Peyton came into the league and immediately started on one of the worst teams in the NFL. That's an exteremly difficult situation, one that most QBs utterly fail at.
Saying Peyton was "groomed" and has had a better situation than Brady doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Brady's played on just as talented teams. Much more talented on the defensive end by a large margin.
You're kidding ... so you're saying that being a complete unknown and untried QB, with no readiness to play, taking over in the middle of a game and leading your team to a Super Bowl is the same as being prepared and trained and expected to play long before the season even starts? Sorry, but that makes far LESS sense to me. To say the situations are the same and with the same amount of pressures is just not correct. What Brady did was amazing, and very few other players have ever had to duplicate it, or even COULD, given the opportunity. Manning was prepped for super-stardom from high-school, in the family he came from. Not comparable at all, IMHO.
What Brady did was amazing. However, there's no way he was facing more pressure than the weight of Manning's expectations. That's like saying that Big Baby faced more pressure than Tim Duncan.
Not the same at all ... Big Baby has not been expected to lead his team to three championships, cold off the bench. Participate in games, yes, but be the leader for the number one team? Not remotely the same. The only one who's come close to the same thing is Rondo ... and what he did in '07 - '08 was similar.
When Brady took over for Bledsoe, he wasn't expected to lead the team to a Super Bowl, either. The Pats had been 5-11 the year before. Brady far, far exceeded expectations. However, I don't understand this "he was facing crushing pressure unlike any that Manning had" argument. If anything, Brady was in a no-lose situation.
Also, I'm not sure what Brady's start has to do with his 3 SB victories. As QB of the Pats, he's faced huge expectations every year since they first won, but so has Manning. That pressure, though, has nothing to do with where they were drafted, etc. That ship sailed a long time ago.
I'm not sure who you're quoting here, but I don't recall saying that. However, to say the situations are the same is a stretch, at best. Someone who has prepared all summer to lead a team is certainly far more ready than a fourth-stringer on the bench who doesn't expect to even touch the ball all season long ... if even in a few years. You're saying that coming in cold in that situation is the same? Not only doing that, but then leading a team to the Super Bowl win? Sorry, but that's incredible in anyone's book, even Peyton's, and very few have come close to ever duplicating it. As far as stats and records, there are many records that Tom has which Peyton has not broken, like highest single-game completion % regular season OR post, longest consecutive win streak, most completions in a Super Bowl, highest win % of any QB in first 100 starts, longest streak of 3 or more TD's, most TD passes in a reg. season, 3 Super Bowl wins, 2 Super Bowl MVP's, etc., and Manning's post-season stats have a ways to go before they measure up. Regardless, most people outside of New England think Payton is the greatest thing in pads, and that's their, (and your), entitled opinion ... I just don't agree, and until Manning accomplishes what Tom has, I won't change my mind. I'm very proud to be a Patriot fan and to have had the opportunity to watch a true dynasty being created, and having a QB like Tom Brady to thank for it.
I guess to put Roys point about pressure into perspective.......If Ryan Leaf would have came into the league in the same position as Tom Brady, and made his first start in the NFL in Bradys situation.....and Leaf failed horribly.......10 years later, if you asked someone who Ryan Leaf is, they wouldnt have a clue. Instead, Ryan Leaf came into the NFL in the same situation as Manning, Leaf failed horribly to live up to his billing, and now a decade or so later, hes widely known as the biggest draft day bust of all time. Ask Jamarcus Russell if he would have rather made his start in the NFL as an unknown player after I watched him get loudly boo'd after every pass he made against the redskins.
As much of a competitor as Tom Brady is, I'm sure he put HIMSELF under immense pressure to do well when he came in, but Manning is as much of a competitor as Brady and Im sure he put himself under the same amount....and on top of that he had the media, team execs, coaches, and everyone else in the NFL watching him to see if he'd live up to his expectations, his contract, and his high draft pick. Brady wasnt even taking over a potential Super Bowl bound team, they were 5-11 the year before. If Brady failed when he came in, he wouldnt get hampered for it, people would just say "What do you want from him? He's a third round draft pick, that hasnt practiced with the 1st team and was never expected to play." Like you've mentioned previously, these two situations are completely different and we'd never be able to see how one would exceed in the others position, but Im sure if you took a nation-wide poll one which situation would garner more pressure, Im sure you'd see an overwhelming result in Mannings, or any other number one draft picks favor. No offense but it just seems like a complete homer remark to say Brady was under more pressure, especially after Roy pointed out that even Mannings playoff numbers are better, which was your main point to begin with, Mannings lack of good play in big games.
Yes I do understand that Brady has 2 more rings than Peyton, but you have to go back to the Dan Marino argument. Even though the super bowl is the gran-daddy accomplishment in the NFL, in the end when looking back, it's just another STAT in a TEAM sport, and like others have mentioned Peyton has never had the luxury of a dominant defense that Brady has to back him up.
Topic: Who are the best QBs in the league? (Read 34325 times)