32 of 37, 374 yards, 3 TDs, INTs

[amfootball]

Not sure you can say he carried that 2011 team. He was lights out vs Denver, but rather ordinary after that....making a few UnBrady like mistakes in the SB.

Blood - that was one of the worst defenses in NFL history to go to the playoffs. I remember Troy Aikman commenting on how bad they were vs. the pass. To give you an idea, the Pats last two games to clinch the #1 seed were against the Dolphins and Bills. The Dolphins were up 17 early in the second before Brady stormed back with 27 points to 7 in the second half. And then the Bills were up 21-0 in the first quarter before Brady hung 49 on them. He threw for a record 5,235 yards which is second all time in the history of the game to Brees. It was one of Brady's best seasons.

 

BTW, again, loving the avatar.

[amfootball]

Case in ponint...Montana is herald as the greatest qb ever, and he never put up big numbers, until the playoffs.  He was his best when it mattered the most, and that's what people remember him for.  I want the next Joe Montana on my team, not the next Dan Marino.

I agree. Brady is the closes Marino/Montana QB in the history of the game. Clutch to win his rings and then lights out numbers and league MVPs the last 6 years and counting.

[BOTT]

Blood - that was one of the worst defenses in NFL history to go to the playoffs. I remember Troy Aikman commenting on how bad they were vs. the pass. To give you an idea, the Pats last two games to clinch the #1 seed were against the Dolphins and Bills. The Dolphins were up 17 early in the second before Brady stormed back with 27 points to 7 in the second half. And then the Bills were up 21-0 in the first quarter before Brady hung 49 on them. He threw for a record 5,235 yards which is second all time in the history of the game to Brees. It was one of Brady's best seasons.

 

BTW, again, loving the avatar.

I agree they were horrible, but it don't recall them playing that poorly come playoff time....of course it helps that It took Flacco a while to figure out Edleman was indeed playing CB.

[chad72]

I agree they were horrible, but it don't recall them playing that poorly come playoff time....of course it helps that It took Flacco a while to figure out Edleman was indeed playing CB.

 

Yep, the Colts did the same, worst ranked run D in 2006, turned it around with opportunistic plays come playoff time.

[BOTT]

Case in ponint...Montana is herald as the greatest qb ever, and he never put up big numbers, until the playoffs.  He was his best when it mattered the most, and that's what people remember him for.  I want the next Joe Montana on my team, not the next Dan Marino.

That team/coach staff around him didn't hurt either

[Guest TeamLoloJones]

That team/coach staff around him didn't hurt either

That is true...

[Snowglobe]

I agree they were horrible, but it don't recall them playing that poorly come playoff time....of course it helps that It took Flacco a while to figure out Edleman was indeed playing CB.

 

Well they were giving up 411 in the reg season and just a hair under 400 against the Ravens/Giants. Really the only reason they didn't give up 400 against the Broncos was because it was Tebow lol. 

[amfootball]

I agree they were horrible, but it don't recall them playing that poorly come playoff time....of course it helps that It took Flacco a while to figure out Edleman was indeed playing CB.

lol. yes, Endelman at corner. It was so bad. They were better in the playoffs with points but not with yards and of course they let Eli go 92 yards uncontested for the game winning drive. Actually letting him score the TD at the end to try to give Brady some to answer but by then the dropsies had come into play.

[BOTT]

Well they were giving up 411 in the reg season and just a hair under 400 against the Ravens/Giants. Really the only reason they didn't give up 400 against the Broncos was because it was Tebow lol.

I was going to note that, but I didn't want a tebow debate lol

[chad72]

lol. yes, Endelman at corner. It was so bad. They were better in the playoffs with points but not with yards and of course they let Eli go 92 yards uncontested for the game winning drive. Actually letting him score the TD at the end to try to give Brady some to answer but by then the dropsies had come into play.

 

Yeah, it is never Brady's fault when the Pats lose and put up 17 pts and 14 pts in SBs he lost, and 13 pts in the AFCCG he lost recently. But it is always Peyton's fault when his teams lose. I know how it works with Pats fans, lol. ;)

[amfootball]

Yeah, it is never Brady's fault when the Pats lose and put up 17 pts and 14 pts in SBs he lost, and 13 pts in the AFCCG he lost recently. But it is always Peyton's fault when his teams lose. I know how it works with Pats fans, lol. ;)

Not good enough for sure. I have said that many times. Brady is the best player every time he steps on the field and rarely will under 20 points be good enough. SBs are tough to score though and set the record for most consecutive passes and 91 rating and no Turnovers. Hard to nit pick him at that but no points after the first drive of the third quarter is not good enough even with butter fingers Welker. lol.

[Gramz]

Not good enough for sure. I have said that many times. Brady is the best player every time he steps on the field and rarely will under 20 points be good enough. SBs are tough to score though and set the record for most consecutive passes and 91 rating and no Turnovers. Hard to nit pick him at that but no points after the first drive of the third quarter is not good enough even with butter fingers Welker. lol.

And there it is.... nice way to turn the focus off of Tom

[Fx Stryker]

lol. This is fun isn't it? For the record he is 3-2 in last five games. And he carried the 32nd ranked pass defense to the SB in 2011. The 0-2 was a few years ago. ;)

 

I do think Manning has a great chance at the 50 TDs but what does it mean if not a ring at the end? The more I watch the Colts play, the more I think they have a real chance at beating him in Indy.

It really is fun. Just too bad for Brady he couldn't put the 32nd ranked passing defense over the top like Manning did with the 32nd ranked rush defense. ;)

[amfootball]

And there it is.... nice way to turn the focus off of Tom

If I was on this board then, all you would have seen after that drop was

 

I will be willing to bet that at some point this season Welker will cost the Broncos in a key situation. And before you ask, I will blame him.

[amfootball]

It really is fun. Just too bad for Brady he couldn't put the 32nd ranked passing defense over the top like Manning did with the 32nd ranked rush defense. ;)

How did his 3 Tds and 7 picks put them over the top? Pretty sure it was his run game, his D and Adam's foot...

[Guest TeamLoloJones]

If I was on this board then, all you would have seen after that drop was

 

I will be willing to bet that at some point this season Welker will cost the Broncos in a key situation. And before you ask, I will blame him.

Welker's Old spice commercials are funny though, so there's that.

[Gramz]

If I was on this board then, all you would have seen after that drop was

 

I will be willing to bet that at some point this season Welker will cost the Broncos in a key situation. And before you ask, I will blame him.

I have no doubt...

[Guest TeamLoloJones]

How did his 3 Tds and 7 picks put them over the top? Pretty sure it was his run game, his D and Adam's foot...

Peyton made up for it when he went on SNL afterwards and rocked it.

[amfootball]

Welker's Old spice commercials are funny though, so there's that.

Why is he in a snow globe? It is the strangest commercial.

[amfootball]

Peyton made up for it when he went on SNL afterwards and rocked it.

Eli was better on SNL.

[Gramz]

Eli was better on SNL.

No Flippin' Way...Not Even Close.   You really have "lost" it.  

[amfootball]

No Flippin' Way....   You really have "lost" it.

His little brother commerical is one of the funniest skits ever on that show.

[Guest TeamLoloJones]

Eli was better on SNL.

Eli was funny...but Peyton could be a legitimate actor...the skit with the kids was one of the funniest things I've ever seen.  If Luck ever does SNL I can already see the Geico skit.  Winnig a superbowl? So easy a caveman can do it.

[amfootball]

Eli was funny...but Peyton could be a legitimate actor...the skit with the kids was one of the funniest things I've ever seen.  If Luck ever does SNL I can already see the Geico skit.  Winnig a superbowl? So easy a caveman can do it.

I think Peyton would be an amazing pizza maker.

[jvan1973]

Case in ponint...Montana is herald as the greatest qb ever, and he never put up big numbers, until the playoffs. He was his best when it mattered the most, and that's what people remember him for. I want the next Joe Montana on my team, not the next Dan Marino.

how many hall of fame players did Joe have?

how many did dan have?

If you put Dan Marino on that San Fran , he has multiple super bowls as well

[jvan1973]

How did his 3 Tds and 7 picks put them over the top? Pretty sure it was his run game, his D and Adam's foot...

kind of like the pats when they were winning Super bowls huh...

[GoPats]

The Broncos' offense is scary good right now. They look like they started playing two months before everyone else. The communication, the checks, etc-etc. Very tight, very efficient, very productive. Their receivers pretty much all present match-up nightmares and of course with #18 at the driver's seat they're getting it done in a big way.

 

There are only a few things at this point that I think can derail them:

 

- Injuries. (Of course, this applies to all NFL teams.)

 

- Fox. I've never been a fan. He looks to have turned over the keys of the offense to Manning but can still mess up the defense enough to lose them some games if any teams can keep it close. Which is a good segue way to...

 

- The defense. Been saying for a while that I think they're overrated. It's a lot easier to play defense when you have a two-TD-plus lead and can pin your ears back and go after the passer. 

 

- Weather. Can they still air it out when the cold and wind hit? Manning's winning with his head and heart right now, much more so than his arm. 

 

- History. In the past, these big-passing, high-flying offenses have almost always been grounded in the playoffs. They will need to be able to run the football at some point when another team lines up and dares them to do it. 

 

 

From a personnel standpoint, I can't think of another team (including the 2007 Patriots or the 2004 Colts) with the kind of weapons they have. I'm not sure how many years Manning has left, but this is as good an opportunity as he's had in a long time to add to his trophy case. 

[Guest TeamLoloJones]

how many hall of fame players did Joe have?

how many did dan have?

If you put Dan Marino on that San Fran , he has multiple super bowls as well

Montana-Ronnie Lott, Fred Dean, Jerry Rice and Bill Walsh if you count coaches.(I'll leave out Steve Young for obvious reasons)

Marino- Dwight Stephenson and Don Shula(coach).

 

Dean and Stephenson are both o-lineman.  And both Shula and Walsh are coaches.

Montana won his first Superbowl without Rice.

So you are saying if Dan Marino had Rice and Lott, he wins 4 Superbowls but without them he wins none.

Nope...don't buy it.

[amfootball]

kind of like the pats when they were winning Super bowls huh...

Not really. But whatever floats your boat.

[GoPats]

kind of like the pats when they were winning Super bowls huh...

 

The Patriots' defense must have taken the second half of the Panthers SB off then! 

 

(People always forget that. The Patriots were leading 21-10 two plays into the 4th. Carolina scored 2 TDs, missing 2-pt conversion attempts, to take a 22-21 lead. Then the Patriots scored, got the conversion, and Carolina came right back with their 3rd TD of the quarter to tie it up at 29. Overall the Pats' defense allowed 19 points in the final quarter. Not exactly a performance for the ages on that one.) 

[jvan1973]

Montana-Ronnie Lott, Fred Dean, Jerry Rice and Bill Walsh if you count coaches.(I'll leave out Steve Young for obvious reasons)

Marino- Dwight Stephenson and Don Shula(coach).

Dean and Stephenson are both o-lineman. And both Shula and Walsh are coaches.

Montana won his first Superbowl without Rice.

So you are saying if Dan Marino had Rice and Lott, he wins 4 Superbowls but without them he wins none.

Nope...don't buy it.

i didn't say four, i said multiple. Meaning more than one.

Those niners teams were stacked at nearly every positron. Marino never had much of a defense or a running game, while Montana had both throughout his career

[Superman]

The Patriots' defense must have taken the second half of the Panthers SB off then! 

 

(People always forget that. The Patriots were leading 21-10 two plays into the 4th. Carolina scored 2 TDs, missing 2-pt conversion attempts, to take a 22-21 lead. Then the Patriots scored, got the conversion, and Carolina came right back with their 3rd TD of the quarter to tie it up at 29. Overall the Pats' defense allowed 19 points in the final quarter. Not exactly a performance for the ages on that one.) 

 

One game?

 

The Pats defense held both the Titans and the Colts to 14 points a piece in the AFC playoffs (McNair and Manning shared MVP that year). They picked Manning off four times. The Pats shut out three different opponents in the second half of the season. They held three other opponents to ten or fewer points.

 

Then they get to the Super Bowl -- against the best team in the NFC -- and finally give up some points. That doesn't mean that the defense hadn't been really good most of the season, and definitely in the playoffs.

 

Like always, I'm befuddled at how often a player's season or even career (or in this case, the quality of the Pats defense in 2003) is reduced to the results of one game.

[Fx Stryker]

How did his 3 Tds and 7 picks put them over the top? Pretty sure it was his run game, his D and Adam's foot...

Well if you actually watch the Colts play hat post season you know Peyton played well beyond stats say. QBR actually has it ranked as the best postseason from 2006-present.

[shakedownstreet]

manning > everybody else including tom brady

 

[/thread]

[amfootball]

Well if you actually watch the Colts play hat post season you know Peyton played well beyond stats say. QBR actually has it ranked as the best postseason from 2006-present.

And that is reason number 112 that QBR is a joke of a stat...

[Fx Stryker]

And that is reason number 112 that QBR is a joke of a stat...

You want to draw it anyway you want. I myself hate the QBR. The QB was designed against QBs like Peyton and Tom, but somehow Peyton continues to be on top. Even for a system that was designed against him.

The only reason I hate QBR is because I can't do it myself. If they showed how they did it I would fully back it.

Actually I misspoke it isn't the best pst season, just the best in 2006.

[oldunclemark]

Manning threw 7 TDs..and the world said,....', "Calm down!!!. He wont do that every week'

2 weeks later..he was 32 of 37..

Now they play Philadelphia who swears..."we're not going to slow the game down. We're going to speed it up!!!

......because that's what do!!!!!...What are you going to do about it, Denver???!!!!

[Gramz]

Manning threw 7 TDs..and the world said,....', "Calm down!!!. He wont do that every week'

2 weeks later..he was 32 of 37..

Now they play Philadelphia who swears..."we're not going to slow the game down. We're going to speed it up!!!

......because that's what do!!!!!...What are you going to do about it, Denver???!!!!

Could be a Very High scoring game.....   Oh the possibilities   ;)

[amfootball]

You want to draw it anyway you want. I myself hate the QBR. The QB was designed against QBs like Peyton and Tom, but somehow Peyton continues to be on top. Even for a system that was designed against him.

The only reason I hate QBR is because I can't do it myself. If they showed how they did it I would fully back it.

Actually I misspoke it isn't the best pst season, just the best in 2006.

QBR is the most ridiculous rating ever invented.

 

Manning did make the plays that he needed to in 2006 despite the poor stat line. In all of the Pats rings, Brady did the same thing but most believe it was the defense that carried the day. There are stats and then there are plays within the game. When I watch Brady and Manning they make those plays. When I watch Rodgers and Brees they miss them some of the time which is why I can't put either one of them in the Manning/Brady class.

[GoPats]

One game?

 

The Pats defense held both the Titans and the Colts to 14 points a piece in the AFC playoffs (McNair and Manning shared MVP that year). They picked Manning off four times. The Pats shut out three different opponents in the second half of the season. They held three other opponents to ten or fewer points.

 

Then they get to the Super Bowl -- against the best team in the NFC -- and finally give up some points. That doesn't mean that the defense hadn't been really good most of the season, and definitely in the playoffs.

 

Like always, I'm befuddled at how often a player's season or even career (or in this case, the quality of the Pats defense in 2003) is reduced to the results of one game.

 

You totally missed the point Supes. I was in no way trying to reduce the results down to one game. The defense was the mainstay of those teams (2001, 2003, 2004). The offense was far less consistent.

That said...

 

People who want to bash the Patriots, and Brady in particular, make them sound like the '02 Bucs. The fact is, there were times during their 3/4 SB run that the offense picked up the slack. They weren't dominant as they were from '07 to last year, but they made big, timely plays when needed. 

 

Come to think of it, in their five SB appearances under Belichick, the Patriots' defense has either surrendered a lead or allowed the other team to tie the game in the 4th quarter in four of them. The Rams tied it up, the Panters took a lead and then tied it up (so twice in that game), and the Giants on two occasions took late leads to win those two.

 

That's not leaning on a defense, at least when you look at the title games in a vacuum. But I know what you're saying. Also keep in mind, that game against Tennesse was played in sub-zero temps and the Colts game was played in poor weather also.