In order to properly compare the two I used the stats for the seasons they both started. 2001-2007 and 09-10, current up to last weeks stats. This was done to gauge their on field production on an even timeline. To be honest the stats shocked me. I didnt expect them to be so close. This is what I got: Brady Manning 94.9 qb rtg 94.9 qb rtg 34405 yds 38096 260 td's 282 td's 103 int's 126 int's 63.7 comp % 65.0 comp % W-L 109-34 W-L 102-41 As you can see Manning averages over this span about 450 more passing yards a season and 2.75 more td's a season, while brady averages 2.8 less int's and .85 more wins a season. Add that with the identical passer rating and you have a tie my friends. Those are strictly regular season stats. The real difference is the playoff W-L Brady being 15-4 and Manning being 9-6. Again those numbers are off the same timeline. Collecting playoff stats didnt really seem like a fair method to me. Brady has played in more and unlike the 8 yr season timeline there is no right way to make an even timeline for their playoff stats... which sucks for me as a pats fan because brady's are better lol. Yet the playoff W-L is indicative of the real difference between the two. Mannings win % drastically drops come playoff time where Brady's actually goes up. If you couple this with the amount of early exits and losses to inferior teams the colts have suffered it becomes laughable to even compare the two. If Manning played in the playoffs like he's shown hes capable of in the regular season he would without a doubt be the best quarterback of all time. Yet he has routinely lacked the poise to lead his team (which has been superbowl caliber since 2003) to victories in the playoffs. Manning is a playoff choke artist.. 2006 wasnt some epiphany of playoff proficiency for manning. It was an aberration. He didnt play well before 06 and hasnt since. Unless you consider throwing a pick six in last years superbowl playing well. In fact with the exception of one half of one playoff game in 06 he played average ball. Although that one half in the 06 afc championship game against the patriots was arguably the best half a quarterback has ever played in the playoffs. All that really does is bitterly remind manning fans of the potential he hasnt lived up to.
Stats don't always show you the whole picture. The Colts and Patriots ran different Offenses prior to 07. Pat's were a ground control type of Offense methodically moving the chains, and the Colts were always looking for the big gainer with outstanding deep threat receivers. In 07 the Pats brought in personnel to run the Colts Offense, and we all know what Brady did with that. The true picture is how the two performed in the Playoffs. Brady 4 Super Bowls-3 wins, and Manning 2 Super Bowls-1 win. I believe at the end of their careers, Brady will outshine Manning by far on what counts, and that's Lombardis. The "best" argument is good for discussions, but personally I like having a QB, who I know if he has any kind of a team to compete is consistently going to be a snitch to beat on a Playoff run. We have that, so I'm gratefull.
