After 60 minutes of football on Sunday night, Peyton Manning’s
latest bandwagon groupies have suddenly become his latest bandwagon
critics. The same football fanatics who were ready to deem Manning the
greatest quarterback of all time pending the results of Super Bowl
XLVIII, are now labeling him a “regular-season” quarterback and nothing
more. Who would have thought one game, albeit against one of the NFL’s
toughest defenses in league history, could have diminished a man’s
legacy to such an extent.
Regardless of whether or not his team got a win or suffered a loss of glaring proportions in this past Sunday’s highly anticipated Super Bowl, Peyton would have still deserved recognition among the game’s greatest quarterbacks to ever play. If Brett Favre (who only won one Super Bowl) and Dan Marino (who has no championships) reign consistent in the conversation of all-time greats with little mention of regular season vs playoffs, then so too should Peyton, who is the most skilled quarterback to ever throw the pigskin, whether he throws ducks or not .
Before anyone writes off the classy southerner, first consider his gaudy resume. The man is not only a 5-time NFL MVP, 13-time Pro Bowl selection, member of the NFL’s 2000s All-Decade Team, and former Comeback Player of the Year following neck surgery, but Peyton is also a Pro Bowl MVP, Super Bowl MVP, Super Bowl CHAMPION, and a 3-time AFC Champion among other things.
Manning is still a top three quarterback of all time, if not the top dog. He often draws comparisons to another one of the game’s elite, Tom Brady. Manning’s regular season numbers look great, but Brady has the rings. That’s the argument, right?
It reminds me of the Kobe vs. Lebron chatter…Kobe is better because he has 5 rings, right? Well, no. I have ceded that argument. Lebron, right now, is the best (But I would still take Kobe’s prime over Lebron’s prime). But Peyton is doing what Kobe hasn’t been able to do. He’s playing his best football, post-surgery, as retirement, once an afterthought, creeps closer to what the injured Mamba won’t admit appears to be a likely reality. And because of that, he’s the best both in his prime and currently (because they might be one in the same).
Tom Brady has had the privilege of playing under head coach Bill Belichick and alongside a number of very stout Patriot defenses throughout his 14-year tenure in New England. The majority of those defenses proved much tougher to score on than any of the defenses Manning had in Indianapolis or Denver. I often wonder what Manning could have done with Belichick, who is hands down the best active coach in the NFL, leading him. Maybe Manning, like Brady, would have three rings. Or perhaps he’d have four or five by now. “What-ifs,” however, are only fun hypothetically speaking, but they are certainly something to consider.
Bear with me as I briefly continue pondering the “what-ifs”. What if Tom Brady (who hasn’t won a Super Bowl since 2005, or Joe Montana (who is viewed by many as the GOAT) were under center for the Broncos this past weekend? Could they have done much better against the Legion-of-Boom led defense? I think not.
Perhaps the quarterback with the best chance to do anything against this Seahawks team would have been a younger Michael Vick, because he’d have the best chance of running away from Cliff Avril and that relentless defensive line that got so much pressure on Manning.
I understand that Manning threw two interceptions, but can you really fault him for forcing the ball down field when all that was open all night long were short dump downs that were failing to lead to points? Manning’s average completion went for only 5.7 yards. The receivers down field were being shut down. The deep ball wasn’t even an option. And the running game, which tallied a grand total of 27 yards, sure wasn’t any help to Peyton either.
So what could any of the all-time greats have done that Peyton couldn’t? Montana, Brady, Favre, Marino, Unitas, Staubach, Starr, Elway, Bradshaw, and Young would have been in just as much trouble as Manning, who still managed to set a Super Bowl record by completing 34 passes when all such dump-downs were added up.
He might be the greatest QB of all time. He’s certainly in the
conversation despite his team’s recent loss. He’s pinpointed by many as a
regular season performer, but in reality, he is a CHAMPION.
He’s also set a number of playoff records. He has more 300+ passing yard games in the postseason than any other quarterback in the history of the NFL. He has the most playoff games with at least 20 completions and the most with 30 plus completions. He’s one of only two quarterbacks to complete at least 80% of his passes in a postseason contest, and only one of four to post a perfect 158.3 quarterback rating in a playoff game. Manning also led the biggest comeback in conference championship game history, and that was against Brady’s Patriots (2007).
What do all these records mean? They mean he can play. He can play in the regular season (as evident by his record setting 55 touchdowns this season) and he can play in the postseason. Don’t forget he got his team to the Super Bowl, and handily beat Brady, another superstar, in the process. He may only have one ring at this present time, but he’s not done. Don’t slight his legacy because of the results of one game. Instead, give the man the respect he darn well deserves. Peyton Manning is, and forever will be, one of the game’s all-time greats, and that’s undeniable.
Regardless of whether or not his team got a win or suffered a loss of glaring proportions in this past Sunday’s highly anticipated Super Bowl, Peyton would have still deserved recognition among the game’s greatest quarterbacks to ever play. If Brett Favre (who only won one Super Bowl) and Dan Marino (who has no championships) reign consistent in the conversation of all-time greats with little mention of regular season vs playoffs, then so too should Peyton, who is the most skilled quarterback to ever throw the pigskin, whether he throws ducks or not .
Before anyone writes off the classy southerner, first consider his gaudy resume. The man is not only a 5-time NFL MVP, 13-time Pro Bowl selection, member of the NFL’s 2000s All-Decade Team, and former Comeback Player of the Year following neck surgery, but Peyton is also a Pro Bowl MVP, Super Bowl MVP, Super Bowl CHAMPION, and a 3-time AFC Champion among other things.
Manning is still a top three quarterback of all time, if not the top dog. He often draws comparisons to another one of the game’s elite, Tom Brady. Manning’s regular season numbers look great, but Brady has the rings. That’s the argument, right?
It reminds me of the Kobe vs. Lebron chatter…Kobe is better because he has 5 rings, right? Well, no. I have ceded that argument. Lebron, right now, is the best (But I would still take Kobe’s prime over Lebron’s prime). But Peyton is doing what Kobe hasn’t been able to do. He’s playing his best football, post-surgery, as retirement, once an afterthought, creeps closer to what the injured Mamba won’t admit appears to be a likely reality. And because of that, he’s the best both in his prime and currently (because they might be one in the same).
Tom Brady has had the privilege of playing under head coach Bill Belichick and alongside a number of very stout Patriot defenses throughout his 14-year tenure in New England. The majority of those defenses proved much tougher to score on than any of the defenses Manning had in Indianapolis or Denver. I often wonder what Manning could have done with Belichick, who is hands down the best active coach in the NFL, leading him. Maybe Manning, like Brady, would have three rings. Or perhaps he’d have four or five by now. “What-ifs,” however, are only fun hypothetically speaking, but they are certainly something to consider.
Bear with me as I briefly continue pondering the “what-ifs”. What if Tom Brady (who hasn’t won a Super Bowl since 2005, or Joe Montana (who is viewed by many as the GOAT) were under center for the Broncos this past weekend? Could they have done much better against the Legion-of-Boom led defense? I think not.
Perhaps the quarterback with the best chance to do anything against this Seahawks team would have been a younger Michael Vick, because he’d have the best chance of running away from Cliff Avril and that relentless defensive line that got so much pressure on Manning.
I understand that Manning threw two interceptions, but can you really fault him for forcing the ball down field when all that was open all night long were short dump downs that were failing to lead to points? Manning’s average completion went for only 5.7 yards. The receivers down field were being shut down. The deep ball wasn’t even an option. And the running game, which tallied a grand total of 27 yards, sure wasn’t any help to Peyton either.
So what could any of the all-time greats have done that Peyton couldn’t? Montana, Brady, Favre, Marino, Unitas, Staubach, Starr, Elway, Bradshaw, and Young would have been in just as much trouble as Manning, who still managed to set a Super Bowl record by completing 34 passes when all such dump-downs were added up.
Peyton had a bad game. But no quarterback could have stretched
that Seattle D with all of the physicality, focus, and energy they were
playing with on Sunday. This game has NOT ruined Manning’s legacy. It
sure didn’t add to it, but it doesn’t deplete Manning’s greatness by any
means. Football is a team game. Manning, who had little help from his
defense, special teams, O-line, or his offensive targets, did not getblown out; the Broncos did.
He’s also set a number of playoff records. He has more 300+ passing yard games in the postseason than any other quarterback in the history of the NFL. He has the most playoff games with at least 20 completions and the most with 30 plus completions. He’s one of only two quarterbacks to complete at least 80% of his passes in a postseason contest, and only one of four to post a perfect 158.3 quarterback rating in a playoff game. Manning also led the biggest comeback in conference championship game history, and that was against Brady’s Patriots (2007).
What do all these records mean? They mean he can play. He can play in the regular season (as evident by his record setting 55 touchdowns this season) and he can play in the postseason. Don’t forget he got his team to the Super Bowl, and handily beat Brady, another superstar, in the process. He may only have one ring at this present time, but he’s not done. Don’t slight his legacy because of the results of one game. Instead, give the man the respect he darn well deserves. Peyton Manning is, and forever will be, one of the game’s all-time greats, and that’s undeniable.
