By Michael Vallee
Football is a team game. The ultimate team game. A game where success hinges on extensive practice and film work to assure that all the players are working in unison, with each of their fates intertwined. If one guy doesn’t do his job it makes it harder for the other guys to do their jobs. But sometimes, there are those rare moments when a player and a performance seem to transcend all that. Moments when one man’s singular talent renders all tenets of team football obsolete. The New England Patriots 36-33 win over the Houston Texans last Sunday was one of those moments, and to no one’s surprise, the player was their quarterback, Thomas Edward Brady.
Brady is an all-in-one fix-all. A player whose ability masks his team’s many flaws and deficiencies. He’s like that magic stuff women put on their face to conceal all blemishes and imperfections. He is one stop shopping for whatever ails your team.
Defense is leaking like a sieve – don’t worry, we got Brady.
O-Line can’t block anyone – don’t worry, we got Brady.
No running game – don’t worry, we got Brady.
Down 5 with two minutes left – don’t worry, we got Brady.
Final drive stalled – don’t worry, we got Brady.
Last Sunday, all of the above was true for New England. The defense allowed over 400 yards to a rookie quarterback. The offensive line allowed five sacks that resulted in three fumbles, a loss of 41 yards and a touchdown. The running game averaged less than three yards-per-carry. The Patriots faced a 3rd and 18, down by five with less than a minute to play. Hell, even their punter got outplayed (58.5 average vs 45.3). And none of it mattered. Brady completed 25 of 35 passes for 378 yards and 5 touchdowns, effectively covering up the entire mess around him.  
Nowhere was this more true than the final drive, where Brady passed for 93 yards, overcoming sacks, penalties and multiple 3rd-and-longs, to lead the Patriots to a game-winning touchdown. On the 3rd and 18 play, the ageless signal-caller was under pressure from JJ Watt, stepped up in the pocket and hit Amendola in tight-coverage for a 27-yard gain. It was vintage Brady. Then again the entire day was vintage Brady.
Perhaps no play encapsulated this one-man show better than the Patriots third play from scrimmage. On back-to-back runs New England was stuffed for negative yardage and faced a 3rd and 13. On 3rd down Brady dropped back to pass and as he threw the ball was hit hard by linebacker Benardrick McKinney.
Let’s hit pause for a minute and do a quick summary to illustrate the point: Three plays in and the Patriots offensive line can’t block anybody, their running backs can’t avoid anybody and their coaches haven’t exactly confounded the Texans with their play-calling. And none of it mattered. Brady, while getting drilled, calmly launched a perfect 44-yard over-the-shoulder pass to Brandin Cooks. Five plays later the Patriots scored their first touchdown.  
Imagine what happens to a lesser quarterback in that spot. Sack? Fumble? Interception? Incompletion? But fortunately for the Patriots they don’t have a lesser quarterback. They have Brady. A man whose talent, more often than not, avoids those outcomes and shields you from all your problems.  
You know that late-night infomercial stuff called Flex Seal, the magical cure-all that seals any holes, cracks or openings you might need fixed? According to the ad it even allows you to go fishing in a screen-door bottomed boat, if for some reason you ever decide to do that. You know the stuff I’m talking about. Well THAT’S Brady. The human Flex Seal. The player that plugs all your holes.  
It might not be a recipe for a championship – for that a complete team effort is required – but for one day in September it does allow you to come up short in virtually all facets of the game and still escape with a victory.