Sheamus Dalton
As a Cleveland native and Browns fan, I don’t think I have an understanding of the true meaning of NFL post-season football. While I will stand by the Brownies August through November, they give me little reason to be excited about football past December. This is a sad fact of life for us Browns fans. We all accept it and deal with it in our own ways.
This isn’t to say I don’t enjoy football the other eight months. Throughout the playoffs I will stay connected but somewhat disengaged; I rarely make it a point to sit down and watch a game, though I like to know the scores. However, this Sunday, I was especially excited about the Broncos-Patriots game. When my roommate, who had been watching the game, came up to our room and muttered the simple phrase, “Peyton is being a creep,” I knew I had to watch the newest edition of the Manning-Brady Bowl.
And that’s what the week leading up to the AFC title game made it out to be: an all-out, heavy weight battle between two of the game’s most prolific talismans. It seemed that all of sports media was determined to promote the game as a contest only to be decided by two men. One must rise above the other in order for their team to move onto Super Bowl.
I understand that in any conference championship the quarterbacks will be painstakingly analyzed, especially with Brady and Manning as two giants of the modern game. I can accept this as they are both the foundation of their offense and significant team leaders. However, to base game predictions on the expectations of only Brady and Manning seems to be of poor methodology and simply a stale comparison. The Manning vs. Brady argument has been going on since I have been watching the game. Manning, a four-time NFL MVP and 2007 Super Bowl champion, and Brady, a two-time NFL MVP and three-time Super Bowl, are in my mind nearly incomparable. This season, Manning recorded 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns during the regular season while in 2007 Brady threw for 4,806 yards, 50 touchdowns and led the Pats to a perfect 16-0 regular season (although their season was marred by a last-minute upset in Super Bowl XLI by the Giants). Each has had a season where they have absolutely dominated the league. One could argue that Brady has been the centerpiece of one of the league’s most consistent teams for the past 13 years, while another could argue that Manning has lifted two separate teams up to become championship contenders. In this antiquated argument, each point will have its inevitable counterpoint in a never-ending cycle. Consequently, the comparison is simply ludicrous. Both are undoubtedly bound for the Hall of Fame and will leave their organizations with impressive legacies, and I am content to leave it at that.
However, this is never enough. So, if you are compelled to have an answer to the Manning-Brady debate, the only advice I can give to you is to look at Sunday’s game. Manning was, as my roommate so plainly said, a creep. His 400 yards and two touchdowns trumped Brady’s 24 for 38, 277 yards and one touchdown effort. He showed up in full form on a day when Brady looked only slightly off. So, although I bemoan your ludicrous comparisons, I endorse your observation of the facts. Right now, Manning is the best, and looks to be poised to earn his second Super Bowl ring. But then again, go Seahawks.