Everyone had their own prediction for how the Super Bowl would go, but you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone that thought the outcome would be as lopsided as it was. The Seahawks gave the record-setting Broncos a beat down for the ages and despite ESPN’s best efforts, Peyton Manning is no longer in the “greatest of all time” conversation. Now the time has come to turn our attention back on the Patriots as they begin to fill roster needs through free agency and the draft. We recently chatted with Jerry Thornton, a staff writer at Barstool Sports and a regular contributor to Comcast Sports Net’s Patriots Pre-Game Show and Felger and Massarotti on 98.5 the Sports Hub, about the shocking Super Bowl and the future for the Pats.  Thornton, an unapologetic “Bradysexual”, had some very interesting takes on the hot topics of the NFL.
When that first snap sailed over Peyton’s head and resulted in a safety, what went through your mind?
I was completely ecstatic. To me, January-February is “Peyton Manning loose bowel awareness month;” in fact, I was wearing a brown ribbon. The question was, “does this mean a complete loss of composure?” Because if you’ll remember the Patriots started Super Bowl 46 with a bad safety and they righted the ship and came back and took a lead in the fourth quarter. I thought that it would be a snafu and they would come back but I had no idea that was going to be the highlight of the night for them.
I don’t think anyone saw Denver scoring eight points…
Manning scored six more points than his Center did.
Do you think that the lopsided result will end all of the “Manning V.  Brady” talk once and for all?
I think it should, but I will never underestimate the national media’s ability to make apologies for Manning. Even during the game, the Peyton Manning goose machine started firing on all cylinders. Troy Aikman said that this will not impact how he’s remembered at all. Oh really? He set the all-time records for yards and points, and he threw more touchdowns than any other team-scored touchdowns combined, and then he goes out and puts up an eight spot in the Super Bowl but this isn’t going to effect how he is remembered? Sure.
The media just has their heads up this guy’s but so deep that they’re blind to his flaws. I don’t get it. Had he won, it’s hard for a Bradysexual like me to make the case that Brady’s career has been better than his. Winning the Super Bowl with two different teams after setting all of those records would have been a lot. But to me, after what happened on Sunday, the argument is dead.
I’ve found articles saying “those interceptions weren’t his fault” or “no quarterback could have done anything against that Seattle defense.” That defense was good but they were beaten at times this year, they’re not infallible. If you look at the weapons test, look at the Pro Bowlers that he’s been given. He was holding a straight flush, and Brady was dealt a pair of sixes. If you give Brady that lineup of receivers, there’s no way that he’s putting up eight points.
Had the Patriots won the AFC Championship, do you think that the game would have gone differently?
Absolutely. It would have been an entirely different game. Do I think that the Patriots would have won? I don’t know, they were decimated. They were playing with borrowed money for a long time. It’s hard for me to say that a line with Chris Jones and Joe Vellano would win the one on one battles against a pretty good Seattle front. Having said that, I think that they would have taken care of the ball. Brady just flat out doesn’t throw those stupid picks like Manning. Manning has a history of doing this, it’s not a freak occurrence. That first interception [to Kam Chancellor] was unconscionable. Brady would have taken care of the ball. The Patriots cause more turnovers than Denver did, there’s a chance they may have gotten Wilson to cough it up. I’ll say this: there’s not a chance that they would have lost 43-8 and trailed for 59:48 like Denver did.
The Patriots have some key free agents going in to the off season, what do you think our number one priority should be?
Flat out it’s Talib, or at least replacing Talib with another physical corner. The reason The Seahawks are the champs right now is that they didn’t build their team around receivers, but they built it around a physical defense that hits people and jams receivers at the line. Right now the Pats have the makings of a good secondary, but Talib is their only physical guy who can press, and knock people off their routes, and you saw the difference when he was out.
As far as Julian Edelman, I love the guy, but I would not break the bank for him. I’d love for him to stay but I’m convinced that slot receivers do not make Brady, Brady makes them. Troy Brown was a garden variety, middle of the roster guy, but when Brady took over in 2001 he turned him into a 100 catch guy who set the Patriots all time record for receiving in his first year as a starter. Welker had 100 catches for his career in Miami and when he came up here, he’d have 100 catches every year by Thanksgiving. I’d like for Edelman to stay but if he goes, I know that we’ll replace him with someone else that will get 100+ catches or 1000+ yards.
Brady is getting up there in years. How many more years do you think he has to make a legitimate run at one more championship?
I’ve given this a lot of thought and I’m trying to be rational and mature about this and see the reality of the situation, and I’ve decided that it’s infinity years. Forever. When his last game is over, he’s just going to be reincarnated as a 22 year old rookie.
I would give Brady more years than Manning. Peyton has a lot of city miles on that body, not only is he older but he’s had his neck fused. Brady’s problem isn’t that he’s physically declining, it’s that he’s looking to hit 5’9, white slot receivers 50 yards up the field. There’s only so far you can get get when your options are Austin Collie, a different Austin Collie named Julian Edelman, and a third Austin Collie named Danny Amendola. It’s like a battleship trying to hit rowboats with .50 caliber rounds across the horizon. There’s only so much he had left. There’s clearly some talent there with the rookies. They have to stay healthy and take the next step. If you get a year two bounce out of those guys, Brady is going to look a hell of a lot better than he did this year.

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Tom Brady should now be recognized as the superior quarterback, but don't hold your breath while you wait for the national media to accept that