments. 

There isn’t a lot that you can say about Tom Brady that hasn’t been said already, whether it be the countless records that he has, the record-breaking 7 Super Bowl rings, or the fact that he is still going despite his ever-increasing age.

This was meant to be the first NFL season in more than two decades that we were set to sit down and watch without Brady, but following his unretirement back in March, it means that we are once again subjected to his quest for greatness, and after his performances last year, it would take a fool to not think that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be contending for glory this year.  

That would make it his 8th title if he were to win it this year, 6 of which came with the New England Patriots during their dynasty years after the turn of the millennium, but just which one has been his best so far?

That’s what we have tried to find out. We have gone back through the archives and looked into all of Brady’s 7 Super Bowl championships to date, and ranked them on which ones we think are the most impressive, based on a whole number of circumstances, whether it be the impact of the game itself or the events surrounding it.

So from worst to best, here we go…

7 - 2005, 24-21 v Philadelphia Eagles

Whilst no Super Bowl should really be ‘diminished’, one of them has to go last on this list and by virtue of being the one that didn’t end in a dramatic play right at the end, whilst also not being too big of a surprise as the Patriots’ dominance had already been established at this point, it just sort of sits there as one of many rather than a standout game for any particular reason. 

6 - 2019, 13-3 v Los Angeles Rams

The lowest scoring Super Bowl in history, but one that certainly wasn’t without drama as the game was level going into the 4th quarter and if not for a brilliant play by Rob Gronkowski on an inch-perfect throw from Brady, things could very well have ended up different for both sides.

5 - 2004, 32-29 v Carolina Panthers

The second of Brady’s Super Bowl titles and the second one that came down to a last-minute play with Adam Vinatieri kicking the game-winning field goal with 4 seconds left. 

The contest overall was a pretty compelling one with 37 points scored in the final quarter as Brady and Jake Delhomme were caught in a gunfight into the late stages before Vinatieri put the seal on the game. 

4 - 2015, 28-24 v Seattle Seahawks

A game that will always go down as the ‘Malcolm Butler game’ for the obvious game-sealing play right at the death:

However Brady’s accomplishments in this game shouldn’t be underestimated. Putting up 28 points, 328 yards and 4 touchdowns against the fearsome ‘Legion of Boom’ who were looking to solidify their place as one of the all-time great defences, this is one that Brady, not Butler, won for the Patriots. 

3 - 2021, 31-9 v Kansas City Chiefs

His first and so far only one as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and one that perhaps is more memorable for what the Bucs defence was able to do to keep Patrick Mahomes at bay. But given the circumstances surrounding the team getting there; Brady’s first season, no preseason games to prepare, in a pandemic-affected year, at age 43, this goes down as one of his greater achievements in the game. 

2 - 2002, 20-17 v St Louis Rams

Whilst this was statistically Brady’s worst Super Bowl performance, only throwing for 145 yards and with a passer rating of 86.2, some of that has to be tempered by the opponent that they were facing in terms of the ‘Greatest Show On Turf’, exemplified by the Patriots’ status as 14 point underdogs going into it.

But he kept them in the game and close enough to let Adam Vinatieri kick the game-winning field goal and officially start off the Patriots dynasty that lasted for two decades. 

1 - 2017, 34-28 v Atlanta Falcons

The game that is more fondly remembered for the 28-3 lead that the Atlanta Falcons blew, but the game needed the Patriots offense for that to happen, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a better offensive display in pursuit of the trophy than what Brady and co put up. 

It included a number of impressive plays such as Julian Edelman’s insane diving catch in the 4th quarter:

On top of that, it also gave Brady his 5th Super Bowl win, which gave him the most rings of any quarterback in the history of the game, ahead of Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw.