Suck It, Droski.

No. For the first time, Brady had an inferior team without home field. Still had a better coach by a light year.

 

Brady still had the better defense. But the Broncos D stepped up big time for the first 3 quarters.

 

Broncos open as a slight favorite.

Suck it, Droski.

 

Suck it.

 

Dros sure is being encouraged to "suck it" an awful lot.

I would be careful counting unhatched chicks.

 

Geez, the Tenny D kiss of death.

 

Agree completely. It isn't cut and dry, but to leave him out of the conversation is laughable at this point. For me the conversation hinges on two points:
1. He has choked on the big stage more than once. The interception that sealed the SB game for New Orleans comes to mind first.

On the other hand:

2. He carried a franchise that imploded without him.

 

And the home team won all 4 games I believe

 

Yeah, it goes both ways. The only seasons the Colts didn't win 10 games or more with Manning under contract was his first and his last years there.

Yes, he has choked. He's always played poorly against the Chargers and the pick six in the Super Bowl was a bad throw.

 

Early in their careers the Pats had the best HC and the best defense on the field and Brady was not ask to win too many on his own as Peyton was. Brady won.

Present day the tables have somewhat switched.
Both will go down as the best in this generation. Brady has been clutch for the most part. Manning has changed the way the position is played and defended.

 

2001 as well.

 

Other than replacing him with Luck, what other changes did the Colts make going into the 2012 season? They were right back in the playoffs in Luck's rookie year, so could their horrible year without Manning be pretty much chalked up to the fact that they didn't have an even pseudo-competent backup?

 

A lot.

For starters they actually have a coach. Much of the roster has been changed.

 

Brady's OLine is better, run game is better, RBs are better. Defense, without Talib, has no business out there. Denver's defense changes dramatically with Bailey and Rogers Cromartie on the field at the same time. ARC makes some stupid looking plays, but two corners that can flat cover make a huge difference.

Seattle will struggle throwing because they have a QB who only throws to areas of the field and gets by with legs that help him make plays. Forced into the pocket and to throw within the playbook, Wilson is mediocre or below.

 

I wasn't sure cause I don't really keep up with the Colts. From a distance it just looked like they changed coaches and put a competent QB back under center and were right back in the playoffs like they had always been.

 

As a clarification….I wouldn't expect a good franchise to go from a playoff team to the first pick if they lost one player. It wouldn't happen in New England.

 

Weather might be a major factor. Peyton is going to have to throw a lot of guys open in the SB. TE and Welker should factor in big time if the weather conditions permit.

 

I disagree with notion that he "choked", believing it to be an overly-simplistic assessment.

When you are all that your franchise has (and he was / is):

1. You're not even in the position for him to throw a pick in the SB without him on the roster. You're not even within 6-7 games of making the playoffs.

2. You don't just have to make "a" play, but nearly "all" plays. You're going to eventually get one picked, doing that, and he did.

3. It's easier to make that pick when you know that for the Colts to re-take the lead, its going to come down to Peyton throwing the ball.

An oft-overlooked element of Peyton's claim to GOAT is how almost every team plays terrified of him. Not respectful. Not cautious. Terrified. Whether its San Diego running the clock in the opening round of the playoffs, New Orleans doing the on-side kick to open the second half of the Super Bowl, the Patriots going for it on 4th a few years ago (which would have iced the game, but they got stuffed) or any number of other methods to keep the ball out of his hands - Peyton may be the only player in the NFL who teams truly fear.

I say this to make the point: if Peyton's oft-cited "choking" were real, or perceived to be a reality by opposing teams and coaches - you'd think that the last thing they'd want to do is keep the ball away from him, especially in any pressure-packed situation.

But the reality is that there is not a single player in the NFL who illicit a a stronger and more sincere sense of dread in opposing teams with the ball in his hands and the game on the line, than Peyton.

Not Brady. Not Rogers. Not Brees. Not RG3. Not Cam. Not AP.

Peyton is the single most feared player in the NFL, certainly now, and of all time, IMO.

 

And? How is that even remotely contradictory? I'd bet most here would agree wilt is one of the best of all time, but say flat out he isn't the goat.

 

He made that wasteland a top 2 or 3 franchise for over a decade, despite Irsay's idiocy. Hell, even won a SB with Dungy. Damn near did with several other idiots patrolling the sideline and a defense consisting of 2 DEs and nothing. Those DEs, while stout against the pass, are two of the worst run defenders out there.

Flawed, garbage teams with one great WR, one route runner and a bunch of tripe (IE Clark and Stokeley) made to look better by a QB, were SB contenders for a damn long time. It's impressive.

Brady's argument for the last decade is similar, save the Moss years. Losing with that team was pathetic. Both losses to the Giants were his. He also played like garbage yesterday. His SBs were about guys like Seymour and defensive horses with an otherworldly offensive line, ball control and accurate underneath passing.

Both are all timers, period.