How good was Tom Brady last night? He completed 31 out of 39 passes for 373 yards, 5 touchdowns and no interceptions. Those numbers compute to an astronomical QB rating of 146.1. And two of Brady's seven incompletions were dead on strikes: one went right through Randy Moss's hands and the other was a perfectly thrown ball that inexcusably glanced off the fingertips of a wide open Dante Stallworth streaking down the left sideline that would almost have certainly been touchdown number six.

That's the long way of saying he's really good. Frighteningly good. Fact is, through the first 10 games of this year Brady is playing at a level of efficiency and excellence which we've never seen before. Consider that in Peyton Manning's record breaking season in 2004 - in which he threw for 49 touchdowns breaking Dan Marino's longstanding record - he finished with a QB rating of 121.1.

This year Brady's QB rating is an astonishing 131.8 - not including his stellar performance last night.

In this day and age it's rare to see a professional athlete operating at such a higher level than his peers for such an extended period of time. Tiger Woods is the only other modern athlete who leaps to mind as someone who has had such a dominant streak. Yes, Brady has a great supporting cast, but this year he's simply setting a new standard of greatness for the quarterback position. And even though some folks love to hate the Pats, it's remarkably fun to watch.

UPDATE: How foolish of me to forget Roger Federer. Wayne Gretzky is another name that came up - in particular the 5 year stretch, starting with his 92 goal season in 81-81 through 85-86 when he averaged more than 200 points per year during the regular season.