The Philly Special , also known as Philly Philly , was an American football trick play between Philadelphia Eagles players Corey Clement , Trey Burton , and Nick Foles on fourth- down -and-goal toward the end of the second quarter of Super Bowl LII on February 4, 2018 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis .
200-475: On the play, quarterback Nick Foles moved up behind his offensive line , and Jason Kelce snapped the ball directly to running back Corey Clement. Clement pitched the ball to Trey Burton who passed it to a wide open Foles for a touchdown . Foles became the first player in Super Bowl history to throw and catch a touchdown pass during a Super Bowl game. Eagles coach Doug Pederson 's decision to attempt
400-533: A Bachelor of Arts in General Studies . Brady's success as a passer has been attributed to his work ethic, competitive spirit, pocket awareness , and intelligence. Brady started 381 games (333 regular season, 48 playoff) in 23 seasons, the most for an NFL quarterback. His first 20 seasons were with the Patriots, which is the most for an NFL quarterback with one franchise. He served as
600-477: A Super Bowl victory: Doug Williams in 1988 , Russell Wilson , who is multiracial , in 2014 , and Patrick Mahomes ( biracial ) in 2020 , 2023 , and 2024 . However, numerous quarterbacks with African ancestry did start the Super Bowl since the 2010s, including four in a row ( Super Bowl XLVII , Super Bowl XLVIII , Super Bowl XLIX , Super Bowl 50 ). Quarterbacks with known black ancestry have also won
800-408: A holder on placekicks or as a punter , and will often play a key role in practice, serving as the upcoming opponent's quarterback during the preceding week's practices. A backup quarterback may also be put in during " garbage time " (when the score is so lopsided and the time left in the game is so short that the outcome cannot realistically be changed), or start a meaningless late-season game (either
1000-403: A "scramble") to avoid being sacked by the defense. Depending on the offensive scheme used by their team, the quarterback's role can vary. In systems like the triple option , the quarterback will only pass the ball a few times per game, if at all, while the pass-heavy spread offense , as run by schools like Texas Tech , requires quarterbacks to throw the ball on most plays. The passing game
1200-418: A 5–0 record, including a 26–22 win over Notre Dame , and a road win against eventual powerhouse Wisconsin . Against Michigan State , Brady was not chosen to play the second half; however, after being reinserted into the game with Michigan down by 17 points, he nearly led Michigan all the way back before losing 34–31. After a 300-yard passing game the following week, Carr went exclusively with Brady for
1400-501: A Super Bowl with 32. With 1:08 left in the fourth quarter and the score tied 29–29, Brady led a drive with five completions to put the Patriots in position for the game-winning 41-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri . During the 2004 season , Brady helped the Patriots set an NFL record with 21 straight wins dating from the previous year, an accomplishment honored in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (though for official records,
1600-488: A Westlake thing." During the second quarter, the Patriots had attempted a trick play with quarterback Tom Brady running a pattern as a receiver. The ball was thrown on target by Danny Amendola , but it slipped through Brady's hands. The drive ended after the next play with the Eagles taking possession. During Philadelphia's drive previous to their attempt at a trick play at the end of the second quarter, Nick Foles's pass
1800-459: A backup quarterback as their holder on placekicks. A benefit of using quarterbacks as holders is that it would be easier to pull off a fake field goal attempt, but many coaches prefer to use punters as holders because a punter will have far more time in practice sessions to work with the kicker than any quarterback would. In the Wildcat formation , where a halfback lines up behind the center and
2000-466: A combined 286 wins. Brady holds a .754 winning percentage, which is the highest among NFL quarterbacks who have started 100 games. He is the only NFL quarterback to win 200 regular season games and his 35 postseason victories are more than twice those of any other quarterback. Brady is the only NFL quarterback to win all 16 regular season games ( 2007 ). In 2021, Brady became one of four quarterbacks to defeat all 32 NFL teams. Brady has
2200-425: A compensatory pick the Patriots earned due to the loss of punter Tom Tupa to free agency in 1999, and was the seventh quarterback taken. He and his family believed Brady would be drafted in the second or third round; they watched the draft on television, stunned as six other quarterbacks were drafted before he was. Brady was so embarrassed he briefly left the family home during the sixth round and cried when recalling
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#17327798070862400-418: A direction that I wasn't sure I could go." On September 28, 1996, Brady appeared in his first collegiate game after Michigan was up 35–3 against UCLA late in the fourth quarter. His first-ever pass attempt was intercepted by Phillip Ward and returned for a 42-yard touchdown. Under Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr , Brady battled for the starting job with Drew Henson and ultimately started every game in
2600-536: A first-round bye. He finished the 2001 season with 2,843 passing yards and 18 touchdowns, earning an invitation to the Pro ;Bowl . In Brady's first playoff game , he threw for 312 yards against the Oakland Raiders and led the Patriots back from a ten-point fourth-quarter deficit to send the game to overtime, where they won on an Adam Vinatieri field goal 16–13. A controversial play occurred in
2800-400: A game, and even a starter at most other positions rarely plays every snap, a team's starting quarterback often remains in the game for every play, which means that a team's primary backup may go an entire season without taking a meaningful offensive snap. While their primary role may be to be available in case of injury to the starter, the backup quarterback may also have additional roles such as
3000-500: A hit from Jets linebacker Mo Lewis . Bledsoe returned for the next series, but was replaced with Brady for the Patriots' final series of the game. New York held on to win 10–3, and the Patriots fell to 0–2 on the season. Brady was named the starter for the season's third game, against the Indianapolis Colts , in which the Patriots posted a 44–13 win. In the Patriots' fifth game, Brady began to find his stride. Trailing
3200-678: A no-huddle scheme, as did Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers . Throughout football history, the racial makeup of quarterbacks did not reflect the racial makeup of the sport. Black quarterbacks especially faced barriers in breaking into the starting job at the highest levels. The first black starting quarterback in the Super Bowl era was Marlin Briscoe in 1968, who started for the American Football League 's Denver Broncos during part of one season; he
3400-572: A number of forward-passing tailbacks became stars, including Sammy Baugh of the Washington Redskins . In 1939, University of Chicago head football coach Clark Shaughnessy made modifications to the T-formation, a formation that put the quarterback behind the center and had him receive the snap directly. Shaughnessy altered the formation by having the linemen be spaced further apart, and he began having players go in motion behind
3600-504: A pass-heavy league, in part due to further rule changes that prescribed harsher penalties for hitting the quarterback and for hitting defenseless receivers as they awaited passes. Passing in wide-open offenses has also been an emphasis at the high school and college levels, and professional coaches have devised schemes to fit the talents of new generations of quarterbacks. While quarterbacks and team captains usually called plays in football's early years, today coaches often decide which plays
3800-616: A player and franchise. He joined the Buccaneers in 2020 and won Super Bowl LV , extending his individual records to 10 Super Bowl appearances and seven victories. Since 2024, Brady is the lead color commentator for the NFL on Fox , teaming with play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt . Brady holds many major quarterback records, including most career passing yards , completions , touchdown passes , and games started. He
4000-412: A prominent athlete and rugby player at Yale University , pushed through a change in rules at a meeting in 1880 that established a line of scrimmage and allowed for the football to be snapped to a quarterback. The change was meant to allow for teams to strategize their play more thoroughly and retain possession more easily than was possible in the chaos of a scrummage in rugby. In Camp's formulation,
4200-569: A rarity in the early 2000s, although he never led his team to a Super Bowl. In the 2010s, quarterbacks with dual-threat capabilities have become more popular. Current NFL quarterbacks considered to be dual-threats include Russell Wilson , Lamar Jackson , and Josh Allen . Some teams employ a strategy that involves the use of more than one quarterback during the course of a game. This is more common at lower levels of football, such as high school or small college, but rare in major college or professional football. There are four circumstances in which
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#17327798070864400-498: A relative rarity among other teams; between 1920 and 1932, there were three times as many running plays as there were passing plays. Early NFL quarterbacks typically were responsible for calling the team's offensive plays with signals before the snap. The use of the huddle to call plays originated with Stagg in 1896, but only began to be used regularly in college games in 1921. In the NFL, players were typically assigned numbers, as were
4600-453: A running play, the quarterback will then hand or pitch the ball backwards to a halfback or fullback . On a passing play, the quarterback is almost always the player responsible for trying to throw the ball downfield to an eligible receiver. Additionally, the quarterback may run with the football himself, as part of a designed play like the option run or quarterback sneak , or the quarterback could make an impromptu run on their own (called
4800-542: A running quarterback and a passing quarterback in an option or wishbone offense. In Canadian football, quarterback sneaks or other runs in short-yardage situations tend to be successful as a result of the distance between the offensive and defensive lines being one yard. Drew Tate , a quarterback for the Calgary Stampeders , was primarily used in short-yardage situations and led the CFL in rushing touchdowns during
5000-497: A season-ending injury that cost him the 1991 NFL season and was supplanted by Young. Young was injured midway through the season, but Bono held the starting job (despite Young's recovery) until Bono's own injury let Young reclaim it. Montana also missed most of the 1992 NFL season , making only one appearance, then was traded away at his request to take over as the starter for the Kansas City Chiefs ; upon retirement, he
5200-407: A short period of time) have been centered around a single starting quarterback; the one exception was the Washington Redskins under head coach Joe Gibbs who won three Super Bowls with three different starting quarterbacks from 1982 to 1991. Many of these NFL dynasties ended with the departure of their starting quarterback. On a team's defense, the middle linebacker is regarded as "quarterback of
5400-487: A single game, breaking the team record set by Tim Tebow . Foles' experience as quarterback and tight end was at Westlake High near Austin, Texas . Sam Ehlinger , who went on to start as quarterback at the University of Texas , also played at Westlake and ran this same play during his junior year on November 28, 2015. Soon after the Super Bowl, Ehlinger tweeted a video of his high school touchdown catch, saying "It's
5600-470: A star quarterback's high salary may prevent the signing of other expensive star players as the team has to stay under the hard salary cap . One of the major contributing factors behind the success and longevity of the New England Patriots ' Brady–Belichick era was the willingness of starting quarterback Tom Brady to consistently take pay cuts despite his elite performance, which allowed
5800-475: A statue commemorating the Philly Special, showing the moment of discussion between Nick Foles and Doug Pederson, was unveiled at Lincoln Financial Field. The statue was commissioned by Bud Light and sculpted by Raymond Gibby. In 2022, Eagles' offensive linemen Lane Johnson , Jason Kelce and Jordan Mailata released a Christmas album named A Philly Special Christmas . The album's name is inspired by
6000-462: A touchdown rather than a field goal on the play helped put the Eagles in a better position to defeat the New England Patriots , which they did, 41–33. The victory was the Eagles' first championship in 57 years. Many analysts have since called the play one of the gutsiest play-calls in Super Bowl history. The play was described by NFL Films as "a play that the Eagles had never called before, run on 4th down by an undrafted rookie running back pitching
6200-434: A touchdown to wide receiver Tee Higgins . Mixon was the first non-quarterback to throw a touchdown in the Super Bowl since Burton. The Los Angeles Rams tried to run a similar trick play to the Philly Special later in the game. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford handed off the ball to running back Darrell Henderson , who flipped the ball to wide receiver Cooper Kupp , but Kupp overthrew an open Stafford. On October 2, 2022
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6400-415: A trick play. And if you're going to run a trick-type play, then you have to be lined up properly ... It's kind of one of those [penalties] that has no effect on the play. I get it. But they didn't line up properly. And it really should've been called." However, before the snap, Jeffery pointed to the down judge several times to confirm he lined up correctly and got a head nod in return each time, indicating he
6600-507: A two-quarterback system may be used. The first is when a team is in the process of determining which quarterback will eventually be the starter, and may choose to use each quarterback for part of the game in order to compare the performances. For instance, the Seattle Seahawks ' Pete Carroll used the preseason games in 2012 to select Russell Wilson as the starting quarterback over Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson . The second
6800-562: A variety of formations. Harvard's team put seven men on the line of scrimmage, with three halfbacks who alternated at quarterback and a lone fullback . Princeton put six men on the line and had one designated quarterback, while Yale used seven linemen, one quarterback and two halfbacks who lined up on either side of the fullback. This was the origin of the T-formation , an offensive set that remained in use for many decades afterward and gained popularity in professional football starting in
7000-556: A version of the Philly Special against the Eagles in 2015. Tom Brady wandered out of the pocket and the ball was snapped to James White . White then pitched the ball to Danny Amendola who connected with Brady for a 36-yard pass. In 2016, the play was run in the NFL by the Chicago Bears against the Minnesota Vikings , at U.S. Bank Stadium , the same stadium in which the Philly Special also took place. Like Clemson,
7200-402: A vertical plane that passes through the beltline of the snapper." However, they argued that Eagles' wide receiver Alshon Jeffery was slightly off the line of scrimmage. Therefore, some argued that the Eagles had only six players on the line instead of the required seven. Fox Sports rules expert and former NFL referee Mike Pereira even said "...They lined up wrong ... Not only that, [but] it's
7400-590: A very similar play to score a touchdown in their week 5 game against the New York Giants , but with a couple of key differences: The snap went to QB Dak Prescott who handed the ball off to RB Ezekiel Elliott , not directly to Elliott, and thrower Cedrick Wilson was a WR, not a TE. On September 19, 2021, the Eagles attempted a similar play against the San Francisco 49ers . Greg Ward , a quarterback in college, attempted to throw to Jalen Hurts , but
7600-449: Is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line . In modern American football , the quarterback is usually considered the leader of the offense, and is often responsible for calling the play in the huddle . The quarterback also touches the ball on almost every offensive play, and is almost always the offensive player that throws forward passes . When
7800-595: Is a starter–reliever system, in which the starting quarterback splits the regular season playing time with the backup quarterback, although the former will start playoff games. This strategy is rare, and was last seen in the NFL in the "WoodStrock" combination of Don Strock and David Woodley , which took the Miami Dolphins to the Epic in Miami in 1982 and Super Bowl XVII the following year. The starter–reliever system
8000-546: Is also noted for the longevity of his success. He was the oldest NFL MVP at age 40, the oldest Super Bowl MVP at age 43, and the oldest quarterback selected to the Pro Bowl at age 44. Brady is the only NFL quarterback named to two all-decade teams ( 2000s and 2010s ) and was unanimously named to the 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019. Brady was born in San Mateo, California , on August 3, 1977,
8200-584: Is distinct from a one-off situation in which a starter is benched in favor of the backup because the switch is part of the game plan (usually if the starter is playing poorly for that game), and the expectation is that the two players will assume the same roles game after game. The third is if a coach decides that the team has two quarterbacks who are equally effective and proceeds to rotate the quarterbacks at predetermined intervals, such as after each quarter or after each series. Southern California high school football team Corona Centennial operated this model during
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8400-532: Is emphasized heavily in the Canadian Football League (CFL), where there are only three downs (as opposed to the four downs used in American football), a larger field of play and an extra eligible receiver. Different skillsets are required of the quarterback depending upon the offensive system. Quarterbacks that perform well in a pass-heavy spread offense system, a popular offensive scheme in
8600-399: Is the NFL leader in career quarterback wins , quarterback regular season wins, quarterback playoff wins, and Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards , and the only Super Bowl MVP for two different franchises. Additional accolades held by Brady include the most Pro Bowl selections and the first unanimous NFL MVP . The only quarterback to win a Super Bowl in three separate decades, Brady
8800-469: Is the NFL's oldest quarterback to be named to the Pro Bowl (age 44), be named Super Bowl MVP (age 43), win a Super Bowl as the starting quarterback (age 43), and be named league MVP (age 40). Up until his retirement, he was the last player drafted before 2004 on an NFL roster. On the Patriots, Brady and head coach Bill Belichick formed the NFL's most successful quarterback–head coach tandem. They were consistently credited with
9000-672: Is the first player (and third person after the team owner and head coach) to be presented with the Lamar Hunt Trophy / George Halas Trophy (after winning the AFC/NFC Conference title) and the Vince Lombardi Trophy (after a Super Bowl victory). The starting quarterback of the victorious Super Bowl team is often chosen for the " I'm going to Disney World! " campaign (which includes a trip to Walt Disney World for them and their families), whether they are
9200-440: Is widely cited as the greatest quarterback of all time. He is one of NFL's greatest players of all time and one of the greatest athletes in sports history. Brady was a lightly regarded prospect coming out of college, with an unimpressive NFL Scouting Combine performance reinforcing this reputation. As a result, he was not selected until the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft by the New England Patriots , 199th overall,
9400-878: The 1981 NFC Championship , against the Dallas Cowboys , in which Montana threw " The Catch " to Dwight Clark . As a child, Brady attended football camp at the College of San Mateo , where he was taught to throw the football by camp counselor and future NFL/ AFL quarterback Tony Graziani . Despite the rivalry between the two teams, Brady grew up as a Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics fan. Brady attended Junípero Serra High School in San Mateo, where he graduated in 1995. He played football , basketball , and baseball in high school. He played against Bellarmine College Preparatory rival Pat Burrell in both football and baseball. Brady began his football career as
9600-407: The 1998 and 1999 seasons . Brady was All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention both seasons and was the team captain in his senior year. During his first full year as the starter, he set new Michigan records for most pass attempts and completions in a season, for a total of 214. He set a school record for completions in a 31–16 loss against Ohio State in 1998, a season in which Michigan shared
9800-483: The 1998 season a "nightmare" because of poor play by Ryan Leaf and Craig Whelihan and, from the rookie Leaf, obnoxious behavior toward teammates. Although their 1999 season replacements Jim Harbaugh and Erik Kramer were not stars, linebacker Junior Seau said, "You can't imagine the security we feel as teammates knowing we have two quarterbacks who have performed in this league and know how to handle themselves as players and as leaders". Commentators have noted
10000-578: The 2005 season , injuries suffered by running backs Corey Dillon , Patrick Pass , and Kevin Faulk forced the Patriots to rely more on Brady's passing. Brady also had to adjust to new center Russ Hochstein and running back Heath Evans . Brady won AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his Week 5 350-yard, three-touchdown victory over the Falcons. Brady finished the season with 4,110 yards and 26 touchdowns,
10200-503: The 2014 season with 10 scores as the backup to Bo Levi Mitchell . This strategy had all but disappeared from professional American football, but returned to some extent with the advent of the "wildcat" offense. There is debate within football circles as to the effectiveness of the so-called "two-quarterback system". Many coaches and media personnel remain skeptical of the model. Teams such as USC (Southern California), OSU (Oklahoma State), Northwestern and smaller West Georgia have utilized
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#173277980708610400-598: The AFC Championship Game against the Chargers, throwing for 209 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. Nevertheless, the Patriots won their 18th game of the season, 21–12, to advance to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in seven seasons. Brady, with the 100th win of his career, also set an NFL record for the fewest games needed by a starting quarterback to do so: his 100–26 record is sixteen games better than Joe Montana's. In Super Bowl XLII against
10600-523: The Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player Award in recent years, including Cam Newton , Patrick Mahomes , and Lamar Jackson . Some black quarterbacks claim to have experienced bias towards or against them due to their race. Despite his ability to both pass and run effectively, current Cleveland Browns signal-caller Deshaun Watson despises being called a dual-threat quarterback because he believes
10800-455: The Burnside rules , a set of rules proposed by John Meldrum "Thrift" Burnside, the captain of the University of Toronto's football team . The change from a scrummage to a scrimmage made it easier for teams to decide what plays they would run before the snap. At first, the captains of college teams were put in charge of play calling, indicating with shouted codes which players would run with
11000-507: The Chicago Bears successfully ran the play for a touchdown against the New York Giants as time expired in the fourth quarter to tie the game and force overtime. Trey Burton, who signed with the Bears during the 2018 offseason, flipped the ball to Tarik Cohen , who threw the touchdown. However, the Giants would go on to win the game in overtime. On October 11th, 2020, the Dallas Cowboys ran
11200-474: The Green Bay Packers , along with several other NFL figures of his era, was a consistent proponent of the forward pass. The Packers found success in the 1920s and 1930s using variations on the single-wing that emphasized the passing game. Packers quarterback Red Dunn and New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers quarterback Benny Friedman were the leading passers of their era, but passing remained
11400-623: The National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots and was a central contributor to the franchise's dynasty from 2001 to 2019. In his final three seasons, he was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . Brady is widely regarded as the greatest quarterback of all time. After playing college football for the Michigan Wolverines , Brady
11600-540: The New York Jets successfully ran a similar play for a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers . Wide receiver Braxton Berrios took the handoff on a reverse and rolling to his right. He then threw a touchdown pass to quarterback Zach Wilson , who was wide open in the end zone. On September 30, 2024, the Detroit Lions pulled off the play against the Seattle Seahawks . Quarterback Jared Goff tossed
11800-605: The Pittsburgh Panthers college football team called the "Pitt Special" during a matchup against the then-unbeaten UCF Knights , leading the Panthers to a 35–34 victory over the Knights. The North Carolina Tar Heels ran an adaptation of the play on two occasions, first in the 2019 Military Bowl against Temple , and secondly against Miami in the final game of the 2020 regular season. The Tar Heels' variation
12000-527: The Super Bowl MVP or not; examples include Joe Montana ( XXIII ), Trent Dilfer ( XXXV ), Peyton Manning ( 50 ) and Tom Brady ( LIII ). Dilfer was chosen even though teammate Ray Lewis was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXV, due to the bad publicity from Lewis' murder trial the previous year. Being able to rely on a quarterback is vital to team morale. San Diego Chargers safety Rodney Harrison called
12200-637: The Tennessee Titans in the Divisional Round , 17–14. In the AFC Championship Game , they defeated the Colts, 24–14. In Super Bowl XXXVIII , Brady led the Patriots to a 32–29 victory over the NFC champion Carolina Panthers and was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time. During the game, Brady threw for 354 yards with three touchdowns and set the record for most completions by a quarterback in
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#173277980708612400-412: The University of California, Berkeley . He worked closely with assistant athletic director Greg Harden , who met with Brady every week to build his confidence and to maximize his performance. Brady told 60 Minutes in 2014: "He will always be somebody I rely on for sound advice and mentorship. He has helped me with my own personal struggles in both athletics and in life. Greg really pushed me in
12600-472: The last game of the season against the Giants in which the Patriots won 38–35, Brady threw his 50th touchdown of the season, breaking Peyton Manning's single-season record of 49 from the 2004 season. Brady finished the season with 4,806 passing yards, 50 touchdown passes, eight interceptions, and a career-high 117.2 passer rating. It was unanimously voted the greatest passing season of all time by ESPN in 2013. His 50:8 touchdown to interception ratio was, at
12800-440: The "disproportionate importance" of the quarterback, describing it as the "most glorified—and scrutinized—position" in team sports. It is believed that "there is no other position in sports that 'dictates the terms' of a game the way quarterback does", whether that impact is positive or negative, as "Everybody feeds off of what the quarterback can and cannot do...Defensively, offensively, everybody reacts to what threats or non-threats
13000-422: The "quarter-back" was the person who received a ball snapped back with another player's foot. Originally he was not allowed to run forward of the line of scrimmage: A scrimmage takes place when the holder of the ball puts it on the ground before him and puts it in play while on-side either by kicking the ball or by snapping it back with his foot. The man who first receives the ball from the snap-back shall be called
13200-410: The 1930s. In 1906, the forward pass was legalized in American football; Canadian football did not adopt the forward pass until 1929. Despite the legalization of the forward pass, the most popular formations of the early 20th century focused mostly on the rushing game. The single-wing formation , a run-oriented offensive set, was invented by football coach Glenn "Pop" Warner around the year 1908. In
13400-490: The 1960s, running plays occurred more frequently than passes. NFL quarterback Milt Plum later stated that during his career (1957–1969) passes typically only occurred on third downs and sometimes on first downs. Quarterbacks only increased in importance as rules changed to favor passing and higher scoring and as football gained popularity on television after the 1958 NFL Championship Game , often referred to as "The Greatest Game Ever Played". Early modern offenses evolved around
13600-460: The 1980s and 1990s. A quarterback controversy results when a team has two capable quarterbacks competing for the starting position. Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry alternated Roger Staubach and Craig Morton on each play, sending in the quarterbacks with the play call from the sideline; Morton started in Super Bowl V , which his team lost, while Staubach started in Super Bowl VI
13800-480: The 2014 football season, rotating quarterbacks after every series. In a game against the Chicago Bears in week 7 of the 1971 season, Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry alternated Roger Staubach and Craig Morton on each play, sending in the quarterbacks with the playcall from the sideline. The fourth, still occasionally seen in major-college football, is the use of different quarterbacks in different game or down-and-distance situations. Generally this involves
14000-508: The 30–14 win over the Steelers, and earned his third AFC Offensive Player of the Week title. In Week 9, Brady won his second AFC Offensive Player of the Week title for a three-touchdown game in a 38–7 win over Buffalo. Brady and the Patriots finished the season at 9–7, tied with the Jets and Miami Dolphins for the best record in the division; however, the Patriots lost the division title to
14200-752: The AFC Championship Game to start in the Super Bowl a week later at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans . Despite being heavy underdogs, the Patriots played well, holding the Rams' high-powered offense in check through the first three quarters. The Rams rallied from a 17–3 deficit to tie the game with 1:30 left in regulation. The Patriots then got the ball back at their own 17-yard line with no timeouts remaining. Sportscaster and former Super Bowl-winning coach John Madden argued that
14400-489: The Bears' attempt, led by Matt Barkley , Jeremy Langford and Cameron Meredith , was a success as they scored a touchdown on the play. Eagles receiver Alshon Jeffery , who was a member of the Bears at the time, stated his team's wide receivers coach Mike Groh , a former Bears coach in the same position, introduced the play to Doug Pederson. During the Detroit Lions Week 17 game against the Green Bay Packers ,
14600-529: The Big Ten title. Brady capped that season with a 45–31 win over Arkansas in the Citrus Bowl . In the 1999 season , Brady had to once again hold off Henson for the starting job. The two players platooned during the season's first seven games, with Brady playing the first quarter, Henson the second, and Carr then deciding upon a quarterback for the second half. The 1999 Michigan Wolverines started with
14800-533: The Browns win four AAFC championships in the late 1940s in head coach Paul Brown 's T-formation offense, which emphasized precision timing passes. Cleveland, along with several other AAFC teams, was absorbed by the NFL in 1950 after the dissolution of the AAFC that same year. By the end of the 1940s, all NFL teams aside from the Pittsburgh Steelers used the T-formation as their primary offensive formation. As late as
15000-427: The Buccaneers winning Super Bowl LV . In 2021, he set the season record for completions and led the league in passing yards and touchdowns; his passing yards were also a career-high. In his final season, despite finishing with a losing record for the first time, Brady broke his single-season completion record and set the season record for attempts. One of the NFL's most decorated and accomplished players, Brady
15200-419: The Colts, marking the third time the Patriots played the Colts in four postseasons. The Patriots led at halftime, 21–6; however, Peyton Manning led the Colts to a comeback. Brady threw a late-game interception and the Patriots lost the game to the Colts, 38–34. Brady finished the loss 21 of 34 for 232 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Playing with an overhauled receiver corps—in the 2007 off-season ,
15400-669: The Comeback Player of the Year he was not re-signed due to an injury and joined the New Orleans Saints as a free agent. Brees and Rivers both retired in 2021, each having been a starter for the Saints and Chargers, respectively, for over a decade. Aaron Rodgers was drafted by the Green Bay Packers as the eventual successor to Brett Favre , though Rodgers served in a backup role for a few years to develop sufficiently for
15600-467: The Dolphins, he had another record day, with a career-high six passing touchdowns, setting a franchise record. He also had the first game with a perfect passer rating of his career. Two weeks later, as part of a come-from-behind 24–20 victory against the Colts, he threw for another three touchdowns, the ninth consecutive game in which he had done so, breaking Peyton Manning's NFL record of eight. During
15800-414: The Eagles' drive stalled, which brought up fourth-and-goal on the Patriots' 1-yard line. Foles and the Eagles were lining up to run a fourth-down play before Pederson called for a timeout (Philadelphia's first timeout). When Foles and Pederson met during the timeout, Foles suggested to use the Philly Special, which Pederson then gave his approval. Foles lined up in the shotgun formation , but moved up to
16000-499: The Jets 37–16, as Brady went 22–34 for 212 yards and two touchdowns. The Patriots traveled to San Diego to take on the Chargers in the Divisional Round . This was Brady's first playoff game in his home state of California. Brady and the Patriots struggled against the Chargers, whom many had picked as favorites to win Super Bowl XLI . With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Patriots down by eight points, Brady and
16200-507: The Jets on tiebreakers. Additionally, the Patriots lost the tiebreaker to the Cleveland Browns for the final wild card spot, causing them to miss the playoffs entirely. Though Brady posted a career-low single-season passer rating of 85.7 and a career-high of 14 interceptions , he threw for a league-leading 28 touchdown passes. After opening the 2003 season at 2–2, Brady led the Patriots to twelve consecutive victories to finish
16400-584: The Lions ran a nearly identical play to the Philly Special on a two point conversion late in the game. Ameer Abdullah took a direct snap, reversed to Golden Tate , who completed a pass to Matthew Stafford for a successful conversion. Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich considered running the play against the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game before Super Bowl LII, but relented due to
16600-618: The NCAA and NFHS, rarely perform well in the National Football League (NFL), as the fundamentals of the pro-style offense used in the NFL are very different from those in the spread system, while quarterbacks in Canadian football need to be able to throw the ball often and accurately. In general, quarterbacks need to have physical skills such as arm strength, mobility and a quick throwing motion, in addition to intangibles such as competitiveness, leadership, intelligence and downfield vision. In
16800-446: The NCAA, NFHS and CFL; in the NFL, quarterbacks are eligible receivers if they are not lined up directly under center. Often compared to captains of other team sports, before the implementation of NFL team captains in 2007, the starting quarterback was usually the de facto team leader and a well-respected player on and off the field. Since 2007, when the NFL allowed teams to designate several captains to serve as on-field leaders,
17000-483: The NFL considers it an 18-game regular season winning streak; it does not count playoff games). New England finished with a 14–2 record, equaling their 2003 record and the best regular-season record ever for a defending champion. The Patriots also won the AFC East title for the third time in four years. Brady threw for 3,692 yards and 28 touchdowns, with a 92.6 passer rating, and was voted to his second Pro Bowl. In
17200-480: The NFL, Brady never played a snap where his team was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. With the Patriots, Brady led the team to 17 AFC East titles. He led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 to a wild card berth, the only time his team did not make the playoffs as a division winner, and NFC South titles the following two seasons. The winningest quarterback in NFL history, Brady won 251 regular season games and 35 postseason games for
17400-641: The NFL, quarterbacks are required to wear a uniform number between 1 and 19. In the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), quarterbacks are required to wear a uniform number between 1 and 49; in the NFHS, the quarterback can also wear a number between 80 and 89. In the CFL, the quarterback can wear any number from 0 to 49 and 70 to 99. Because of their numbering, quarterbacks are eligible receivers in
17600-485: The New York Giants, Brady was pressured heavily and sacked five times. The Patriots managed to take the lead with a Brady touchdown to Moss with less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Giants were able to drive and score a last-minute touchdown to upset the Patriots 17–14, taking away what would have been the first perfect season since the NFL expanded its regular season to 16 games. In
17800-606: The Patriots acquired wide receivers Donté Stallworth , Wes Welker , Kelley Washington , and Randy Moss ; tight end Kyle Brady ; and running back Sammy Morris —Brady enjoyed what many sportswriters described as one of the best seasons by a quarterback. Brady was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for both September and October. Brady led the Patriots to the first 16–0 regular-season record in NFL history, outscoring opponents by an average score of 37–17. He also attained numerous career, franchise, and NFL records and milestones in
18000-542: The Patriots front office chose Brady. Considering his subsequent success, many analysts have called Brady the best NFL draft pick of all time. Patriots owner Robert Kraft recalled: "I still have the image of Tom Brady coming down the old Foxboro Stadium steps with that pizza box under his arm, a skinny beanpole, and when he introduced himself to me and said 'Hi Mr. Kraft,' he was about to say who he was, but I said 'I know who you are, you're Tom Brady. You're our sixth round draft choice,'" recalled Kraft. "And he looked me in
18200-531: The Patriots lost 27–13 to the Denver Broncos . Brady threw for 341 yards in the game with one touchdown and two interceptions in the first playoff loss of his career after ten consecutive victories. After the season's end, it was revealed that Brady had been playing with a sports hernia since December. In 2006, Brady led the Patriots to a 12–4 record and the fourth seed in the AFC playoffs. Brady finished
18400-471: The Patriots should run out the clock and try to win the game in overtime. Instead, Brady drove the Patriots' offense down the field to the Rams' 31-yard line before spiking the ball with seven seconds left. Kicker Adam Vinatieri converted a 48-yard field goal as time expired to give the Patriots a 20–17 win and their first ever league championship. When discussing the game winning drive, Madden stated that "what Tom Brady just did, gives me goosebumps". Brady
18600-401: The Patriots started a key drive that would ultimately decide the game. During the drive, Brady threw a fourth-down interception to safety Marlon McCree , but wide receiver Troy Brown forced a fumble on McCree that wide receiver Reche Caldwell recovered to convert the first down. With a new set of downs, Brady threw a touchdown pass to Caldwell and Faulk scored the two-point conversion to tie
18800-404: The Patriots to spend that money elsewhere on additional skill players, with a famous example of this being the signing of Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss in 2007. The quarterback touches the ball on almost every offensive play. Depending on the play calling system , prior to each play the quarterback will usually gather the rest of their team together in a huddle to tell them which play
19000-555: The Patriots to their fourth title in Super Bowl XLIX . This was followed by Brady making three consecutive Super Bowl appearances from 2016 to 2018 , which secured New England's fifth and sixth titles in Super Bowl ;LI and Super Bowl LIII . When Brady signed with Tampa Bay in 2020, the team had not reached the postseason since 2007 or won a playoff game since 2002. Brady helped end both droughts en route to
19200-890: The Patriots' dynasty from 2001 to 2019, resulting in the dynasty being named the Brady–Belichick era after them. The dynasty is regarded as one of the greatest in sports history, with Brady's successes helping the Patriots set the records for Super Bowl appearances (11) and wins (6, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers ). During Brady's first season as the primary starter, the franchise won its first championship in Super Bowl XXXVI , with consecutive titles following in 2003 and 2004 . The Patriots won an NFL-record 21 consecutive games (regular season and playoffs) during this period, while Brady won 10 consecutive postseason games (also his first 10 postseason games), another NFL record. Brady maintained
19400-558: The Patriots' season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium (in which the Patriots won 17–10), Brady's left knee was seriously injured midway through the first quarter on a hit by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard ; Brady left the game and did not return. The team later confirmed that he would require surgery, and it would prematurely end his 2008 season. Brady tore both his anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament . The injury ended Brady's streak of 111 consecutive starts . Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed
19600-421: The Patriots' status as perennial postseason contenders throughout his tenure, although they did not win another Super Bowl until a decade after their third. His next two appearances both ended in upset defeats to the New York Giants ; the first loss in 2007's Super Bowl XLII also prevented Brady and the Patriots from obtaining a perfect 19–0 season. Brady returned to dominant postseason form in 2014 when he led
19800-565: The Philadelphia Eagles had filed for a trademark for the term "Philly Special." Seven other groups, including Yuengling , also filed for the trademark. Yuengling later retracted their file for the trademark. The Eagles successfully secured a trademark registration for the term on October 5, 2021. The team uses the term for apparel and other paraphernalia. At the 2018 NFL owners meetings in Houston Texas, Pederson said that
20000-715: The Philly Special to defeat the Utah Utes in the third overtime. On November 20, 2021, the Cincinnati Bearcats executed the Philly Special in the third quarter against the SMU Mustangs . The play resulted in quarterback Desmond Ridder 's first collegiate touchdown reception. Video of the play (from the NFL's official YouTube channel) on YouTube 44°58′24″N 93°15′26″W / 44.97334°N 93.25726°W / 44.97334; -93.25726 Quarterback The quarterback ( QB )
20200-570: The Philly Special. The trio released a second Christmas album in 2023, called A Philly Special Christmas Special . On September 6, 2018, during the first game of the 2018 season, the Eagles ran a similar trick play against the Atlanta Falcons successfully, gaining a first down. Despite the Philly Special being occasionally called "Philly Philly" due to the conversation Foles and Pederson had regarding calling that play, Pederson indicated
20400-510: The QB is tackled behind the line of scrimmage , it is called a sack . The position is also colloquially known as the "signal caller" and "field general". In modern American football, the starting quarterback is usually the leader of the offense, and their successes and failures can have a significant impact on the fortunes of their team. Accordingly, the quarterback is among the most glorified, scrutinized, and highest-paid positions in team sports;
20600-544: The T-formation, passing tailbacks, such as Sammy Baugh, would line up as quarterbacks instead. Over the course of the decade, passing yards began to exceed rushing yards for the first time in the history of football. The Cleveland Browns of the late 1940s in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), a professional league created to challenge the NFL, were one of the teams of that era that relied most on passing. Quarterback Otto Graham helped
20800-596: The Year . He was also honored by the Associated Press as their Male Athlete of the Year , the first time an NFL player earned the honor since Joe Montana won the award in 1990. He was named as a First-Team All-Pro and to his fourth career Pro Bowl as a result of his historic season. In the Patriots' first playoff game, a Divisional Round game against the Jaguars, Brady began the game with an NFL postseason record 16 consecutive completed passes, and finished
21000-546: The anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction at the Los Angeles Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic on October 6, using Brady's patellar tendon graft to replace the torn ligament, and also repaired his medial collateral ligament, through a separate incision in his left knee. An infection in the wound resulted in further debridement surgery several times since the original procedure. Brady received IV antibiotics for this infection which, at
21200-645: The backup quarterback on the Padres junior varsity team. At first, Brady was not good enough to start on the 0–8 junior varsity team, which had not scored a touchdown all year. Brady ascended to the starting position when the starting quarterback was injured. He became the varsity starter in his junior year and held the position until he graduated. By Brady's senior year, he was striving to be noticed by college coaches. He created highlight tapes and sent them to schools he considered attending. This led to strong interest from many football programs. The process of recruiting
21400-488: The ball and how the men on the line were supposed to block . Yale later used visual signals, including adjustments of the captain's knit hat, to call plays. Centers could also signal plays based on the alignment of the ball before the snap. In 1888, however, Princeton University began to have its quarterback call plays using number signals. That system caught on and quarterbacks began to act as directors and organizers of offensive play. Early on, quarterbacks were used in
21600-583: The ball backwards to wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown , who lobbed a high ball back to Goff, who was found in the end zone, while a defender was scrambling after Goff. Steve Spurrier called the "Orlando Special" during the inaugural game of the Alliance of American Football ; it was a success, propelling the Orlando Apollos to a 40–6 win over the Atlanta Legends . On September 21, 2019,
21800-506: The ball themselves. This was the primary strategy of the single wing offense which was popular during the early decades of the 20th century. After the growth of the forward pass, the role of the quarterback changed again. The quarterback would later be returned to his role as the primary receiver of the snap after the advent of the T-formation offense, especially under the success of former single wing tailback, and later T-formation quarterback, Sammy Baugh . The requirement to stay behind
22000-547: The call on instant replay , ruling it an incomplete pass rather than a fumble. Brady finished the game 32-of-52 for 312 passing yards and one interception. In the AFC Championship Game against the Steelers, Brady injured his knee, and was relieved by Bledsoe. The Patriots won the game by a score of 24–17. Subsequently, Las Vegas oddsmakers positioned them as 14-point underdogs against the NFC champion St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI . Brady returned from his knee injury in
22200-438: The call with Collinsworth for NBC . 4th and Goal. And they're gonna snap it, and it's TREY BURTON WHO THROWS, CAUGHT, FOLES, touchdown! How do you figure? Eagles broadcasters Merrill Reese and Mike Quick made the call for 94.1 WIP , the team's flagship station. Foles in the gun. Clement to his right. Now lines up behind Foles. Foles moves to the right and it goes directly to Clement and Clement reverses it and it goes into
22400-404: The college level. Typically, a quarterback with exceptional quickness is used in an option offense, which allows the quarterback to hand the ball off, run it themself or pitch it to a running back shadowing them to the outside. This type of offense forces defenders to commit to the running back up the middle, the quarterback around the end or the running back trailing the quarterback. It is then that
22600-402: The defense is ready to blitz —that is, to send additional defenders across the line of scrimmage in an attempt to tackle the quarterback or short their ability to pass—the quarterback may want to change the play. To do this, the quarterback yells a special code, like "Blue 42" or "Texas 29", which tells the offense to switch to a specific play or formation. Quarterbacks can also " spike " (throw
22800-416: The defense" and is often the defensive leader, since they must be as smart as they are athletic. The middle linebacker (MLB), sometimes known as the "Mike", is the only inside linebacker in the 4–3 scheme. Compared to other positions in gridiron football, the backup quarterback gets considerably less playing time than the starting quarterback. While players at many other positions may rotate in and out during
23000-440: The early days of the professional National Football League (NFL), which was founded in 1920, games were largely low-scoring affairs. Two-thirds of all games in the 1920s were shutouts, and quarterbacks/tailbacks usually passed only out of desperation. In addition to a reluctance to risk turnovers by passing, various rules existed that limited the effectiveness of the forward pass: passers were required to drop back five yards behind
23200-541: The end zone ... AND IT'S A TOUCHDOWN BY NICK FOLES. The Eagles went on to win Super Bowl LII, 41–33. It was the team's first NFL championship since 1960 , and first ever Super Bowl win. After the game, coach Doug Pederson told reporters, "We call [the play] the Philly special." Pederson also noted that the play came from "[looking] at different plays around the league and the collegiate ranks, and things that over
23400-408: The end zone and made the catch for a Philadelphia touchdown. After the extra-point was successfully kicked by Jake Elliott , the Eagles went up 22–12, maintaining the score into halftime. Following the play, some questioned if it was legal. The NFL rule states that the "offensive team must have at least seven players on line" and defines that a non-snapper player is on the line if his helmet "break[s]
23600-403: The experience for an interview 11 years later. Brady later said that when the Patriots notified him that he would be drafted, he was grateful he would not "have to be an insurance salesman". According to Michael Holley 's book Patriot Reign , the Patriots were considering Brady and Tim Rattay , both of whom had received positive reviews from then-quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein . Ultimately,
23800-473: The eye and said 'I'm the best decision this organization has ever made.' It looks like he could be right." Brady started the 2000 season as the fourth-string quarterback, behind starter Drew Bledsoe and backups John Friesz and Michael Bishop ; by the end of the season , he was number two on the depth chart behind Bledsoe. During his rookie season, he was 1-for-3 passing, for six yards. Tight end Rod Rutledge caught Brady's first and only completed pass of
24000-424: The field, rather than the right side. This play has earned nicknames "Baker Special" after Mayfield, "Cleveland Special," and the "Dilly Special" in reference to Bud Light 's "Dilly Dilly" ad campaign. This play tied the game that the Browns went on to win, ending a 19-game winless streak. Bud Light placed "victory fridges" in several Cleveland-area taverns that unlocked upon the Browns winning. On December 2, 2018,
24200-475: The final drive of the game. Teams like these use this situation because of the advantages it gives them against defenses of the other team, so that the defense is unable to adjust to their gameplan. The quarterback position dates to the late 1800s, when American Ivy League schools playing a form of rugby union imported from the United Kingdom began to put their own spin on the game. Walter Camp ,
24400-567: The final three minutes of the game, the Patriots were down 24–13 before Brady and tight end Benjamin Watson connected on two straight touchdowns to lead the Patriots to a 25–24 win. He won AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Bills. On October 18, 2009, under blizzard conditions, Brady set an NFL record against the Titans for most touchdowns in a quarter, throwing five in
24600-594: The following year and won. Although Morton played most of the 1972 season due to an injury to Staubach, Staubach took back the starting job when he rallied the Cowboys in a come-from-behind win in the playoffs and Morton was subsequently traded; Staubach and Morton faced each other in Super Bowl XII . Another notable quarterback controversy involved the San Francisco 49ers , who had three capable starters: Joe Montana , Steve Young and Steve Bono . Montana suffered
24800-408: The football at the ground) to stop the official game clock. For example, if a team is down by a field goal with only seconds remaining, a quarterback may spike the ball to prevent the game clock from running out. This usually allows the field goal unit to come onto the field, or attempt a final " Hail Mary pass ". However, if a team is winning, a quarterback can keep the clock running by kneeling after
25000-461: The football to a third-string tight end who had never attempted an NFL pass before, throwing to a backup quarterback who had never caught an NFL (or college) pass before, on the biggest stage for football." A play identical to the Philly Special had been successfully run at the college level on a two-point conversion attempt in 2012 by Clemson with Andre Ellington , DeAndre Hopkins and Tajh Boyd against Georgia Tech. The Patriots also pulled off
25200-539: The former of which led the league. He and the Patriots finished with a 10–6 record, winning their third straight AFC East title. He was named to his third Pro Bowl at the end of the season. In the playoffs, Brady recorded 201 passing yards and three passing touchdowns to help lead the Patriots to a 28–3 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card Round . In the Divisional Round
25400-494: The fourth quarter of that game. Trailing by three points, Brady lost control of the ball after being hit by Raiders cornerback and former Michigan teammate Charles Woodson . Oakland initially recovered the ball but, citing the " tuck rule " – which states that any forward throwing motion by a quarterback begins a pass even if the quarterback loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body – referee Walt Coleman overturned
25600-412: The game with 26 completions in 28 attempts, a completion rate of 92.9% as the Patriots won 31–20. That mark was the highest single-game completion percentage (with at least 20 attempts) in NFL history, regular season or postseason. With the win, the Patriots matched the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only team to win 17 consecutive games in one season. Statistically, Brady did not fare as well in
25800-467: The game. On what would be the Patriots' final drive, Brady threw a 49-yard pass play to Caldwell, setting up a Stephen Gostkowski field goal that gave New England a 24–21 lead with 1:10 remaining. The Chargers drove down the field, but Nate Kaeding missed a game-tying field goal attempt, as the Patriots held on to win. In the AFC Championship , the Patriots traveled to Indianapolis to play
26000-528: The gaps between offensive linemen. One player, usually the quarterback, would call signals indicating which player was to run the ball and which gap he would run toward. Playcalling (or any other kind of coaching from the sidelines) was not permitted during this period, leaving the quarterback to devise the offensive strategy (often, the quarterback doubled as head coach during this era). Substitutions were limited and quarterbacks often played on both offense and defense. Between 1933 and 1945, numerous changes for
26200-480: The ground to the quarterback between his legs. The following year, a rule change officially made snapping the ball using the hands between the legs legal. Several years later, Amos Alonzo Stagg at the University of Chicago invented the lift-up snap: the center passed the ball off the ground and between his legs to a standing quarterback. A similar set of changes were later adopted in Canadian football as part of
26400-450: The importance of a mobile quarterback has been redefined. While arm power, accuracy, and pocket presence—the ability to successfully operate from within the "pocket" formed by his blockers—are still the most important quarterback virtues, the ability to elude or run past defenders creates an additional threat that allows greater flexibility in a team's passing and running game. Dual-threat quarterbacks have historically been more prolific at
26600-443: The last team to field a black starting QB during an NFL season when Geno Smith filled in for Eli Manning in 2017. During the 2013 NFL season, 67 percent of NFL players were African American yet only 17 percent of quarterbacks were; 82 percent of quarterbacks were white, with just one percent of quarterbacks from other races. Since the inception of the game, only three quarterbacks with known black ancestry have led their team to
26800-540: The league to adopt variations on the T-formation, including the Philadelphia Eagles , Cleveland Rams and Detroit Lions . Baugh and the Redskins converted to the T-formation and continued to succeed. Thanks in part to the emergence of the T-formation and changes in the rulebooks to liberalize the passing game, passing from the quarterback position became more common in the 1940s and as teams switched to
27000-459: The line of scrimmage before the snap to confuse defenses. These changes were picked up by Chicago Bears coach George Halas , a close friend of Shaughnessy, and they quickly caught on in the professional ranks. Utilizing the T-formation and led by quarterback Sid Luckman , the Bears reached the NFL championship game in 1940 and beat the Redskins by a score of 73–0. The blowout led other teams across
27200-460: The line of scrimmage before they could attempt a pass, and incomplete passes in the end zone resulted in a change of possession and a touchback . Additionally, the rules required the ball to be snapped from the location on the field where it was ruled dead; if a play ended with a player going out of bounds, the center had to snap the ball from the sideline, an awkward place to start a play. Despite these constraints, player-coach Curly Lambeau of
27400-405: The line of scrimmage was soon rescinded, but it was later reimposed in six-man football . The exchange between the person snapping the ball, typically the center , and the quarterback was initially an awkward one because it involved a kick. At first, centers gave the ball a small boot, and then picked it up and handed it to the quarterback. By 1889, Yale center Bert Hanson was bouncing the ball on
27600-424: The lopsided score. Nick Foles had played as a tight end in high school during his sophomore year. After the Super Bowl, he stated that the last time he had caught a pass for a touchdown was when he was in high school. Trey Burton, at his high school, had been a first team all-state quarterback during his junior and senior years . During his freshman year at the University of Florida , he scored six touchdowns in
27800-411: The majority of the highest-paid players in the NFL are quarterbacks, and teams often use their top draft picks to select a quarterback. Bleacher Report describes the signing of a starting quarterback as a catch-22 , where " NFL teams cannot maintain success without excellent quarterback play. But excellent quarterback play is usually so expensive that it prevents NFL teams from maintaining success";
28000-443: The most Pro Bowl selections in NFL history at 15 and was named league MVP three times in 2007 , 2010 and 2017 . His 2010 MVP was awarded in a unanimous decision; the first time this distinction was achieved. Brady was named Male Athlete of the Year in 2007. He is one of only three players to win multiple NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP awards. Brady's 21 seasons as the primary starter led to seven Super Bowl titles,
28200-448: The most of any player and more than any NFL franchise. Overall, he appeared in a record 10 Super Bowls; just under half of the seasons in which he was the primary starter and more than any NFL franchise other than the Patriots. He and Peyton Manning are the only starting quarterbacks to win the Super Bowl for more than one franchise, with Brady winning six for the Patriots and one for the Buccaneers. In his seven victories, Brady set
28400-547: The next two years as a backup quarterback, while teammate and future NFL quarterback Brian Griese led the 1997 Wolverines to an undefeated season, which was capped by a victory in the Rose Bowl and a share of the national championship . When he initially enrolled at Michigan, Brady was seventh on the depth chart, and struggled to get playing time. At one point, Brady hired a sports psychologist to help him cope with frustration and anxiety; he even considered transferring to
28600-413: The offense will run. Some teams use an offensive coordinator , an assistant coach whose duties include offensive game-planning and often play-calling. In the NFL, coaches are allowed to communicate with quarterbacks and call plays using audio equipment built into the player's helmet. Quarterbacks are allowed to hear, but not talk to, their coaches until there are fifteen seconds left on the play clock. Once
28800-400: The offensive line to gain a small amount of yardage, but there is still an emphasis on being mobile enough to escape a heavy pass rush . Historically, high-profile dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL were uncommon—among the notable exceptions were Steve Young and John Elway , who led their teams to one and five Super Bowl appearances respectively; and Michael Vick , whose rushing ability was
29000-460: The ones that we did hear from and ultimately pared the list to were Cal–Berkeley , UCLA, USC, Michigan and Illinois," his father said. As a Cal-Berkeley fan, his father hoped that Brady would attend the nearby school, where Brady was a silent commit, and that he would be able to watch his son play. Brady was also known as a great baseball player in high school. He was a left-handed-batting catcher with power. His skills impressed MLB scouts, and he
29200-507: The only son and fourth child of Galynn Patricia ( née Johnson ) and Thomas Brady Sr. Brady was raised as a Catholic . His mother has Swedish, Norwegian, German, and Polish ancestry, while his father is of Irish descent. Brady has said that his father is 100% Irish In the 1980s, Brady regularly attended San Francisco 49ers games at Candlestick Park , where he was a fan of quarterback Joe Montana ; Brady called Montana his idol and one of his inspirations. At age four, Brady attended
29400-552: The pass was incomplete. During week six of the 2021-2022 NFL season, in a game between the Buffalo Bills and the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football , the Bills successfully attempted the Philly Special on a two point conversion. Play-by-play announcer Steve Levy coined the play "The Buffalo Special." In Super Bowl LVI , the Cincinnati Bengals ran a trick-play where running back Joe Mixon threw
29600-462: The play in the Falcons–Eagles game is called "Philly Philly." On September 20, 2019, the Cleveland Browns ran the play successfully for a two-point conversion against the New York Jets . Running back Duke Johnson took the snap and handed the ball off to wide receiver Jarvis Landry , who threw a pass to quarterback Baker Mayfield . As Landry is left-handed, the play was run to the left side of
29800-494: The play is being unofficially retired for at least one season due to other teams' awareness of the play. On June 14, 2018, the Eagles received their Super Bowl rings. The bezel of the ring contained 127 diamonds, which is the total from the numbers of the jerseys of the three players who handled the ball after the snap on the Philly Special—Corey Clement (30), Trey Burton (88) and Nick Foles (9). In September 2018,
30000-483: The playoffs, Brady led the Patriots to wins over the Colts in the Divisional Round by a score of 20–3 and the Steelers in the AFC Championship by a score of 41–27. Brady played his best game of the year in Pittsburgh despite requiring intravenous treatment the previous night when he ran a temperature of 103 °F. Against the NFL's best defense, he recorded a quarterback passer rating of 130.5, his highest of
30200-402: The primary starter in 21 of his seasons, holding a backup role during his rookie campaign and missing nearly all the 2008 season due to injury. The 2008 season marks the only time Brady did not start because of injury. During his 21 seasons as the primary starter, he missed the playoffs only once (in 2002 ) and had only one losing season (in 2022 ). Throughout his 23 seasons in
30400-477: The process. He was named as the AFC Offensive Player of the Week five times that year. In a Week 6 game against the Dallas Cowboys , he had a career-high five passing touchdowns in a 48–27 win. The win tied him with Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach for the most wins ever by a starting quarterback in his first 100 regular-season starts, with 76. The next week, in part of a 49–28 win against
30600-418: The quarter-back and shall not rush forward with the ball under penalty of foul. In the primary formation of Camp's time, there were four "back" positions, with the tailback playing furthest back, followed by the fullback, the halfback, and the quarterback closest to the line. As the quarterback was not allowed to run past the line of scrimmage, and the forward pass had not yet been invented, their primary role
30800-415: The quarterback as a passing threat, boosted by rules changes in 1978 and 1979 that made it a penalty for defensive backs to interfere with receivers downfield and allowed offensive linemen to pass-block using their arms and open hands; the rules had limited them to blocking with their hands held to their chests. Average passing yards per game rose from 283.3 in 1977 to 408.7 in 1979. The NFL continues to be
31000-407: The quarterback has the "option" to identify which matchup is most favorable to the offense as the play unfolds and exploit that defensive weakness. In the college game, many schools employ several plays that are designed for the quarterback to run with the ball. This is much less common in professional football, except for a quarterback sneak , a play that involves the quarterback diving forward behind
31200-413: The quarterback has. Everything else is secondary". "An argument can be made that quarterback is the most influential position in team sports, considering he touches the ball on virtually every offensive play of a far shorter season than baseball, basketball or hockey—a season in which every game is vitally important". Most consistently successful NFL teams (for instance, multiple Super Bowl appearances within
31400-499: The quarterback lines up out wide, the quarterback can be used as a receiving target or a blocker. A more rare use for a quarterback is to punt the ball themself, a play known as a quick kick . Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway was known to perform quick kicks occasionally, typically when the Broncos were facing a third-and-long situation. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham , an All-America punter in college,
31600-484: The quarterback position were applied. The rule requiring a quarterback/tailback to be five yards behind the line of scrimmage to pass was abolished, and hash marks were added to the field that established a limited zone between which the ball was placed before snaps, making offensive formations more flexible. Additionally, incomplete passes in the end zone were no longer counted as turnovers and touchbacks. The single-wing continued to be in wide use throughout this, and
31800-426: The quarterback receives the call, he may relay it to other players via signals or in a huddle . Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry was an early advocate of taking play calling out of the quarterback's hands. Although this remained a common practice in the NFL through the 1970s, fewer QBs were doing it by the 1980s and even Hall of Famers like Joe Montana did not call their own plays. Buffalo Bills QB Jim Kelly
32000-416: The record for Super Bowl MVP awards with five. Having earned Super Bowl MVP honors with both New England and Tampa Bay, Brady is the only player to win the award with multiple franchises. Holding nearly every major quarterback record, Brady is the career, regular season, and playoff NFL leader in passing yards, attempts, and touchdown passes. He is the only NFL quarterback to have 600 passing touchdowns in
32200-471: The regular season against Ohio State ; this was a dramatic game with a trip to the Orange Bowl on the line. With five minutes left, tied 17–17, Brady led Michigan to the winning score. He led Michigan to an overtime win in the Orange Bowl over Alabama , throwing for 369 yards and four touchdowns, leading the team back from a pair of 14-point deficits in regulation (14–0 in the first half, and 28–14 in
32400-468: The regular season at 14–2 to win the AFC East. In Week 14, a 12–0 victory over the Dolphins, he recorded a 36-yard punt. He won AFC Offensive Player of the Week twice in the 2003 season, in Week 9 and Week 17. Brady finished with 3,620 passing yards and 23 touchdowns, and was third in NFL MVP voting to co-winners Peyton Manning and Steve McNair . After earning a first-round bye, the Patriots defeated
32600-413: The regular season with 3,529 yards and 24 touchdowns. He was not among the players initially selected to the Pro Bowl, although he was offered an injury-replacement selection when Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers was forced to withdraw. Brady ended up declining the invitation. In the postseason, the Patriots first hosted their division rivals, the Jets, in the Wild Card Round . The Patriots defeated
32800-505: The regular season. Brady holds career and postseason records for completions. In his 333 career starts, he is the only NFL quarterback to have three separate streaks of consecutive starts of over 100 games. Brady's 111 consecutive starts from 2001 to 2008 ended because of his injury, and his 112 consecutive starts from 2009 to 2016 ended after he was suspended. For the remainder of his career, Brady had 110 consecutive starts from 2016 to 2022. His longevity led to him setting age records. Brady
33000-449: The remainder of the season. On October 30 against Indiana , Brady played the entire game for the first time in the season and threw for 226 yards, his fifth straight game throwing for 200 yards, to lead Michigan out of a close game, which ended in a 34–31 win. Against Penn State , Brady led Michigan to another 4th-quarter comeback in a 31–27 win, heading into the regular season's final game as winners of three straight. Michigan concluded
33200-469: The rematch at Indianapolis, with a passer rating of 148.3 in a 38–17 win. Brady won his second AFC Offensive Player of the Week nomination after a four-touchdown day in a 34–17 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 11. The Patriots went on to win eleven of the fourteen games Brady started, and six straight to finish the regular season, winning the AFC East and entering the NFL playoffs with
33400-403: The right side of the offensive line behind right tackle Lane Johnson and yelled "kill, kill". Foles then stayed on the right side of the offensive line and the ball was snapped to running back Corey Clement. Clement then ran left and flipped the ball to Trey Burton, to complete a reverse to the right side of the field. Finally, Burton threw the ball to Foles, who ran a route to the right corner of
33600-426: The season in a 34–9 loss to the Detroit Lions on November 23. With Bledsoe as the starting quarterback, the Patriots opened the 2001 season with a 23–17 road loss to the Cincinnati Bengals . In their second game and home opener on September 23, the Patriots squared off against their AFC East rivals, the New York Jets . Bledsoe was again the starter; in the fourth quarter, he suffered internal bleeding after
33800-465: The season. In Super Bowl XXXIX , the Patriots narrowly defeated the Philadelphia Eagles , 24–21, capturing their third championship in four years. They became the first franchise since the Dallas Cowboys to do so. Up until the 2023 season, the 2004 New England Patriots were the last NFL team to win a second straight Super Bowl. Brady threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns in the win. During
34000-405: The second quarter. Brady finished the game with six touchdowns, tying his career-high from the 2007 season, and 380 yards, completing 29-of-34 attempts, finishing with a nearly perfect passer rating of 152.8. The Patriots' 59–0 victory over the Titans tied the record for the largest margin of victory since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger , and set a record for largest halftime lead in NFL history, which
34200-679: The second). He threw the game-winning score on a bootleg play to tight end Shawn Thompson. Michigan won the game when Alabama missed an extra point following its touchdown. In the two seasons that Brady started at Michigan, he posted a 20–5 record, including wins at the 1999 Citrus Bowl and the 2000 Orange Bowl . Brady finished his career ranking third in Michigan history with 710 attempts and 442 completions, fourth with 5,351 yards and 62.3 completion percentage, and fifth with 35 touchdown passes. He graduated from Michigan in December 1999 with
34400-421: The single-wing, an unbalanced power formation where four linemen lined up to one side of the center and two lined up to the other. The tailback was the focus of the offense, and was often a triple-threat man who would either pass, run or kick the ball. Offensive play calling continued to focus on rushing up through the 1920s, when professional leagues began to challenge the popularity of college football. In
34600-454: The single-wing, the quarterback was positioned behind the line of scrimmage and was flanked by a tailback , fullback and wingback . He served largely as a blocking back; the tailback typically took the snap, either running forward with the ball or making a lateral pass to one of the other players in the backfield. The quarterback's job was usually to make blocks upfield to help the tailback or fullback gain yards. Passing plays were rare in
34800-410: The snap. This is normally done when the opposing team has no timeouts and there is little time left in the game, as it allows a team to burn up the remaining time on the clock without risking a turnover or injury. A dual-threat quarterback possesses the skills and physique to run with the ball if necessary. With the rise of several blitz-heavy defensive schemes and increasingly faster defensive players,
35000-407: The starting quarterback has usually been one of the team captains as the leader of the team's offense. In the NFL, while the starting quarterback has no other responsibility or authority, they may, depending on the league or individual team, have various informal duties, such as participation in pre-game ceremonies, the coin toss or other events outside the game. For instance, the starting quarterback
35200-404: The team has been eliminated from the postseason , or the playoff seeding cannot be affected), in order to ensure the starting quarterback does not needlessly risk an injury. Backup quarterbacks typically have the career of a journeyman quarterback and have short stints with multiple teams, a notable exception being Frank Reich , who backed up Jim Kelly for nine years with the Buffalo Bills in
35400-468: The team to give him the starting job; Rodgers would himself encounter a similar situation in 2020 when the Packers drafted quarterback Jordan Love . Similarly, Patrick Mahomes was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs to eventually supplant Alex Smith , with the latter willingly serving as a mentor. In addition to their main role, quarterbacks are occasionally used in other roles. Most teams utilize
35600-401: The team will run. However, when there is not much time left, or when an offense simply wants to increase the tempo of their plays, teams will forgo the huddle and the quarterback may call plays while the other offensive players get into position or at the line of scrimmage. After the team is lined up, the center will pass the ball back to the quarterback (a process called the snap ). Usually on
35800-435: The team's punter for several seasons—a double duty he performed to All-American standard at Arizona State University . White also had two touchdown receptions as a Dallas Cowboy, both from the halfback option . If quarterbacks are uncomfortable with the formation the defense is using, they may call an audible change to their play. For example, if a quarterback receives the call to execute a running play, but they notice that
36000-418: The term is often used to stereotype black quarterbacks. Super Bowl LVII was the first Super Bowl in history where each starting quarterback ( Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes ) was black. Achievements : Diversity : Strategy and related positions : Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in
36200-513: The time, an NFL record. He became the first quarterback to pass for 50 touchdowns. He led the Patriots to the first undefeated regular season since the 16-game schedule was implemented in 1978. He directed an offense that scored a then-NFL record 589 points and 75 total touchdowns. The team's 50 total touchdown passes is the fourth-most ever in a season. For his efforts, Brady was named the Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of
36400-442: The time, threatened to delay his rehab. Despite Brady's absence, the Patriots managed to finish the 2008 season with an 11–5 record; however, due to tiebreakers, the Patriots not only failed to win the AFC East division title, but missed the playoffs altogether for the first time since the 2002 season. In the 2009 season opener against the Bills, Brady's first game in more than a year, he threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns. In
36600-441: The two-quarterback system; West Georgia, for example, uses the system due to the skillsets of its quarterbacks. As recently as 2020, Oregon, who had two quarterbacks capable of starting (Boston College transfer Anthony Brown and sophomore Tyler Shough ), utilized a similar tactic in the 2020 Pac-12 Football Championship Game , giving Shough the start but inserting the dual-threat Brown on short-yardage plays, red zone situations and
36800-406: The visiting San Diego Chargers 26–16 in the fourth quarter, he led the Patriots on two scoring drives to force overtime, and another in overtime to set up a winning field goal for a 29–26 victory. Brady finished the game with 33 of 54, for 364 yards and two touchdowns, and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career. The following week, Brady again played well during
37000-500: The years that might fit what we do. We found this one that fit, and we've been working on it for the last couple of weeks and tonight was the night." Two days after the game, Showtime 's Inside the NFL released footage with audio between Coach Doug Pederson and Nick Foles. It showed Foles suggesting the Philly Special, saying "You want Philly Philly?", and Pederson responding, after a thoughtful pause, by saying "Yeah, let's do it." On February 20, ESPN's Darren Rovell announced that
37200-459: Was 45–0. He won AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game against the Titans. Brady was later named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for October. For Week 16, Brady won AFC Offensive Player of the Week for a four-touchdown game in a 35–7 win over the Jaguars. Brady finished the 2009 regular season with 4,398 yards passing and 28 touchdowns for a 96.2 rating, despite a broken right ring finger and three fractured ribs, which were suffered over
37400-430: Was also known to punt the ball occasionally, and was assigned as the team's default punter for certain situations, such as when the team was backed up inside their own five-yard line. As Roger Staubach 's backup, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Danny White was also the team's punter , opening strategic possibilities for coach Tom Landry. Ascending to the starting role upon Staubach's retirement, White held his position as
37600-561: Was an intern at Merrill Lynch . He was inducted into the Junípero Serra High School Hall of Fame in 2003. When Brady visited the school in 2012, two weeks after Super Bowl XLVI , administrators announced that they named the football stadium Brady Family Stadium. Brady played college football at the University of Michigan for the Wolverines from 1995 to 1999. After redshirting in 1995, Brady spent
37800-567: Was drafted in the 18th round of the 1995 MLB Draft by the Montreal Expos , after the team brought Brady to Candlestick Park to work out with players, a very unusual decision. The Expos projected Brady as a potential All-Star, with then-GM Kevin Malone claiming that he had the potential to be "one of the greatest catchers ever". The team offered him money typical of that offered to a late second-round or early third-round pick, but Brady
38000-419: Was intercepted by Patriots defensive back Duron Harmon . The Patriots, led by Tom Brady, drove down the field and scored on a James White 26 yard touchdown run to cut the Eagles lead to 3. After a Kenjon Barner kick return to the 30 yard line and two plays for 7 yards, the Eagles were faced with 3rd and 3. Nick Foles was able to find Corey Clement on a wheel route for 55 yards, which set up first-and-goal, but
38200-541: Was later converted to wide receiver. James Harris started several games for the Buffalo Bills after the AFL-NFL merger, and later started games for the Los Angeles Rams . Other early NFL black starting quarterbacks include Joe Gilliam of the Pittsburgh Steelers , who was the first black quarterback to start a season for any NFL team; though he was benched after the first six games. The New York Giants became
38400-399: Was much different during Brady's time when athletes' rankings were not as prominent. In terms of recruiting in the 2000s, Brady would have been considered a three or four-star recruit. He was a highly rated prospect. Brady was also on Blue Chip Illustrated as well as a Prep Football Report All-American selection. After his recruiting process, he narrowed his list to five schools. "Probably
38600-524: Was named Super Bowl MVP while throwing for 145 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. At the age of 24 years and six months, Brady became the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl, surpassing Joe Namath ( III ) and Joe Montana ( XVI ). Bledsoe was traded to the Buffalo Bills in April, which cemented Brady's status as the Patriots' starting quarterback in 2002 . In the Patriots' season opener, Brady had 294 passing yards and three touchdowns in
38800-496: Was one of the last to regularly call plays. Peyton Manning , formerly of the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos, was the best modern example of a quarterback who called his own plays, primary using an uptempo, no-huddle-based attack. Manning had almost complete control over the offense. Former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco retained a high degree of control over the offense as well, particularly when running
39000-454: Was properly aligned. This practice is typical at all levels of the sport for confirming proper alignment. Before the play was called, NBC broadcaster Cris Collinsworth expressed his shock on-air that the Eagles would go for it, as he said, "This is an unbelievable call ... This is like going for an onside kick. This could decide the game." He then noticed the alignment just prior to the snap, and uttered, "Uh-oh," quietly. Al Michaels made
39200-484: Was recruited by Michigan football assistant Bill Harris, signing to play for the University of Michigan in 1995. Brady would become the last active athlete drafted by the Expos. He finished his high school football career by completing 236 of 447 passes for 3,702 yards and 31 touchdowns. Brady also won All-State and All-Far West honors and the team's Most Valuable Player Award. During summer 1998 and 1999, Brady
39400-522: Was run from under center, with wide receiver Rontavius "Toe" Groves throwing the pass to quarterback Sam Howell both times. Both instances resulted in touchdowns. On September 11, 2021, Notre Dame tried to execute a Philly Special against Toledo , but quarterback Jack Coan was covered on the play. Avery Davis instead improvised, finding running back Kyren Williams for a successful two-point conversion. On September 18, 2021, San Diego State and backup quarterback Lucas Johnson successfully executed
39600-619: Was selected 199th overall by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft , later earning him a reputation as the NFL's biggest draft steal . He became the starting quarterback during his second season, which saw the Patriots win their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXVI . As the team's primary starter for 18 seasons, Brady led the Patriots to 17 division titles (including 11 consecutive from 2009 to 2019), 13 AFC Championship Games (including eight consecutive from 2011 to 2018), nine Super Bowl appearances, and six Super Bowl titles, all NFL records for
39800-595: Was succeeded by Bono as the Chiefs' starting quarterback. Teams will often bring in a capable backup quarterback via the draft or a trade, as competition or potential replacement which would certainly threaten the starting quarterback's place in the team (see Two-quarterback system below). For instance, Drew Brees began his career with the San Diego Chargers but the team also drafted Philip Rivers ; despite Brees initially retaining his starting job and being
40000-402: Was to receive the snap from the center, and immediately hand or toss the ball backwards to the fullback or halfback to run. By the early 1900s, their role had been further reduced, as teams began to employ longer, direct snaps to one of the other backs (who by rule were allowed to run) and the quarterback became the primary "blocking back", leading the way through the defense but rarely carrying
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