Peyton Manning is the unquestionable darling of the NFL. Announcers and analysts gush over him at every chance they get, and with every move he makes. It seems to have become an accepted fact that he is the greatest quarterback of all-time. He is great, and most definitely one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time, but I’m not convinced he is even the greatest quarterback of his era, let alone all-time. My hypothesis is he is not the greatest quarterback of all time. Now, I’ll test that theory.
His regular season numbers speak for themselves. They are almost unmatched, but not completely. Peyton Manning has just one Super Bowl under his belt and it’s been proven that the guy shrinks in big games. He cemented that in my mind with his return to Indianapolis to take on his former team, the Colts, earlier this season. Manning went back to Indy wearing the orange and blue of the Denver Broncos and got smashed by his old squad. The box score will show the Broncos only lost by 6 points, but they scored 16 of those points in a fourth quarter comeback attempt, that was futile. The game was out of reach early, when the Broncos fell behind of Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts, 36-17, in the middle of the 3rd quarter.
Speaking of big games, it doesn’t get any bigger than the playoffs. Despite going to the playoffs 12 times in his career, Manning has won the Super Bowl only once. Of the 12 times he’s been to the NFL’s second season, he has been sent home 8 times after playing just one game. His career playoff record is 9-11. Am I really supposed to believe he’s the greatest of all-time with a dismal line like that?
We like Peyton Manning so we give him the benefit of the doubt and make excuses on his behalf. We like him because he has funny commercials (cut that meat - highly recommend watching) and can throw the hell out of a football. But the greatest players of all-time, in any sport, excel in the big game, they don’t collapse. Michael Jordan, Jack Nicklaus, Babe Ruth, never collapsed under the pressure. They dominated their rivals and left with the championship trophy in hand. Part of being “great” is how you play when the stakes are at their highest. No matter how many spectacular plays Manning makes during the regular season, there will always be a shadow cast upon his legacy due to his inept performances he displays when it matters most.
Tom Brady on the other hand has excelled in the big games. He has won the Super Bowl 3 times and has played in the big game a total of 5 times. His playoff record is an extremely impressive, 17-7! (Just a reminder, Manning’s record is 9-11.)
Oh and Mr. Brady’s regular season stats aren’t exactly Trent Dilfer like, who has also won one Super Bowl like Peyton. Brady is currently the holder of the most touchdowns ever thrown in one season with 50. Manning will flirt with that record in 2013, but he is currently behind Brady’s pace (as of 11/21/13) and has returned to earth after his astronomical start to the season, in which he did throw 7 touchdowns in week one.
Tom Brady has thrown less than 10 interceptions in a season three times in his career and in 2010 he threw 4, in the entire season, 4 interceptions. Manning has thrown less than 10 interceptions just once in his career; he had 9 back in 2006. Furthermore, Brady has never thrown more than 14 interceptions in a single season. The guy is abnormally accurate and makes fewer mistakes than a calculator. However, Manning is the guy the media praises for efficiency. So, Manning must have never thrown more than 14 interceptions in a season either, right? Wrong. He has actually thrown 15 or more picks in 7 of his 16 years in the NFL. That includes the 28 he threw as a rookie and the 23 he threw during his fourth year in the league.
Head-to-head these two superstars have squared off 13 times. The rivalry has been completely one-sided with Tom Brady walking off the field as the victor 9 times, versus only 4 victories for Peyton Manning. Both of these men are tremendous football players. If your team has either one of them behind the center, then you have an immediate advantage. But Tom Brady has more championships, makes fewer mistakes, and holds an insane amount of records. Still, Peyton Manning is the one a majority of people consider to be the greatest of all time, without even questioning it. I questioned it, and he is great, but my research concludes that he lacks the essentials to be called the greatest of all time. I'll take Tom Brady, but I'll give it some thought first.
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