It’s time to revisit the careers of Colts legend Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
We all knew this would happen. When Colts fans said their farewell to Peyton Manning, and then he went out west and captured one final Super Bowl with the Broncos before riding off to Peytonville with Brad Paisley, we promised we wouldn’t forget to argue his legacy.
Then, the national media forgot about our man, and conceded everything to Tom Brady simply because he lingered longer.
Tom Brady is a fantastic quarterback, and in Bill Belichick’s system, he was allowed to live long and prosper in recent years. TB12 never saw a wide-open 5’7″ practice squad guy he didn’t like.
But Peyton Manning played football. Here are three reasons why the Colts’ old-timer was, and will always be, our first pick at QB in one winner-take-all battle on an objective playing field.
3. Single-Season Passing Records
Colts QB Peyton Manning has posted the greatest single seasons in NFL history.
In a QB-centric league, single-season records for quarterback play are no way to judge Manning against the upper-echelon greats of past eras, like Joe Montana. But they’re sure as hell a way to judge him against Brady, right?
The numbers are still there, in any record book, for you to view. After Brady passed Manning’s single-season record for passing TDs in 2007, Manning went right back and obliterated the mark with 55 in 2013. He also set the single-season yardage record that year (5,477), whereas Brady’s highest single-season passing total remains just 5,235 in 2011. Manning was 37 when he defied the aging curve and set the mark.
You’re supposed to pass the football, as a quarterback, right? That’s considered important, in this day and age? Well, the greatest passing season in history still belongs to Manning, and his chief competitor was warped by the same era. It’s a pretty clear head-to-head win.
2. Peak Performance
Peyton Manning and Tom Brady peaked concurrently, and the Colts reaped the rewards.
From 2004-2006, Peyton Manning played his age 28-30 seasons; Brady, meanwhile, lived ages 27-29 in New England, and was one year away from receiving Randy Moss as a 30th birthday gift and watching the narrative change forever.
It’s safe to say, though, that the two men were peaking concurrently at that time.
During those three seasons, Manning led the league in TDs in ’04 and ’06; Brady never did. Manning had the league’s highest rating in all three seasons.
Manning, sometimes criticized for being a bit too loose with the football downfield, as opposed to displaying Brady’s relentless care and composure, was only picked 10, 10, and nine times in those three seasons. Brady? 14, 14, and 12, while taking fewer chances.
Their team records were stunningly similar — both men QB’d a 14-2 campaign and a 12-4 season, but Manning doubled down on the 12-4s, whereas Brady went 10-6 in 2005 (while leading the league in passing yardage, to be fair).
Both great quarterbacks match up conveniently for these three seasons in time, as the league’s passing boom was just beginning. The stats agree: Manning, on a level playing field, outranked his rival.
Give Manning Randy Moss, and we probably never see a second wave of Brady dominance.
1. Career Efficiency
First of all, a hearty congratulations to Tom Brady for passing Peyton Manning in career yardage and touchdowns — and I’m sure he did so in the same exact amount of games!
(Checks earpiece) Oh, really? He’s just barely edged past Manning, and has already played 19 more games? Got it, that seems important.
Over four years after his retirement, Manning is now third all-time in yards (71,940) and touchdowns (539), sitting ninth in quarterback rating (96.5). Brady is now second in yardage (74,571) and touchdowns (541), fifth in QBR (97.0), and, most importantly, is still on the field, well past the age of 40.
Hold Manning’s physical breakdown against him all you want, but the man gutted through a potential career-ending surgery only to rear back with a vengeance for a second life in Denver. Retiring at 39 only looks premature in Brady’s wake.
We don’t know what that man does to stay limber, but all those excess reps have only narrowly edged him past Manning’s career totals. And we’d bet Peyton got to enjoy the occasional eggplant on occasion, too, during the meaty part of his career.
If you’d like to say Brady’s playoff success trumps any argument, that’s fine. That’s your prerogative, and there are a number of factors at play. If Brady had been conditioned to play in a dome all season until the one game the world chose to judge him on, his reputation might be different, too. If Peyton Manning had been schemed by Bill Belichick, or had a defense like Romeo Crennel’s behind him, who knows?
All in all, this one’s as close as it gets, but like Kevin Faulk on fourth down, Brady’s short by a hair.