With a clash of the NFL titans looming next Sunday, Schmidley and I felt it appropriate to examine the league's most pressing question: Brady or Manning? I know, it's akin to comparing Grey Goose and Belvedere -- nobody cares so long as the bottle doesn't say Zhenka -- but the mantle of best quarterback in the NFL must be bestowed upon one of them. After Eli's older brother finally won his Super Bowl, it appeared that this debate had been settled. Unfortunately, Brady made things more complicated by creating the league's most potent offense since the Madden 2000 St. Louis Rams. Sure, it doesn't hurt that Brady has more weapons at his disposal than an inner-city school or that his coach is a cheater, but what he's doing is downright impressive.
Cue commercial.
"Hi. I'm Peyton Manning. I'm the greatest quarterback of all time. But I'm more than a great quarterback. I also subscribe to DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket. Now, you might ask, 'Why Peyton, why do you subscribe to Sunday Ticket when you're busy on Sundays?' and that would be a valid question. Well, I'll tell you: because DirecTV offers a great service at an affordable price. And if you call now and order with your MasterCard, I'll throw in this limited edition Gatorade t-shirt with a picture of me, Peyton Manning, on the front."
Resume article.
Peyton's overexposure aside, there's a reason he's on more commercials than all but Tiger Woods. He's simply the best at what he does, and mildly entertaining off the field. Part of his effect as an endorser is to surprise the audience with how normal he is when he seems downright kryptonian with the ball in his hands. As good as Tom Brady is, he doesn't have Manning's natural abilities. Watch Peyton orchestrate his offense, and you know you're witnessing something special. Until this year, you never had that feeling with Tom Brady. You knew you were seeing a great football player, a multiple-Super Bowl winner, but not someone who was transcending his position. Well, Brady is doing his best to rectify that this season, and yet, if I had to pick one of these two great players to lead a game-winning drive, I'd pick Peyton.
A quick look at their career numbers tells a very interesting story. Both are roughly the same age with similar heights and builds. Peyton has played in an extra fifty games, and he has the requisite touchdowns, yards and interceptions to show for it. Peyton has a slightly higher completion percentage, yards per attempt and quarterback rating, but for the most part, the pair's per game statistics are a wash. The one number that jumps out at me, however, is how many times each has been sacked. In fifty fewer games, Brady has been sacked fourteen more times. Now, sacks are in part a reflection of your offensive line, but Brady has a great line protecting him. No, I've always believed that the best quarterbacks stay on their feet and deliver the ball. That's how they stay healthy and that's how they keep drives alive. When debating two great athletes, the slightest discrepancy is all one needs to set them apart.
Is it possible to ever fairly compare the two? Both are elite, champion athletes. Both have great players that they make even better, and both are made better by those around them. Both have put up spectacular numbers already in their careers. Both are winners, and both make opposing defenses quake in their Huggies. But all whimsical arguments aside, ask yourself this: who would you pick to build your team around? I couldn't fault you for picking Brady, but if you stuck Manning on this year's Pats, do you think his numbers would be any different? Peyton is the most talented quarterback since Brett Favre in his prime, the player he'll likely eventually surpass in the record books. Brady is a great player, who will also go down as one of the greatest of all-time. But by a fake moustache, I'm giving this one to Peyton.
