Brady/Manning - the best rivarly all time

[amfootball]

I have watched football since the early 80's and in my time, I can't think of a better QB rivalry for all the storylines that have been said over the years - 6th round pick vs first pick; Star wars QB vs game manager; Colt/Pats, etc. Just so good and we get it for a 15th time. Not sure too other rival QBs have even squared off that many times.

 

What is your favorite rivalry?

[MaoBerry]

Wow, you just admitted that brady is an alex smith type game manager. You are absolutely right am...he is.

[open window]

Brady won 3 RINGZZ as a game manager back in the day. He became great and hasn't won it since, go figure?

[jvan1973]

It has to be number one, especially after next week. The only other one i can think that's close is Staubach Bradshaw.

[MaoBerry]

Brady won 3 RINGZZ as a game manager back in the day. He became great and hasn't won it since, go figure?

let‘s not forget the cameras.

[Gramz]

Finally, a new Story line I kid of course.

[amfootball]

Wow, you just admitted that brady is an alex smith type game manager. You are absolutely right am...he is.

As JJ would say, I put a lot of stock in game managers. ;)  But that was what the media said back when Brady was winning rings and Manning was the stat king. Of course the Pats are now playing old school 60's football and if Brady can hand it off for six Tds in the playoffs then they will be very tough to beat. Although I don't expect that against Denver. Plus the weather will be good for passing.

[MaoBerry]

As JJ would say, I put a lot of stock in game managers. ;)  But that was what the media said back when Brady was winning rings and Manning was the stat king. Of course the Pats are now playing old school 60's football and if Brady can hand it off for six Tds in the playoffs then they will be very tough to beat. Although I don't expect that against Denver. Plus the weather will be good for passing.

good luck with that...sincerely.

[amfootball]

good luck with that...sincerely.

With what?

[Snowglobe]

should be an easy victory next week for the Pats

 

edit: I'll have to update my sig too

[jvan1973]

should be an easy victory next week for the Pats

edit: I'll have to update my sig too

The great thing is, if the pats lose you won't be back until September.

[TAPLOOK]

If not it's right up there.

Bird/Magic

Russell/Chamberlain

Ali/Frazier

Red Sox/Yankees

[JerodMayo51]

should be an easy victory next week for the Pats

 

edit: I'll have to update my sig too

 

Beating Denver in Denver for the AFCCG is going to be anything but easy.

 

The Patriots are the clear underdogs in this game though, which is the way I like it  They just seem like a scrappier, more resourceful team when they are viewed as underdogs.. its that us against the world mentality that can really motivate guys and raise their game up a level.

[Shane Bond]

Both defenses are not very good.

 

Both teams will score points.

 

Cant wait. Fun game.

[Susie Q]

Both defenses are not very good.

 

Both teams will score points.

 

Cant wait. Fun game.

I guess it will come down to which defense  will play a better game . 

[Snowglobe]

The great thing is, if the pats lose you won't be back until September.

 

That's true

[GoPats]

This game is going to be really intriguing leading up to it. What happened in November will have no bearing but of course both teams will look at what they did, what they didn't do, what worked, what didn't, etc-etc. 

 

The wind that night was a HUGE advantage for the Patriots. Manning had a lot of trouble throwing anything outside the numbers. It almost cut the field in half for the NE defense. If you recall, they also stayed in sub-packages for virtually the entire game and dared Denver to run.

 

I'm hoping the gameplan's a little different this time. I'd like to see the Patriots play a little more aggressively, with a ton of man coverage... I like the match-ups. But they will have to bring it and get to Manning, or at least make him hurry. Everything in Denver's offense is predicated on timing, especially since Manning doesn't have quite as much zip on the ball these days. Disrupt that timing enough and you'll make them uncomfortable and maybe cause a couple of turnovers. 

 

Offensively I have no idea what they're going to do. They've been a running machine but Brady's had a lot of success against Denver and DelRio's defenses...

[OldManP]

If Manning's line isn't way better than it was Sunday, the Patriots will win.  25-36, 230 yards, 1 INT, 2 TDs.  Had SD gotten another possesion, who knows what would have happened.  Meanwhile, Brady throws for sub-200 yards and the Patriots doubled the Colt's score.

[jvan1973]

If Manning's line isn't way better than it was Sunday, the Patriots will win. 25-36, 230 yards, 1 INT, 2 TDs. Had SD gotten another possesion, who knows what would have happened. Meanwhile, Brady throws for sub-200 yards and the Patriots doubled the Colt's score.

Gee, i wonder if the four turnovers the patriots got had something to do with the score. Not to mention 200+ yards on the ground. Step away from the keyboard, your dementia is acting up again

[No 1 Manning Fan]

I'd say that it is the most stories and hyped rivalry. Though I might go with Marino vs Kelly as being a better rivalry, certainly the best I can remember, being that they played in the same division, played twice a season at least, and the two teams hated each other. Couple that with the fact that they lead the best passing attacks of that period and you have a pretty darn good rivalry.

[OffensivelyPC]

I'd say that it is the most stories and hyped rivalry. Though I might go with Marino vs Kelly as being a better rivalry, certainly the best I can remember, being that they played in the same division, played twice a season at least, and the two teams hated each other. Couple that with the fact that they lead the best passing attacks of that period and you have a pretty darn good rivalry.

Well you can say the same thing about Manning and Brady, except that they aren't in the same division.  For all practical matters, they have played each other pretty much every year at least once since 2001, except in 02, and then the two years that they got injured.  But I think where the story supersedes Marino and Kelly is that both guys ahve won superbowls.  Kelly and Marino both are 0-5 combined.  I will say this though, if the salary cap put in place before they were drafted, things might have gone down differently.

[Pegs]

What sports rivalry has been better then Manning vs. Brady and the Colts vs. the Pats over the past 12 years? There isn't one.

[The Old Crow]

Not even close, it's Unitas/Starr.

Starr 5 NFL Championships

2 Super Bowl Wins

Unitas

3 NFL Championships

1 Super Bowl win

1 NFL Championship loss 1964

1 Super Bowl loss 1968

11 combined Championships blow away the 4 combined by Brady and Manning. I will also point out the Colts didn't even make the playoffs in 1967 with a 11-1-2 record. All this in the era of Lombardi.

[JerodMayo51]

Not even close, it's Unitas/Starr.

Starr 5 NFL Championships

2 Super Bowl Wins

Unitas

3 NFL Championships

1 Super Bowl win

1 NFL Championship loss 1964

1 Super Bowl loss 1968

11 combined Championships blow away the 4 combined by Brady and Manning. I will also point out the Colts didn't even make the playoffs in 1967 with a 11-1-2 record. All this in the era of Lombardi.

 

Definitely a solid argument, however I don't hold Championships that pre-date the merger of the AFL and NFL in as high regards as Super Bowl wins after the merger.  It was also a much different era of football where you built your team through the draft and had those players permanently unless you traded them.  There was no free agency, so every solid player you drafted was yours for their entire career.

 

Good argument though, Unitas/Starr was a great rivalry.. although today's NFL the rivalries are magnified because of the popularity of the sport and the evolution of the passing game that really emphasizes great quarterback play.

 

This is a very special time in football, I think that 10+ years from now we'll all look back and realize just how unique of an era this has been from 2000 until now and how lucky we all are to be able to have our teams consistently competing in big games for a Super Bowl every single year.  

 

I really think we're going to be in for some great battles in the future with all of these young stars like Luck, Kaepernik, Wilson, RG3, Newton, etc..  I really hope the Patriots can find someone to replace Brady and help this team compete for titles for years to come, but we all know how difficult it can be to find an outstanding signal caller.. especially rare combinations like Luck who have an extremely high football acumen and incredible athletic ability as well.  

Ryan Mallet would have been a great mentor to Brady, but we drafted him about 2-3 years too soon in my opinion and he'll eventually get a chance to start for a struggling team that desperately needs a QB... and good for him, I'm always happy when the backups to Brady get an opportunity to go somewhere and be the starter.

[amfootball]

Not even close, it's Unitas/Starr.

Starr 5 NFL Championships

2 Super Bowl Wins

Unitas

3 NFL Championships

1 Super Bowl win

1 NFL Championship loss 1964

1 Super Bowl loss 1968

11 combined Championships blow away the 4 combined by Brady and Manning. I will also point out the Colts didn't even make the playoffs in 1967 with a 11-1-2 record. All this in the era of Lombardi.

How often did they play each other? And how often in the post-season?

[jvan1973]

How often did they play each other? And how often in the post-season?

16 times, never in the post season

[amfootball]

16 times, never in the post season

Thanks. Then I think Brady/Manning tops Starr/Unitas it as they will meet for the fourth time with the Super Bowl on the line and 15th time overall with the 16th mtg already schedule next year at Foxboro during the regular season.

[Yehoodi]

I have watched football since the early 80's and in my time, I can't think of a better QB rivalry for all the storylines that have been said over the years - 6th round pick vs first pick; Star wars QB vs game manager; Colt/Pats, etc. Just so good and we get it for a 15th time. Not sure too other rival QBs have even squared off that many times.

 

What is your favorite rivalry?

 

It is tough to say . . . just as with stats, which don't always tell the story, opportunity to produce has a lot to do with it as much as the inherent player . . . with that said both of this QB are roughly the same age, are both great, both played on great team with great coaches and in the same conference with a present NFL schedule that makes the division seedings play each other . . . consequently, they will have the opportunity to face each other and help have their team in position to win the division and get in the playoff . . . and lastly they have been healthy for the most part, thanks partly to new rules, and thus have not missed many games against each other . . .

 

but even though they have had an opportunity, since the regular season game in 2003, every game between the two teams had either direct playoff impact, a game in the playoffs, or had playoff seeding implications . . . so for over a decade these two have face off on a yearly basis, sometimes twice, in a very meaningful game . . . coupled with the fact that each are vying for a spot in as the top QB of their era and simultaneously vying for the best of all time . . .

 

With that said it tough to fine a bigger rivalry from an all time all season impact . . . the Marino-Kelly was solid and is up there and so is Starr and Unitas, but not sure if both the colts and packers were the best many times at the same time . . .

[Le Neon]

Easily Manning-Brady. They've both denied each other super bowls, they're elite players at the same age and same time/era. They've met so many times and almost every game had playoff implications.

[The Old Crow]

Not counting pre-Super Bowl history is something started by Steeler fans who want to forget the 40 years of losing during that era. From 1958-1970, the Baltimore Colts - Green Bay Packers rivalry was the best in sports. To quote Patriot fans, it's all about Championships. These two quarterbacks produced 11. Everyone knows how dominant Lombardi's Packers were, yet the Baltimore Colts were in five Championship games in 12 years. Also , the league wasn't as watered down as it is today. If you throw in Tom Landry's Cowboys, and George Allen's Rams, you can see why the Colts-Packers rivalry 1958-1970 with Unitas and Starr, was the golden age, and real top rivalry in NFL history.

Manning and Brady have met more in the playoffs because of wild cards, and other opportunities. In those days , like in 1967 with the Colts, you could lose a tiebreaker to the Rams when both teams were 11-1-2, and not win the Coastal Division, and be out of the playoffs . It makes it all the more remarkable what the Packers and Baltimore Colts accomplished in that era.

[amfootball]

Not counting pre-Super Bowl history is something started by Steeler fans who want to forget the 40 years of losing during that era. From 1958-1970, the Baltimore Colts - Green Bay Packers rivalry was the best in sports. To quote Patriot fans, it's all about Championships. These two quarterbacks produced 11. Everyone knows how dominant Lombardi's Packers were, yet the Baltimore Colts were in five Championship games in 12 years. Also , the league wasn't as watered down as it is today. If you throw in Tom Landry's Cowboys, and George Allen's Rams, you can see why the Colts-Packers rivalry 1958-1970 with Unitas and Starr, was the golden age, and real top rivalry in NFL history.

Manning and Brady have met more in the playoffs because of wild cards, and other opportunities. In those days , like in 1967 with the Colts, you could lose a tiebreaker to the Rams when both teams were 11-1-2, and not win the Coastal Division, and be out of the playoffs . It makes it all the more remarkable what the Packers and Baltimore Colts accomplished in that era.

I don't think anyone is discounting it but like you just said the field was smaller and less teams made the playoffs. So perhaps it is difficult to compare the two eras. Brady and Manning have been winning their divisions for over a decade and then meeting in the playoffs. And they don't just have 4 rings between them, they have 7 SB appearances as well.

[The Old Crow]

By the way, Unitas and Starr met 14 times , with the record being 7-7. In 1965, the Colts and Packers tied for the Western Division title, necessitating a playoff game , which the Packers won 13-10 on a controversial field goal that really missed. As a result of this, the NFL raised the height of the goal posts. This was also the famous Tom Matte wrist band game. The wrist band is in the Hall of Fame. It doesn't get much better than that.

Contrast the uneven Brady 10-4 record against Manning, and the Patriots dominance of the Indianapolis Colts, and this quarterback rivalry doesn't hold water.

[amfootball]

By the way, Unitas and Starr met 14 times , with the record being 7-7. In 1965, the Colts and Packers tied for the Western Division title, necessitating a playoff game , which the Packers won 13-10 on a controversial field goal that really missed. As a result of this, the NFL raised the height of the goal posts. This was also the famous Tom Matte wrist band game. The wrist band is in the Hall of Fame. It doesn't get much better than that.

Contrast the uneven Brady 10-4 record against Manning, and the Patriots dominance of the Indianapolis Colts, and this quarterback rivalry doesn't hold water.

7-7 is impressive. I didn't know that.  I do remember hearing about that goal post game. Too bad they didn't have replay. ;)

[The Old Crow]

I don't think anyone is discounting it but like you just said the field was smaller and less teams made the playoffs. So perhaps it is difficult to compare the two eras. Brady and Manning have been winning their divisions for over a decade and then meeting in the playoffs. And they don't just have 4 rings between them, they have 7 SB appearances as well.

Unitas and Starr 11 wins and 13 Championship game appearances. Also, during this time , the Packers or Colts were in four of the first five Super Bowls , for the more modern fans. That is dominance.

[The Old Crow]

7-7 is impressive. I didn't know that.  I do remember hearing about that goal post game. Too bad they didn't have replay. ;)

You can watch it on YouTube. It still was a miss by Chandler ! Unitas started out 6-2 vs Starr and Lombardi from 58-62, but was 1-5 after that. You had Shula in Baltimore and Lombardi in Green Bay. Look at the other coaches , Halas, Landry, Allen, etc, and these two teams were still dominant and brutal rivals.

[amfootball]

You can watch it on YouTube. It still was a miss by Chandler ! Unitas started out 6-2 vs Starr and Lombardi from 58-62, but was 1-5 after that. You had Shula in Baltimore and Lombardi in Green Bay. Look at the other coaches , Halas, Landry, Allen, etc, and these two teams were still dominant and brutal rivals.

I submit. You win. I will rephrase - Brady/Manning is the best "modern" rivalry.

[No 1 Manning Fan]

I submit. You win. I will rephrase - Brady/Manning is the best "modern" rivalry.

I think Old Crow has persuaded me as well.

[The Old Crow]

I'm honored you guy agree with me, and I will concede Brady/Manning is the best modern rivalry.

[mahagga73]

Not counting pre-Super Bowl history is something started by Steeler fans who want to forget the 40 years of losing during that era. From 1958-1970, the Baltimore Colts - Green Bay Packers rivalry was the best in sports. To quote Patriot fans, it's all about Championships. These two quarterbacks produced 11. Everyone knows how dominant Lombardi's Packers were, yet the Baltimore Colts were in five Championship games in 12 years. Also , the league wasn't as watered down as it is today. If you throw in Tom Landry's Cowboys, and George Allen's Rams, you can see why the Colts-Packers rivalry 1958-1970 with Unitas and Starr, was the golden age, and real top rivalry in NFL history.

Manning and Brady have met more in the playoffs because of wild cards, and other opportunities. In those days , like in 1967 with the Colts, you could lose a tiebreaker to the Rams when both teams were 11-1-2, and not win the Coastal Division, and be out of the playoffs . It makes it all the more remarkable what the Packers and Baltimore Colts accomplished in that era.

Yeah, the Steelers before about 1970 made the Cubs post 1945 look like a juggernaut. I never did understand how this not counting titles because they don't have a silly name like Super Bowl came about. There are even websites that don't count anything but Superbowls as titles. It's not like college football where most all titles before 35 or so years ago were dubious at best, decided by voters with motives.

[jvan1973]

Unitas and Starr 11 wins and 13 Championship game appearances. Also, during this time , the Packers or Colts were in four of the first five Super Bowls , for the more modern fans. That is dominance.

when there are only 14 teams, it was a lot easier to win a championship