Back when Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were both playing in the NFL, their matchups were legendary. These two titans turned every game into a spectacle-high-stakes battles that often determined AFC dominance. Picture it: Brady, a scrappy sixth-round draft pick, leading the New England Patriots, squaring off against Manning, the top draft pick, commanding the Indianapolis Colts. Their clashes, including four AFC Championship games, weren’t just games they were events that defined an era. Now years later, Brady shared his thoughts on the rivalry, crediting Manning-the quarterback with the most MVP awards in NFL history-for helping him become the player he is today.
Together with Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers, they owned the AFC. Between 2003 and 2017, Brady, Manning, and Roethlisberger snagged 11 of the 15 conference titles. It was their playground, and everyone else was just trying to keep up. Over their careers, Brady and Manning faced off 17 times, with Brady taking 11 wins to Manning’s 6. But in the playoffs, Manning flipped the script, winning 3 of their 5 meetings, including two AFC title games that still sting for Patriots fans.
Brady’s Tribute: Manning as the Spark Behind His Success
In his newsletter “199”-a nod to where he was picked in the 2000 draft-Tom Brady recently peeled back the curtain on what Peyton Manning meant to him. Even though Brady’s now hailed as the greatest quarterback ever, he insists he wouldn’t have gotten there without Manning pushing him every step of the way. “Peyton Manning was a gift to my NFL career,” Brady wrote. “I maybe didn’t fully know it at the time, but I needed someone to look up to, who inspired me to be better, and who gave me a target to aim for.”
Brady admitted that back in the day, he didn’t fully grasp how much Manning drove him. It was the grind of those offseasons-March, April, May, when no one was watching-that Manning’s shadow loomed largest, urging Brady to aim higher than anyone thought possible. “Now when I see him, the only thing I can say is thank you. Thank you for challenging me to be the best I could be, to dig deep in March and April and May when nobody was watching, and to have expectations for myself that were above and beyond what others thought was possible.”
That’s the best way to look at their rivalry. It’s similar to the rivalry between Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow. Their rivalry always stays on the field, which makes them more competitive. They get better season after season because they have equally talented opponents. The fact that the teams are put together differently is another matter.
Head-to-Head Showdowns and Career Highlights
Here’s where I weigh in: Peyton Manning is the best quarterback to ever play the game. His brain, his command, those jaw-dropping regular-season numbers-five MVPs don’t lie. He turned the quarterback position into an art form, reading defenses like a book and rewriting plays on the fly. But let’s be real: the postseason was a different story. Manning was a different player when January rolled around, and it wasn’t all on him.
The Colts often showed their defensive cracks in the playoffs, leaving him to carry too much. Compare that to Brady, who usually had a rock-solid defense in New England-those Patriots teams were built to win in the clutch. Manning’s brilliance got dimmed by circumstance, but to me, his peak is still untouchable. Brady might have the rings, but Manning’s the one who set the bar. And as Brady himself admits, that rivalry made them both better. Two giants, one unforgettable legacy.
Here’s how their careers stack up
Peyton Manning
- Regular Season: 266 games, 71,940 yards, 539 TDs, 251 INTs, 96.5 rating
- Postseason: 14-13 record, 7,339 yards, 40 TDs, 25 INTs
- Super Bowls: 2 (XLI with Colts, 50 with Broncos)
- MVPs: 5 (NFL record)
Tom Brady
- Regular Season: 335 games, 89,214 yards, 664 TDs, 212 INTs, 97.6 rating
- Postseason: 35-13 record, 13,400 yards, 88 TDs, 39 INTs
- Super Bowls: 7 (most ever)
- MVPs: 3
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