And how did you enjoy the best eight-week stretch of quarterbacking in NFL history, Mr. Alge Crumpler?

"Man, Tom is amazing," said Crumpler after Brady completed 10-of-16 passes for 199 yards, two TDs and (pause for shock) no picks in the Patriots' 38-7 blasting of the Dolphins on Sunday. "It's amazing. The guy is so good. … I can't believe how good he is sometimes."

Just how good is Brady? Three more wins and it's time for Joe Montana to step aside.

It'll be over. Tom Brady will assume the title as Greatest Quarterback of All Time (does GQAT work for anyone?) and I don't want to hear about John Elway (a .500 QB for the first decade of his career), Dan Marino (as many Super Bowl rings as Chad Henne and Tyler Thigpen), Brett Favre (nobody has more killer INTs) or Johnny Unitas (I have no clue if he could play at a high level today and neither do you).

Four months ago I wrote that Peyton Manning was a better QB than Tom Brady. For that I was called a moron by a great many readers. Those great many readers were right about two things: I am a moron and Tom Brady is better than Peyton Manning. 

There's just too much there there to think otherwise anymore. Sure, you can make the argument that Manning is working with the worst supporting cast of his career this season (I think I heard someone mention that on ESPN about 25,000 times or so). That's why he's thrown 17 INTs (most since 2002). I agree with that, it's a totally reasonable argument. But you know what? Tom Brady's supporting cast isn't stuffed with Pro Bowlers, either. And for the season he has thrown a grand total of four INTs, or one more than Manning threw against the Patriots in Week 11.

Ask yourself this: Does Peyton Manning win 14 games with two undrafted guys at running back, a couple of rookie tight ends and the ACL twins as his No. 1 and No. 2 receivers?

 "He knows where you are going to be before you know where you are going to be," said Crumpler of Brady. "That's because he prepares so well. He's just a great leader first, and then a great player."

His worst passer rating over the last eight weeks is 107.0. (His passer rating for the season is 111.0, fifth-best all time. He's the only player to have two seasons in the top five.) In that span he has thrown 22 TD passes and no interceptions. He's done it in the snow and in a dome, in the wind, at night, during the day, against the AFC and NFC, top-ranked defenses and punching bags. Hasn't mattered -- the one constant has been Brady putting on a clinic week after week. 

An all-time great taking his game to a level we haven't seen. Let's take a step back and realize that we haven't seen this before. Thirty-six touchdowns and four interceptions doesn't happen. This is Bobby Orr in 1970, or Larry Bird in 1986 or Stallone in 1982 (come on -- "First Blood" and "Rocky III"?), the leap from greatness to whatever it is that's about three levels above greatness. 

When Tom Brady jogged off the field in the third quarter on Sunday (which was about two quarters too long -- still not sure why he was taking hits in the second half of a game that meant nothing) and gave way to Brian Hoyer, he did so as the best QB on the planet, the leader of the best team in football and the surefire MVP winner. Plenty of swell stuff, some of which wouldn't even change if the Patriots lost in two weeks.

But now it really does begin. And I get that -- in the big picture -- where Tom Brady stands among other QB's from a historical standpoint probably doesn't rank real high for anyone in the Patriots locker room right now (including Brady). Understood. 

But it's hard to avoid, isn't it? Four Super Bowls puts him with Terry Bradshaw (great, but nobody puts him in the Mt. Rushmore class) and Montana. That's it. And as great as Joe Montana was, he always had talent around him. Other than Tom Brady, how many slam-dunk Hall of Famers are on the 2010 Patriots? That would be zero. (Come to think of it -- couldn't the same be said for the 2001 and -- depending on how much the Hall of Fame voters care about HGH -- 2003 and 2004 Pats?) 

Whose seen a quarterback that good?

"I mean, I haven't," said Crumpler when asked that question. "No mistakes, always thinking. As long as he's on the field he wants to win. Just a really competitive guy."

The top five passer rating seasons we saw earlier? Well, first on that list is Manning in 2004. He had Marvin Harrison (future Hall of Famer) and Reggie Wayne (potential future Hall of Famer). Second place is Brady's own 2007 season, with Randy Moss (first-ballot lock) having his greatest season. Third is Steve Young in 1994 and fourth is Joe Montana in 1989. Both had Jerry Rice, who -- if you believe the NFL Network -- is the best player in history. 

There are no mustard-colored jackets in Wes Welker or Deion Branch's future. Nice players both; perfect fits for this team. But there's a reason why no one has put up 36-4 TD/INT, a 111.0 QB rating, an MVP and a 14-2 record with just nice players. 

Until now.

For now, the debate rages on. But if the Patriots win their next three games the case will be closed.

Tom Brady will be the best quarterback in NFL history.

Lucky for me, even a moron can figure that out.