Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning Is Over — Brady Won

By Peter Rogers @petahrahgas on November 3, 2014

Before I delve into the battle between the NFL’s least mortal players, I would like to take a quick look back to a press conference after the New England Patriots’ embarrassing loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. Tom Brady looked human, Bill Belichick looked murderous and everyone else looked on at the apparent fall of a dynasty.

Peyton Manning was out in Denver laughing it up and playing keep away with his merry bunch of weapons having a grand old time returning to the “Best in the NFL” spotlight that he just loves to occupy. By all means it had seemed that the Brady-Manning rivalry was on its way to being dead.

During that press conference after the Chiefs’ massacre, Belichick was asked if the quarterback position should be evaluated; or in other words, should that Hall of Fame Tom Brady guy no longer start? Belichick shot lasers out of his eyes at the reporter and moved on without so much as a grunt. (Sadly the lasers part didn’t actually happen. But it was close.)

How stupid does that question look now? 

The Brady-Manning masterpiece has been over 10 years of constant entertainment, and every game they play is preceded by a week of hype and debate over who is the greater quarterback. But the debate is over. It is time for people to put the matter to bed and realize one simple fact: Brady is better than Manning. Plain and simple. 

For years Brady has been able to do more with less and his skills and inhuman-ness were on full display in yesterday’s blowout victory.

In the first half, Manning looked lost and horribly inaccurate. His now patented lame duck throws couldn’t fight their way through the strong wind blowing through Gillette, and the Denver Broncos‘ offense suffered mightily because of it. He made his traditional “Manning looks like a rookie” play when he didn’t see defensive lineman Rob Ninkovich drop back into coverage and then jump his pass intended for Demaryius Thomas leading to an interception and ultimately a Patriots touchdown.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Brady was bulletting passes into receivers’ chests so hard you could hear the impact on TV. Julian Edelman’s lone receiving touchdown of the night came from such a pass. Broncos safety T.J. Ward had excellent coverage on Edelman, yet Brady stepped up and threw a strike right into Edelman’s chest. Edelman was covered, but Brady made the play happen. I still have no clue a) how that ball got past Ward and b) how Brady made that throw.

Manning can put up stats, but he only wins in perfect conditions. Statistically, he is the greatest quarterback to ever play and I have no problem admitting that. He is breaking then setting regular season records that will probably never be broken again. But he needs everything to be perfect in order to actually win games. He needs perfect weather. He needs to have top talent catching his passes. He needs to not be in the playoffs.

But Brady doesn’t need that. Brady has been doing more with less for his entire career. Imagine switching Brady and Manning right now. Put Brady on the Broncos and give the Patriots Manning. Do you think Manning would be able to do what Brady has done with this receiving group, or any receiving group Brady has had for that matter? The correct answer is no. And a big emphatic no. I think Manning would only have success with the 2007 offense, but with those players, you could have put in Mark Sanchez and still been a top five offense.

“If the quarterback stinks,” Manning said, “usually you’re not gonna win many games.”

“I don’t usually stink, but I stunk today.”

As much as the media hypes up the battle between these two greats, it might be time to throw in the towel. Brady is now 11-5 all-time against Manning, and that kind of seems like domination to me.

Both Manning and Brady are Hall of Fame quarterbacks who will go down as two of the best to ever play the game, but it’s becoming more and more apparent that one of these rivals is just better than the other.

It’s okay, Manning; you didn’t stink. You just aren’t Tom Brady.

Peter Rogers is a New England Patriots writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @petahrahgas, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google