Remaining schedule Bye @Ind Det @GB @SD Mia @NYJ Buf. 1. It's hard to say, I think K.C. scares NE more than Denver. For the coaching, defensive talent, and running game. 2. Belichick knows how to beat Manning, but owning him is silly to think. I feel like the Pats could do more defensively against the Broncos with slightly. 3. The Pats have looked unstoppable, but are very beatable. In fact, I think I see them dropping 3-4 games in their stretch run--somewhat nightmarish , finishing 10-6 -- 11-5.
I could do what I did last year at this time, use their career Tale of the Tape numbers to make the case that what they’ve done in head-to-head games is no more a “rivalry” than the Death Star had a rivalry with Alderaan. But this year the pro-Manning, Heavy Peyton zealots keep pointing to the AFC Championship Game as proof positive their guy is the better quarterback. And I will concede that Manning pitched a Madison Bumgarner-caliber gem last year. Which is to say, once Wes Welker carried out his Code Red on Aqib Talib, Manning did a better job of hitting his receivers against a depleted Pats defense (missing Talib, Mayo, Wilfork, Spikes, Kelley, et al) than Brady did throwing to Mathew Mulligan and Austin Collie against a healthy Denver defense in Spring-like conditions at Mile High. And the Lamar Hunt Trophy Manning won looks just like every other team’s Lamar Hunt Trophy, so good for him. But making the case that one game validates the Manning-over-Brady argument or citing passing records to make the case he’s been a better quarterback overall is missing the way more valid question. The whole “debate” boils down to this: Who’s career would you rather have? Try something right now. Walk down a staircase in reverse saying The Lord’s Prayer backwards. And if what they told me on sleepovers in 6th grade is true, when you get to the bottom of the stairs, Satan should be standing there. (WARNING: Do NOT attempt this.) Now let’s say Lucifer asks for your soul and in exchange he’ll make you an NFL quarterbacking legend. And he offers you two options: You could have Manning’s career, or you could have Brady’s. By that standard, it’s not even close. Consider the standards by which we really value QBs. Not cumulative stats or touchdown totals, but the numbers that separate the good ones from the greats and the greats from the GOATs. For example: Quarterbacks should be winners: Manning: 184-87 .679 +97 Brady: 173-53 .765 +120 By comparison, only five other QBs in history have more than 119 wins total. And Brady is that many wins over .500. Joe Montana used to be considered the greatest winner of all time. He won 40 fewer regular season games than Brady does right now with one more loss. Quarterbacks should put points on the board: Manning over his career: 27.2 PPG Brady over his career: 28.0 PPG And before your “but Brady’s teams had better defense and Special Teams” Acid Reflux kicks in, the Patriots’ non-offensive TDs have averaged 1.4 per season more than Manning’s Indy/Denver teams. So the difference is negligible. Quarterbacks need to be good Late & Clutch: Passer ratings when trailing with under 4:00 to go: Manning: 76.7 Brady: 83.4 Passer ratings when trailing with under 2:00 to go: Manning: 60.7 Brady: 80.3 Overtime: Manning: 45.0 Brady: 97.8 Quarterbacks should be Late & Clutch in the postseason: Game-winning drives in the playoffs (since 1960): Manning: 1. Tied for 29th most all time Brady: 7. The most all time Note: Mark Sanchez has 2. Quarterbacks should play well in the Super Bowl: Manning: 3 Super Bowls, 3 TDs, 4 INTs, 81.0 Passer Rating Brady: 5 Super Bowls, 9 TDs, 2 INTs, 93.8 Passer Rating Brady’s lowest Super Bowl Passer Rating was 82.5 with 1 TD and no picks against the Giants in ’07. Manning has been lower than that 2-out of-3 times. So for all the Brady haters clinging to this notion he only won Super Bowls on the backs of his defense and played like garbage in the two losses, everything you know and believe is wrong. And while you’re buying your special Peyton 510 Touchdowns commemorative gold coins from Franklin Mint, realize at his current pace, he’ll have to play another 34 years to tie Brady in Super Bowl TDs. I could go on, but every schoolkid know the rest. Brady’s record 18 postseason wins. Manning’s record 12 postseason losses. The EIGHT times Peyton’s been one & done in the playoffs, four times when his team had a bye as the #1 or # 2 seed. People love to compare this “rivalry” to Bird-Magic, but it’s much more accurate to call it Russell-Chamberlain. One has all the great moments and huge production in the clutch while winning rings, the other has all the records. If you’d choose a career of putting up numbers over being one of the great winners of all time, as far as I’m concerned, you’re already in Hell. PS. Seriously, don’t try that Lord’s Prayer trick. The idea freaks me out.
We should also consider Manning's teams weren't an annual powerhouse until about 03-04. Most of the losses that Manning had against the Pats, since haven't been a complete wash-out, given Manning played well enough to win. Also, you have to consider the Pats typically have a good defense, while most Manning teams are average at best.
So who won 3 Super Bowls, Tom Brady or the New England Patriots; is it not a team effort or head coaching-playcalling issue?
Once a cheater . . . . . .. . . kind of the Marc McGuire standard .. . . big ole asterick on everything they ever touch Rocket River
The real point of this is that once again, here we’ve got another podunk, jerkwater NFL fan that can’t process how the Patriots manage to stay in contention year after year after incredible year. So what do they do? They pull SpyGate off the shelf, despite the fact it went past it’s expiration date six bloody football seasons ago. But that’s all they got. They can’t fathom how any team could still be standing in spite of everything the Pats have had to overcome. So rather than talk about how remarkable it is that they’ve survived Hernandez and all the injuries and the horrendous calls that cost them two games at the end and Brady’s “declining skills,” these other podunk jerkwater sports fans have to bring up the most overrated “scandal” of all time. Funny how the hacks who ask this conveniently forget about the Broncos’ own, real scandal, which was ten times worse. How they got caught violating the salary cap to the tune of $29 million. The one where the league took a draft pick away and fined them almost a million bucks. That would be the same scandal that had Al Davis calling for an asterisk for their two Super Bowls and a suspension for their owner. Without those salary cap violations, the owner and GM John Elway would have zero Super Bowls, as God intended. That is real cheating on a major scale. Not just some low level assistant pointing a camera at a sidelines. But I guess all is forgiven when 15 years later you hire a head coach who feels feelings until his big, sensitive heart breaks.
I want to see this ad so bad. Manning's part in black & white, looking ashamed, ominous music playing, smarmy voice listing stats to mock him. Paid for by bartow baller
Bill Russell? Are you high? Did he win 8 Super Bowls I don't know about? Spygate or not Brady choked away a perfect season on the biggest stage and then a few years later had to have his Brazilian doberman face badmouth his receivers because he was too chicken**** to say it himself. He had to rely on 3 yard dink and dunk passes and a GOAT kicker to win 2 of his 3 Super Bowls. The Eagles would have probably beat them if TO was healthy and didn't hate his QB. God ****ing Bless the New York Giants. That smug **** Ugg slinging ****stain losing to his nemesis' brain dead little brother twice on 2 insane catches by irrelevant wide receivers is just too perfect.
This Colts game is unbelievable. How can one team be so lucky on a week in week out basis? Fumbles bounce back to them, penalties never get called on them. Teams save their worst performances of the season for them.
Since the NFL committee isn't going to help the defense, more defensive backs should master the art of the "accidental tangle" which is never called as P.I
Andrew Luck doesn't need an offensive line or a running game. Ridiculous how good this guy has been through the first half of this season.
It will even out over the 16-game season. If that somehow doesn't happen, the Colts will be exposed in the playoffs. Maybe they are a little better than you think. Their entire success relies on Luck's arm. If he gets on a roll in the playoffs, they might win a couple of games.
