Many youngsters will say that the most recent Super Bowl, Super Bowl 60, was the worst one ever. And they may have an argument there. It was 9-0 at half. But if they claim that genuinely, they’re showing their age. The worst Super Bowl in living memory must surely be Super Bowl 53, which the New England Patriots won 13-3 over the Los Angeles Rams.
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And despite how snooze-inducing the game was, there had to be a standout performance, right? Right. Patriots wideout Julian Edelman, who was one of the heroes of New England’s epic Super Bowl comeback two years prior, caught 10 passes for 141 yards to earn Super Bowl MVP.
Those numbers in such a low-scoring game suggest Edelman surely deserved the award. But he’s one of just two players to take a Super Bowl MVP from Brady during a Super Bowl-winning performance by a Brady team (Deion Branch, 2004). On a recent edition of an Eli Manning online show, Edelman was asked whether Brady would say he deserved the Super Bowl 53 MVP over him. The wideout did not hesitate.
“‘Absolutely not,'” Edelman answered for his longtime comrade. “And that’s what he would say because that’s the kind of leader and guy he is. He’s just always been like an awesome, awesome leader.”
There’s no doubt that Brady is the type of leader that Edelman describes him as. But there’s also no chance Brady was ever going to win that MVP. He completed just 60 percent of his passes, did not throw a touchdown, and threw an interception.
If anything, Brady was maybe the fifth- or sixth-most likely Patriots player to win the MVP if Edelman didn’t. Sony Michel had 94 yards and a touchdown. Rob Gronkowski had six receptions for 87 yards. Stephon Gilmore had five tackles, three passes defended, a forced fumble, and a pick. Dont’a Hightower had 2.0 sacks.
In fact, among QBs that threw 30+ passes in a Super Bowl win, Tom Brady’s 71.4 passer rating is the lowest in NFL history. Funny enough, this year’s Super Bowl-winning QB, Sam Darnold—who also did not earn MVP honors—is second-worst on that list, with a 74.7 rating.
That wasn’t the only question Manning asked of Edelman, however. He also asked what Brady would say if he were asked whether Edelman could throw a football further than he could.
“‘No way, have you seen Julian throw,’ he would say something like that, ‘No way! have you seen him throw,'” Edelman said with a laugh, recreating what Brady would probably say.
Edelman also answered that, if prompted, Brady would choose fellow former Patriots wideout Danny Amendola as the better-looking of his two old receiver teammates. And last but not least, Edelman even confirmed the report that he busted Brady’s favorite driver during a golf day following that incomparable comeback win in Super Bowl 51.
