#Tom Brady still owns the big moments

There was no Lombardi Trophy waiting for Tom Brady to hoist for the seventh time, for Drew Brees to hoist for the second time.

Over the past two decades, Brady and Brees never dueled in a Super Bowl, but the sight of them meeting at a time like this in their 40-something-year-old lives and Hall of Fame careers, in a momentous playoff game like this, left America on the edge of its seat, gripped with admiration if not awe for these two great champions of their sport, perhaps united mercifully if only for these three hours that it sure felt like our Super Bowl.

TOMpa Bay Brady, drenched in aura and mystique with Bill Belichick watching from afar, or not, and Who Dat Brees, yearning to ride off into the Mardi Gras sunset with a championship a la John Elway and Peyton Manning.

And you probably didn’t need 20/20 vision to see that this one was going to be 20-20 when the fourth quarter began.

Brady’s quarter for so long.

Brees’ quarter for so long.

Neither had imposed his will on this game.

But now it was Winning Time.

Brady’s Time.

Brees made the fatal mistake that sends Brady to Lambeau Field and the NFC Championship game for another Legends Game against Aaron Rodgers.

In this Game of the Ages, it was Brees who resembled the Aged one.

Brees, with his faded 42-year-old arm, could not get the ball downfield, could not get a single ball to Michael Thomas, ended his remarkable career with three interceptions.

And when he threw the ball to Buccaneers linebacker Devin White, when Alvin Kamara zigged when Brees (19-for-34, 134 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs) thought he would zag, Brady had the ball at the New Orleans’ 20 and the dagger in his right hand.

Brady (18-for-33, 199 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs) found old friend Rob Gronkowski for the first time for 13 yards before his 1-yard quarterback keeper gave the Bucs — who had taken a three-point lead on a Ryan Succop field goal on their first drive of the fourth quarter — their 30-20 win.

“There’s only four teams left, we’re one of ’em,” Brady said. “It’s tough to get to this point.”

Same Old Story: a 14th conference title game for Tom Brady.

Same Cold Story next.

The Bucs head to the frozen tundra with arguably the most weather-proof and pressure-proof quarterback in history.

When Brady was informed the forecast for next Sunday is 24 degrees and snow, he said: “That’s January football in Northeast, Midwest. We’ll be prepared. The team that plays the best is gonna win, not the team that is the coldest. We’re gonna have to go out there and play well. We’re gonna be challenged, and … it’s gonna be a great game.”

Brady, behind a wall of an offensive line, didn’t make any costly mistakes and he is on the precipice of winning the daring bet he made on himself when he left Belichick and the Patriots dynasty for a franchise that desperately needed the cultural earthquake that he provided the day he showed up in TOMpa.

Brady’s defense, led by the raging, emotional White, who also had a fumble recovery, knocked the poise out of Brees.

Brady and Brees shared a moment afterwards on the field, and then Brady distributed praise like he distributes the football to the open receiver.

“The defense was incredible all game, the turnovers were huge,” he said.

The Bucs scored the final 17 points, tying it up on Brady’s 6-yard TD pass to Leonard Fournette, after Antoine Winfield Jr. forced a Jared Cook fumble that White returned to the New Orleans 40.

“We made some plays when we needed to,” Brady said.

Brady versus Rodgers now. Rodgers, who has made the game look so easy, who has had an MVP season. Who has won one Super Bowl.

“It’s hard to get to this point, there’s nothing guaranteed from this point forward,” Brady said, “but we gotta go out there and we’re gonna have to play our very best to beat one of the best teams in the league.”

Six times he has saved his very best for last. Even at 43, he is still capable of it.