Manning or Brady? Brady or Manning? It's the most intriguing player comparison in today's NFL, and one of the most interesting in NFL history -- regardless of your position. Both players, by the conclusion of their respective careers, will be locks for enshrinement in Canton. Both will also be right in the thick of the ongoing "greatest quarterback ever" debate, mentioned among the likes of Montana, Elway, Unitas and Starr.
So how does one go about deciding which one is better? Does it even matter? The answer to the latter inquiry is yes, because the two square off against each other in less than a week, and it's looking like Manning's Colts are the only team in professional football with a remote shot at slowing the mighty Pats down. The match-up will be the most hyped regular-season game of the new millenium, and might help furnish us with an answer to the question of which signal-caller is truly superior.
There is no magic formula to solve this puzzle, unfortunately, so equal consideration of all relevant factors that come to this writer's mind will have to guide the process. Nevertheless, I haven't spent a lifetime watching, living and breathing football for nothing.
First off, we have intangibles -- the hidden tools whose manifestations escape the casual or uninformed fan. Both quarterbacks are decidedly exceptional in this area. Whether it's Manning's antics and reads at the line of scrimmage, or Brady's truly unique ability to "feel" pressure and deliver the ball accurately and efficiently in spite of it, it's clear that these two are the cream of the crop as far as intangibles go. All things considered, I'd say this category is a wash.
Next, we have productivity. This is where it gets hairy. Though on paper, Manning's career to date has been superior, Brady's numbers this year are otherworldly. The Pats' signal caller is on pace to set all-time single season records for touchdowns and completion percentage. Taking nothing away from Manning's accomplishments, he has worked with superior offensive talent for the majority of his career. Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne are beginning to look like the best receiving tandem in NFL history. Brady, up until this year, never had upper-echelon talent to throw to at wide receiver. Now that he's got a receiving core led by a man named Moss, Brady is showing why Manning's superior career stats heretofore should be considered irrelevant when comparing the two.
Lastly, and most importantly, we have rings and clutch ability -- a category that Brady owns. Granted, Manning emerged victorious in the last meeting between the two (last year's AFC championship game), and played his way to a ring two weeks later, Brady's career track record is far superior. He's tossed 20 touchdowns to just nine interceptions in postseason play, while Manning has tossed 18 with 15 picks. What's more, his performance in each of his three Super Bowl wins was superior to Peyton's efforts in the 2007 Super Bowl.
In the end, then, it's Brady by a hair.
