Tom Brady has a long, rough history against the New York Giants

The tortured history of Tom Brady against the New York Giants is well documented.

There is no question that Tom Brady is one of the most decorated and largely successful quarterbacks in NFL history. With six Super Bowl rings and a number of passing records attached to his name, it’s hard to overlook the times he hasn’t performed well in the big moments. That is unless you are a fan of the New York Giants.

Even though the now-Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback is 4-1 against the Giants in the regular season through his career, his six rings could have been eight had it not been for the men in Big Blue. Two of his three Super Bowl losses came at the hands of the Giants, one of which derailed Brady from making even greater history.

Going into Super Bowl XLII, Brady and the New England Patriots were 18-0 and on the verge of perfection. They had already beaten the Giants 38-35 in the season and were hoping to do it again. This time, however, Michael Strahan and Co. had different plans.

After taking a 14-10 lead in the fourth quarter, Eli Manning’s pass to David Tyree set up a Plaxico Burress touchdown that finished the game at 17-14 and ended the perfection dream.

Brady got another opportunity in 2011 when he carried a beleaguered Patriots team to Super Bowl XLVI to face New York once again. After taking the lead at 17-15, Brady watched again in disbelief as Manning threw another immaculate pass, this time to Mario Manningham. That ultimately set up Ahmad Bradshaw‘s game-winning touchdown and another championship ring was denied.

The other Super Bowl loss was to the Philadelphia Eagles, a team in the same division as the Giants and Nick Foles, a man whose hand Brady has yet to shake.

Tom Brady may be the greatest, but the Giants still are a thorn in the side.

Going into Monday Night Football in Week 8 when the Buccaneers and Giants square off, Brady and his new teammates in Tampa are heavy favorites as they travel to New Jersey. However, that could spell a trap given how it’s affected the six-time champion in the past.

Though the Giants this season are similar to their in-city counterpart Jets as one of the worst teams in the league, they do have some talent. Tampa Bay, on the other hand, is loaded, even though Chris Godwin will be out for a short period of time.

Antonio Brown will eventually join the mix once his suspension is complete in Week 9. In the meanwhile, Mike Evans and company will have to elevate as will the running game and defense.

Speaking of the defense, Todd Bowles’ crew will look to help Brady out as much as he and the offense have helped them over a 5-2 start this season. Given how the Bucs are trying to keep pace in the NFC and hopefully reach the top of the conference, this game will be critical.

Tom Brady may be headed for a simple victory this week but, given his history against Big Blue, it would be wise to take caution.