Manning, Like Favre, Proves Ranking QBs an Impossible Task
Put it in the books, Peyton Manning can now be considered as the greatest quarterback of all time now that he has won a second Super Bowl. Add the pair of titles to his numerous regular season records and you can make that case with ease.
You'll probably hear that a lot now that Manning has become the first QB to start and win a Super Bowl with 2 different teams. Of course, like many evaluations in sports, it's far from that simple to rank him - or any QB - when talking about the all-time greatest.
Take this season for Manning. Did he really win this championship at all?
He started only 9 regular season games. Though he went 7-2 in those contests, he had just 9 TD passes to go with 17 interceptions, the 2nd-most in the NFL despite the limited attempts. He also owned the worst passer rating (67.9) and 6th-lowest completion percentage (59.8%) among QBs with 9+ starts.
The postseason was only slightly better, as Manning threw 2 TDs and 1 INT in averaging a lowly 179.7 passing yards per game. He was essentially broken down into being a game manager - and he barely did that well enough to win.
In the divisional game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he needed 37 attempts (21 completions) to throw for 222 yards. He avoided any picks, but also failed to throw a TD. Manning then threw for just 176 yards in the AFC Championship game, though he did toss a pair of TDS in a win over New England.
But Super Bowl 50 was ugly, throwing a mere 23 passes for only 141 yards in the big game. He also threw what could have been a game-changing INT while failing to pass for a touchdown. He finished with the 4th-worst passer rating for a QB winning the Super Bowl.
As was the case throughout the season, it was Denver's talented and stifling defense that led the way and won this championship for the Broncos. But in the end, Manning gets credit for winning a 2nd Super Bowl.
The game's MVP, Von Miller, was part of a relentless attack the Broncos' defense unleashed on Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. Miller had 2.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 6.5 total tackles to help dismantle the NFL's top-scoring offense from the regular season.
It was no different than what Denver's "D" had done all year.
Do we take into consideration Manning's poor performances this year when ranking him all time? Therein lies the rub for many quarterbacks.
For example, Tom Brady has been to a record 6 Super Bowls and won 4 of them, a big reason many say he is the greatest of all time. However, was it really his defense winning these titles?
Brady's first crown in 2001 came with the 6th-ranked defense in points. Not necessarily stellar, but the defense held Oakland to just 13 points in the first playoff game that year. Brady also benefitted from the "Tuck Rule" play that would've given the Raiders the win.
And let's not forget Adam Vinatieri's clutch kicks in the cold, wind and snow that night.
Then in the AFC Championship game, New England forced 4 Steelers' turnovers, including 3 interceptions from Kordell Stewart. The Patriots also had a punt returned for a touchdown and a 60-yard return of a blocked field goal that led them to a 21-3 lead in the 3rd quarter.
Not to mention, Brady left the game in the 2nd quarter due to injury. So in a 7-3 game, it was Drew Bledsoe who really guided the Patriots to the AFC crown as New England would hang on 24-17.
In the 2 wins that got the Patriots to the Super Bowl, Brady was a pedestrian 44-for-70 for 427 yards, 1 INT and 0 TDs.
Then in the Super Bowl, he was just 16-for-27 (59.3%) for only 145 yards and a touchdown. It was the Patriots' defense that shut down the St. Louis Rams' top-ranked offense, holding them 2 touchdowns below their average in a 20-17 New England victory.
So again, how much credit should the quarterback be getting?
In Brady's next 2 championships, the Patriots' defense was ranked number 1 and number 2 in points allowed. In 2006 when he lost to Manning's Colts in the AFC title game, the Patriots' defense was 2nd in points allowed. The Colts defense was ranked 23rd.
So in that case, I guess Manning should get a lot of extra credit for winning a championship with a defense that was in the bottom third of the league.
But what do you do about 2007 then?
Brady's Pats had the 4th-best defense as the team went undefeated in the regular season. Of course, this time it was Eli Manning getting the best of Brady in the Super Bowl. Take points away from Brady for "choking" with a perfect season on the line?
That same year, though, Manning had the NFL's top-ranked defense and couldn't even get to the AFC Championship game. How confusing. He has to lose some credit for failing so miserably with that defense behind him.
In terms of better defenses in their careers, the edge goes to Brady, which should be accounted for in his 4 championships. On the flipside, Manning has won with bad defenses, but often failed with good ones, until this year.
Comparing the two, in Brady's 14 seasons (he missed nearly all of 2008) the Patriots have had a top 10 defense in points in 11 of those years, and a top 5 defense in 5 seasons.
Manning has had just 7 top 10 defenses, but he has had 4 in the top 5.
For perspective, new Hall of Fame inductee Brett Favre had a top 10 defense in 7 seasons with the Packers a top 5 unit in 5 of those years.
Two of those years ended in losses to the dynasty Dallas Cowboys (one NFC Championship game) and two others ended in the Super Bowl (1-1 record there).
The last time Favre enjoyed a top 5 defense in Green Bay came in 2001 when the Packers lost on the road to the Rams. St. Louis owned the top offense and 7th-best defense in going 14-2 and making to the Super Bowl.
So that means Brady had a top 10 defense in 78.6% of his seasons, while Manning had the same luxury just 41.2% of the time. Favre had even worse luck with a top 10 defense on only 36.8% of his teams.
What if Favre would've won a second title with the Packers - or even with the Minnesota Vikings? Like Manning, the old gunslinger led some poor defenses and below-average teams to the postseason, only to keep coming up short.
Meanwhile, guys like Brady and Terry Bradshaw benefitted from consistently great defenses and, something many people overlook, a steady, high-quality head coach.
Manning and Favre enjoyed Tony Dungy and Mike Holmgren at the helm, but each would lose them and have to deal with a variety of new men. With Bill Belichick, easily one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time, Brady had another distinct advantage throughout his whole career.
All these details aren't meant to sway you one way or another, but to simply try to put into perspective where Manning - or any QB - really falls in when it comes to the best signal callers ever.
Did Manning need this victory to get jump ahead of Brady? Is Manning punished for having worse defenses during his career...or for failing to win with some top defensive teams?
Though Manning now has one more ring than Favre, they're forever joined at the hip due to their phenomenal regular season stats, and the fact that Manning passed Favre in attaining the records.
Favre is also the only player in history to win 3 straight MVP awards, while Manning has won the most with 5 in his career.
They were also known for struggling many times in the postseason, whether it was their own undoing or the inferiority of the teams they led.
Brady represents the opposite. Though he's come on strong in the 2nd half of his career, the regular season stats weren't always there, but he would win in the playoffs and get the rings.
Again, here is the trouble with trying to fit QBs into a specific ranking slot.
These factors, along with the era they played, the coaches they had, some luck and timing thrown in...it all makes for muddy waters.
And now with Manning "winning" a second Super Bowl - though he had little to do with it - we must create another layer to peel back as the arguments continue throughout eternity.