The comparisons between Tom Brady and Joe Montana began early in the career of the New England quarterback.

 

Those first comparisons were uttered quietly, however, under cover of darkness like pigskin Pilgrims sharing their heresy in hidden corners of Anglican-Church England. "Psst," some insightful analysts such as the Cold, Hard Football Facts would whisper. "This Brady guy reminds us of Montana."

 

Today, those once quiet comparisons are shouted from the pulpit of pigskin with full-blown religious fervor: Tom Brady and Joe Montana are spitting images of one another, according to everyone from the late Bill Walsh to even the most ardent Brady opponent.

 

The comparison has never been more apparent than it is after this, Tom Brady's statistical breakout season. Both were champions before they were stat-monsters.

Today, Brady stands No. 4 in NFL history, with a career passer rating of 92.9. Montana stands No. 5 in NFL history, with a career passer rating of 92.3.

 

If anything, Brady has been slightly ahead of the career accomplishments of Montana. He won his first Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP award in his second season in the NFL. Montana garnered those honors in his third NFL season.

 

Brady won his third championship after just five years in the NFL. Montana played for 10 years before earning his third Super Bowl title.

 

The mirror images of Brady and Montana have been reflected in their Super Bowl appearances. The first three appearances for each were remarkably similar statistically, with Montana holding the edge, mostly in yards per attempt, where his numbers were and remain gaudy.

 

It was in Montana's fourth Super Bowl appearance, however, a majestic 55-10 win over Denver, that he truly separated himself to become the undisputed King of Super Bowl quarterbacks.

 

If Brady is to maintain the mirror image between himself and this legend of legends, he'll need his own command performance Sunday against the Giants.

 

Here's how the two stack up in their Super Bowl careers.

 

SB	Comp.	Att.	Pct.	Yards	YPA	TDs	INTs	Rating	Result
XXXVI	16	27	59.3	145	5.37	1	0	86.2	W 20-17
XXXVIII	32	48	66.7	354	7.38	3	1	100.5	W 32-29
XXXIX	23	33	69.7	236	7.15	2	0	110.2	W 24-21
XLII	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
TOTALS	71	108	65.7	735	6.81	6	1	99.9	3-0

 

There's a good chance Brady will surpass Montana's Super Bowl-career numbers for completions and attempts on Sunday. Brady has an outside shot of surpassing Montana's completion-percentage mark and matching his 11 Super Bowl TD passes. It would take a 408-yard performance, highly unlikely, for Brady to surpass Montana 1,142 Super Bowl passing yards. It's also doubtful Brady could surpass Montana's career marks of 9.36 YPA and his Super Bowl record (among those who have made more than one appearance) 127.8 passer rating.

 

But the numbers could be remarkably close, as they have been in so many other areas of their careers.

 

Will Brady remain the mirror image of his boyhood hero? Or will the comparisons between Brady and the King of Super Bowl quarterbacks come crashing down in his fourth appearance on football's biggest stage?

 

Stay tuned. The comparisons between two of the greatest quarterbacks in history is just one of the secondary storylines of this most historic of American sporting contests.