Tom Brady has been in the NFL since the beginning of the century. He has six Super Bowl rings, four Super Bowl MVPs, three NFL MVP awards, three first-team All-Pro selections and 14 Pro Bowl appearances under his belt. Luke Falk has appeared in one NFL game and has yet to start one.
That doesn’t mean the two have absolutely nothing in common, though.
When Brady and Falk take the field in Week 3, they’ll share more of the same characteristics and feats than you would expect. The Jets and the Patriots are on opposite ends of the spectrum right now, but Brady and Falk aren’t exactly polar opposites despite their varying levels of experience and success at the professional level.
Let’s take a look at some bits of history that Brady and Falk unexpectedly share.
Lucky No. 199
When Tom Brady went off the board at No. 199 overall in the sixth round of the 1999 NFL draft, nobody thought much of it. Brady wasn’t exactly a standout at Michigan and the pick was viewed as nothing more of a depth addition behind starter Drew Bledsoe.
Before long, Brady was on the field in place of Bledsoe and has since put together a career that made No. 199 a famous draft pick. Coincidentally, Luke Falk was selected with the 199th overall pick by the Dolphins in 2018.
Just because they share a draft slot doesn’t mean Falk is the next Brady. However, if the pick has any luck attached to it, Falk will be at the very least serviceable under center with Sam Darnold and Trevor Siemian sidelined.
Measurables
One of the things that stands out while watching Tom Brady play is his size. Brady is not a freak athlete, but he stands at 6-foot-4, giving him the height to comfortably scan opposing defenses at the line of scrimmage and in the pocket over his offensive linemen.
Guess what? Luke Falk is 6-foot-4, too. Falk is the better athlete upon entering the league based on NFL draft combine numbers, as he had a better vertical jump and broad jump than Brady. However, they are the same height-wise.
Brady and Falk got drafted with the same number overall pick and stand face to face opposite each other. The chances of Falk becoming the next Brady are getting better and better with each similarity.
24 years young
Tom Brady wasn’t exactly a spring chicken when he made his first NFL start.
Brady started his first game against the Colts in 2001 at the age of 24. When Falk makes his first career start against the Patriots, he too will be 24 years old. Most quarterbacks who make their first career start debut around 21 or 22 in today’s NFL, placing Brady and Falk on the older end of the spectrum.
Now 42, Brady has not relinquished his starting job at any point in the past 18 years. Could the same kind of longevity under center be in store for Falk?
Week 3’s the charm
When Tom Brady made his starting debut against the Colts, it was Week 3 of the 2001 season. Fast forward 18 years later and it’s Luke Falk who is making his first NFL start in Week 3 against the Patriots.
Brady was relatively average in his first career start, going 13-23 for 168 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. However, it was enough for the Patriots to emerge victorious.
Falk went 20-25 for 198 yards against the Browns in relief duty a week ago, but it’s going to be a different story on Sunday when the Patriots have had all week to prepare for him. Like Brady was against the Colts back in 2001, all the Jets need is for Falk to be at the very least serviceable to give them a fighter’s chance.
Leading off with legends
Tom Brady was faced with a tough task in his first career start, as he was up against a future legend.
By 2001, Peyton Manning had established himself as an elite quarterback in the NFL. He wasn’t blowing records out of the water just yet, but Manning’s accuracy and football I.Q. had him considered among the game’s best. Taking on someone like that is not easy for a player making his first career start.
When Luke Falk takes the field against the Patriots in Week 3, he will be going up against an already established legend. It’s rare that one’s career path follows one of the game’s greatest players, but Falk and Brady have so many similarities it’s hard to ignore. Facing off against a legend at the beginning of it all is just the latest one.
