Brady vs. Manning

[TG Baraka]

Brady is by FAR better looking.

This is 100% true.

[Azrael]

You give Brady Manning's schedule including the Titans, Jaguars, Bucanneers and Broncos and let Manning play Cleveland Miami, Jets, Buffalo and Cincinnati and I'm pretty sure Manning's numbers would be a lot better than Brady's...that's my point....

I agree with you 100%.

When Brady blows up Indy, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore (1st, 4th, 9th versus the pass) what will the excuse be then?

Weren't people saying well wait until he faces a good defense like Washington and then we'll see what happens. Didn't think people would be crying about them running up their highest point total thus far on the Redskins did we.

[DraftDodger]

Terry Bradshaw is the best QB ever, right? I mean, look at those rings!

Four Superbowls in six years? Inducted into the Hall of Fame his first year of eligibility? Yeah, I'd say he was pretty damned good. He was a big-game player like Brady is today, coming through when it mattered.

In 2006 he donated his SuperBowl rings, HoF rings, HoF bust, etc. to his college alma mater.

In 2007 the DBI survey revealed him to be the nation's favorite past football player.

If you don't respect Bradshaw's accomplishments and all he's done for the game, something is wrong with you. I don't think you can discuss "the best quarterback ever" without tossing his name into the hat. The Steel Curtain and some guy named Franco Harris probably had a little something to do with the Steelers' dominance in the Bradshaw era but they also had a lot to do with keeping his numbers well below the gaudy figures we see today. With a great running game and a great defense, you don't tend to pass a lot.

[JasonSeahorn]

Brady is by FAR better looking.

This is 100% true.

I beg to differ.

[Melo255]

Give me Brady in both.

Even in the past when Brady was not putting up numbers like Manning during the regular season he showed what it takes to be a great QB in the playoffs. He almost never made the mistakes that Manning did, and still does - even last year, that hurt your team and put them in the position to lose.

When you look at Brady's stats it's just amazing what he was doing with such terrible offensive support around him. For years people who watched Brady were telling everyone who would listen that he could put up the same numbers as Manning if he had weapons even close to what Peyton had. Now they go from arguably the worst receiving corps in the NFL to the best and we don't have to wonder anymore.

Also when you take into account that Brady makes $10 million a year and Manning makes $14.2 I'd much rather have Brady for $4.2 million less a year and spend that on another good player. Brady signed his contract a year after Manning, he had already won 3 super bowls and 2 super bowl MVP's and instead of getting greedy he took much less than he could have received and helped the team tremendously with the savings. I never understand why people outside New England don't see all the things like that Brady does and realize the kind of character he has. He's the guy who could never get a date in high school and college, was picked in the 6th round of the draft and is loved by everyone who knows him but because he is good looking, now dates a supermodel and doesn't constantly appear in scripted humorous commercials people think he's somehow stuck up. He has worked his butt off against incredible odds and made himself into one of the greatest players of all time. Everyone should look at Brady and see someone to admire not to hate.

Finally, if it wasn't for Reche Caldwell, I believe it was he, dropping those two balls last year in the AFC Championship game, Manning would never have made it to the Super Bowl. That's not a knock on Manning just a factual observation that Caldwells drops killed Patriot drives and gave the ball back to Manning in the first place. Were he to have made either catch the Colts would likely have been unable to get the opportunities to come back and win the game. Again that's certainly not a knock on Manning, he did what he had to at the very end when the Colts were bailed out, it's more an example of the kinds of awful offensive support that Brady has always been saddled with and up to that point had always somehow found a way to overcome.

[Phokus]

Brady is by FAR better looking.

This is 100% true.

I beg to differ.

I almost threw up in my mouth

[Cooner]

Terry Bradshaw is the best QB ever, right? I mean, look at those rings!

Four Superbowls in six years? Inducted into the Hall of Fame his first year of eligibility? Yeah, I'd say he was pretty damned good. He was a big-game player like Brady is today, coming through when it mattered.

In 2006 he donated his SuperBowl rings, HoF rings, HoF bust, etc. to his college alma mater.

In 2007 the DBI survey revealed him to be the nation's favorite past football player.

If you don't respect Bradshaw's accomplishments and all he's done for the game, something is wrong with you. I don't think you can discuss "the best quarterback ever" without tossing his name into the hat. The Steel Curtain and some guy named Franco Harris probably had a little something to do with the Steelers' dominance in the Bradshaw era but they also had a lot to do with keeping his numbers well below the gaudy figures we see today. With a great running game and a great defense, you don't tend to pass a lot.

Careful here... I'm a Steeler's homer (transplanted out of PA, unfortunately, but whatever) and a huge Bradshaw fan. He's not anywhere near the best QB ever, however. Brady is a lot like Bradshaw -- a very good quarterback, supported by one of the best defenses ever, with a very good running game and (now) some very good WRs. Both are clearly big-game QBs. But Bradshaw is not in the top 5 all-time, and Brady (who is no Bradshaw... yet...) is not a better QB than Manning.

[zevon]

Careful here... I'm a Steeler's homer (transplanted out of PA, unfortunately, but whatever) and a huge Bradshaw fan. He's not anywhere near the best QB ever, however. Brady is a lot like Bradshaw -- a very good quarterback, supported by one of the best defenses ever, with a very good running game and (now) some very good WRs. Both are clearly big-game QBs. But Bradshaw is not in the top 5 all-time, and Brady (who is no Bradshaw... yet...) is not a better QB than Manning.

Bradshaw was tough as nails , had a big arm and a lot of weapons at his disposal. His rep is that he wasn't the brightest bulb in the box, but his ring hand will blind ya.
The game's changed since Terry played, weight and strength trainers, personal nutritionists, sports medicine have made LB's and DE's into 260 lb human missiles. The game moves at an extremely fast pace, faster than when Bradshaw played.
Both Brady and Manning have a very good team around them, but they are also extremely skilled at reading D's and reacting to change during the play, I don't think TB was ever accused of being a smart QB.
I'd put both Brady & Manning Top 5, along with Marino, Montana and I don't know who else - maybe that old guy up in Green Bay?
I would put Terry Top 10 for sure, because, well, he's Terry.

[steelerfan513]

For those of you saying that Brady has had an easy schedule...

It isn't as if no quarterback has had an easy schedule to start a season before. How many of those quarterbacks put their team on pace to shatter every single-season offensive record in the NFL?

[PMoneyTKE]

For those of you saying that Brady has had an easy schedule...

It isn't as if no quarterback has had an easy schedule to start a season before. How many of those quarterbacks put their team on pace to shatter every single-season offensive record in the NFL?

Agreed, but if you are comparing Manning to Brady THIS year it has to be mentioned.