Sunday, November 2, 2014
Who is the best quarterback in the game? No one would deny that it comes down to Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. This ongoing debate involving the two quarterbacks has been a long running controversy in the sports industry and with football fans. It is true that Manning has the most impressive personal stats, with 67,098 total passing yards and 513 total touchdowns (espn.go.com), while Brady has only 51,208 total passing yards and 377 total touchdowns, (though these numbers are bound to change after this week’s matchup between the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos). However, an important part of this equation is the quarterbacks’ team's successes. Tom Brady has won three Super Bowl championships and Manning has only won one Super Bowl. After picking apart all of the statistics, the real question becomes what is more important: individual achievements or team championships? I firmly believe that Tom Brady is the best quarterback in the game today, not because of his outstanding personal successes, but because of the numerous victories he carries his team to year after year.
Through Brady’s 14 seasons, and Manning’s 16, the two players have battled. Looking at the accomplishments of the Patriots over the last 14 years, and of the teams Manning has played on over the last 16, the Colts and Broncos - Brady comes out on top. Along with having 2 more Super Bowls, Brady has led the Patriots to 11 division titles (Manning has 10), 18 total playoff wins (Manning has 11), and 5 conference championships (Manning has 3). Peyton Manning, playing 2 seasons more than Tom Brady, does have more career TDs and passing yards, but what does that get him? It doesn’t get him or his team more wins, titles, or championships… so what? All he gets is a number on a screen and a reputation among football fans.
Aside from the obvious separation between overall wins and team achievements, the two quarterbacks have had completely different offenses supporting them. Brady has been playing with a depleted offensive line for years while Denver seems to continue to sign players that are aimed to help Manning excel. The Broncos have signed superstars Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Julius Thomas, and Wes Welker to enhance Manning’s chances of success. However, the Patriots failed to resign some of their high profile players (like Welker) due to financial reasons. While the Broncos do whatever they can to help Peyton Manning thrive, Brady must continue to make the best of his seemingly lacking offensive support. This is a testament to his ability to work with younger, less experienced players and still succeed to the fullest extent, making Tom Brady the best quarterback of our time.
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Shannon, I totally agree. If Tom Brady had the luxury of playing with the wide receivers that Peyton Manning has thrown to, his personal accomplishments would mirror Manning's. No doubt, Brady has been asked to do more with less - and he has! Yesterday's game was fun to watch.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I thank you for presenting this well written and substantive post. Although you have chosen to address a fairly simple topic - one that is a bit played out in these parts - you at least write well and include statistics to add some texture. My only real complaint is that the quantitative evidence (the stats) you provide really do not support your argument. Ultimately, the decision is still a matter of personal opinion. This post is a good example of a tautology. Essentially, what you write is that Tom Brady is the better quarterback because his teams have accomplished more, and team success is more important because...you say so. To really make your case, you would have had to cite evidence that upholds the importance of team success instead of individual success. Simply citing the statistics that prove team success doesn't help you. Does this make sense?
Regardless, this post is well written and fun to read. Thanks.