MVP Brady caps unlikely season with perfect finish

NEW ORLEANS -- The only thing spectacular about Tom Brady is his success.

The sore-ankled former fourth-stringer completed an improbable season for himself and the Patriots on Sunday, guiding New England to its first NFL title with a 20-17 Super Bowl victory over the St. Louis Rams.

Brady was selected the game's Most Valuable Player after becoming the youngest quarterback to win the Super Bowl. He completed 16-of-27 passes for 145 yards and led the Patriots to the Rams 30 to set up Adam Vinatieri's game-winning 48-yard field goal with no time left.

"That whole team, as far as I'm concerned, is MVP," said Brady, whose teammates chose not to be introduced individually in the pre-game ceremony. "I always say a quarterback is as good as the team around him, and we have some unbelievable talent."

But his teammates didn't necessarily agree.

"Tom is the reason why we are here," safety Lawyer Milloy said. "Our offense had been stalling, but we are a complete team. We go out there and support our offense. It was time for them to show up, and that is what they did."

Brady hit David Patten with an 8-yard touchdown pass that made it 14-3 with 36 seconds left in the first half. But mostly what the 24-year-old former backup to Drew Bledsoe did was steer the offense with a steady hand and convert the opportunities handed him by the defense and special teams.

'Calm and confident'

I was "calm and confident, just realizing, 'Hey, there are guys going to be open. You've just got to throw it to them,"' Brady said.

Brady took over the Patriots' starting job when Bledsoe was injured in Week 2 and won it outright when the $103-million, three-time Pro Bowl selection was ready to return. Brady led the Patriots to an 11-5 regular-season record, then keyed a 16-13 overtime win over the Oakland Raiders in the playoffs.

But in the AFC championship, Brady twisted his left ankle and had to leave. Bledsoe got credit for the 24-17 win that put the Patriots in the Super Bowl, but when the time came to pick his starter, coach Bill Belichick went back to Brady.

Bledsoe took the decision with grace. The three-time Pro Bowl selection helped his understudy in meetings, at practice and on the sidelines, and was there hugging Brady during the Patriots' celebration after they came in as 14-point underdogs and beat the "Greatest Show on Turf" at the Superdome.

A worthwhile pick

Brady had trouble holding onto the starting job at Michigan -- one reason he wasn't picked until the sixth round in the 1999 draft. But Belichick saw enough in him to keep him on the roster last year as a rare fourth quarterback.

This summer, Brady started training camp as the No. 4 quarterback before being promoted to Bledsoe's primary backup. When Bledsoe was hurt Sept. 23 -- an injury that would keep him off the field for seven games -- Brady came on in relief and sparked New England's turnaround.

The Patriots, 5-11 last year, were 5-4 when Bledsoe was ready to return. Belichick made a half-hearted attempt to let the two quarterbacks compete for the job, but after a loss to the Rams on Nov. 18, he decided he couldn't do that and adequately prepare for the week's opponent.

The job was Brady's for the rest of the season.