3 best defenses Tom Brady faced in postseason
Entering Sunday's AFC Championship Game, Tom Brady could be facing the toughest challenge of his career.
Brady will attempt to lead the New England Patriots to a road victory against a Denver Broncos club that finished first in total defense, fourth in scoring defense, and first in defensive Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA).
Here are three of the best defenses the Patriots quarterback has already matched up against during his postseason career:
2004 Pittsburgh Steelers
The 2004 season marked an identity shift for the Patriots, going from a defensive-minded club to an offensive juggernaut as Brady took full control over the scheme. Squaring off against a loaded Steelers defense, this philosophical shift would pay dividends.
Pittsburgh sent linebackers James Farrior and Joey Porter, defensive end Aaron Smith, and strong safety Troy Polamalu to the Pro Bowl, and that 2004 iteration of the club certainly played into the organization's "Steel Curtain" lore. The Steelers finished first in scoring defense, allowing a paltry 15.6 points per game, and cruised to a NFL-best 15-1 record.
New England finished the season with the league's best point differential and calmly dispatched the Steelers during a 41-27 AFC Championship Game victory at Heinz Field. Brady threw for two touchdowns, and the Patriots would go on to win their second consecutive Super Bowl.
2010 New York Jets
Although the AFC East rivals split the season series, the 2010 New York Jets were able to neutralize Brady and company like few others. In an upset victory, the Jets prevailed 28-21 over the Patriots in their divisional-round game.
New York completed the campaign ranking second in total and sixth in scoring defense, allowing 19 points per game. Darrelle Revis remained in All-Pro form and was the NFL's equivalent of a black hole as quarterbacks refused to throw toward his side of the field. With a versatile front seven and the league's best cornerback tandem in place, the Jets proved a valiant opponent.
Traveling to Gillette Stadium, the Jets sacked Brady five times while David Harris returned an interception 58 yards. It was the performance of a lifetime, though the Jets fell to the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game.
2014 Seattle Seahawks
Super Bowl XLIX was billed as a contest between the Patriots' fourth-ranked scoring offense and the Seahawks' top-ranked scoring defense. A year later, that contest is considered a classic.
Nicknamed "The Legion of Boom," Seattle's vaunted secondary grabbed the cover of Sports Illustrated prior to the game. For the third consecutive year, the Seahawks led the league in scoring defense - an accomplishment they'd repeat in 2015 - and Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas, and Bobby Wagner were all named All-Pros. After a relatively slow start to the year, the Seahawks held opponents to a paltry 6.5 points per game during a six-game winning streak that closed out the season.
For three-quarters of Super Bowl XLIX, the Seahawks resembled every bit of an all-time unit. Trailing 24-14 entering the fourth quarter, Brady threw two touchdowns to give the Patriots a 28-24 lead. In the final minute, Malcolm Butler recorded a game-sealing interception and the Patriots prevailed over a historically great defense.