Brady still tops Peyton
October 2, 2013
It’s no secret the Denver Broncos have quarterback Peyton Manning to thank for their 4-0 start; he’s thrown for 16 touchdowns and zero interceptions in the first four games of the 2013 season.
The buzz around the league says Manning is the best quarterback on the field right now, and possibly the best ever.
Neither are true.
To be the best, one has to beat the best. In other words, a quarterback is only as good as the competition he faces and defeats. That’s why Manning still lingers in the shadow of his long-time nemesis Tom Brady of the New England Patriots.
This is not about rings. It’s easy to point out that Brady has three rings and Manning has only one. If this were the measuring stick, the argument would end there.
Brady’s record against Manning is far more important. Brady has gone 9-4 against Manning in his career, including playoff matchups. After 13 meetings, there’s something about the sixth-round draft pick that has conquered the first overall pick in the 1998 draft.
That something is Brady’s ability to adapt to his surroundings better than any other quarterback in the league. Opposing defenses pose no problems for him. Any cast of receivers will play well when he throws to them, and the man is a machine with the football.
Critics will point to Brady’s failure to beat the New York Giants’ defense in two different Super Bowls, but those critics look at the final score.
They don’t realize that Brady led the offense in such a way that enabled the team to win those games. A dropped interception by Asante Samuel in the 2007-08 and a dropped reception by Wes Welker in the 2011-12 season came between Brady and additional championship rings.
Manning, on the other hand, has struggled against the Patriots far more than Brady has against his biggest foe, the Giants. In 2004, when Manning posted his highest total of touchdown passes with 49, he could not even manage to throw for a touchdown against New England, losing 20-3 and allowing Brady and the Patriots to go all the way to the Super Bowl – and win.
Brady’s best in 2007 was too much for Manning. The score was closer in Indianapolis, but Manning only threw for one touchdown against Brady’s three.
It remains to be seen who will win this season’s battle, but Manning has fooled others into thinking nobody can challenge the Broncos. However, hot starts can’t accurately predict hot finishes, just as slow starts can’t always predict slow finishes.
When Brady set the record for most touchdowns thrown in a regular season, he started off with 13 touchdowns and one interception through the first four games. Clearly, Manning has surpassed that with his huge performances early in the season and has put himself on pace for a record-setting year.
When Brady set his record, though, he picked up the pace toward the end of the year with the pressure mounting and his offensive strategy having been exposed. He had Randy Moss then, but he is not considered the best because of one eye-opening year.
Manning is having a great year, but it’s not over. He can’t be deemed the best from one year he hasn’t finished and another in which he had an arsenal of weapons.
Brady has performed well with many different receivers. He has led this year’s offense to score enough points to win games with players like Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson, and without Rob Gronkowski or Danny Amendola.
He has worked with Hall of Fame talent like Randy Moss. But, he has also had small receivers like Deion Branch and Wes Welker, who benefit from well-placed throws and who don’t match up well with tall players in the secondary. Recently, he has used tight end sets.
Basically, Manning has had to change only his offensive scheme to fit the players he has at his disposal. Manning has worked with all-time Colts leading receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne for long periods of time. Dallas Clark is also on that list and has consistently worked with him.
Manning has not needed to adjust nearly as much as Brady, and is only ahead of him from a statistics standpoint due to his longer tenure in the league.
Manning is currently benefiting from a long list of offensive weapons this year, and merely looks like a veteran who knows how to beat NFL teams.
Brady continues to adapt to the cards he’s dealt and continues to demonstrate why he is the best quarterback in the game.
