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Peyton Manning has the most victories against Tom Brady of any quarterback with six. He’s also had the most opportunities, with the two legends squaring off seventeen times total for an overall record of 6-11. [1]
Despite the poor winning percentage, Manning does have the upper hand in the postseason with a 3-2 record. [2]
My name is David, and much of my football-watching life has been dominated by these two hall-of-fame quarterbacks. As a former quarterback, both were huge influences on my game, particularly their ability to be audible at the line of scrimmage and manipulate defenses on the fly.
In this article, we’ll examine some of the best matchups between Manning and Brady, along with why it may be the other Manning who’s Brady’s true nemesis.
Key Takeaways
- Peyton Manning has beaten Tom Brady six times in 17 attempts.
- Brady won the first six matchups between them.
- Peyton’s younger brother Eli beat Brady only twice, but both victories came in the Super Bowl.
The Brady/Manning Rivalry
It took seventeen games for Manning to get his six victories over Tom Brady. [3]
While Manning vs. Brady matchups were always must-watch affairs, it was hard to call it a rivalry with how one-sided it was for the first half of their careers.
Brady toppled Manning the first six times they matched up including twice in the postseason. These playoff losses were especially onerous with Manning’s Colts scoring just 17 points combined over the two games. [4]
Bill Belichick and the Patriots defense flummoxed Manning and he threw just one touchdown against five interceptions. [5]
Things finally turned around for Manning on November 7th, 2005. Manning and the Colts put up 40 points on Belichick’s defense with Manning tossing three touchdowns and eclipsing 300 yards for just the second time against the Patriots. [6]
Brady finished with decent numbers in the contest, throwing for 265 yards and 3 touchdowns but much of his production came with the game already out of reach. [7]
But beating Brady in the regular season is one thing. Toppling him in the playoffs is another matter. Manning got his first playoff win against Brady in dramatic fashion in January 2007 with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
Manning was brilliant, bringing his team back from a 21-6 deficit and finishing with 349 yards, a passing touchdown, and another on the ground. [8]
Over their last eight meetings, Brady once again gained the upper hand, going 3-5 against Manning. But two of Manning’s victories came in the postseason. Now playing for the Broncos, Manning dispatched Brady and the Patriots in the AFC Divisional round 26-16 including Manning eclipsing 400 yards. [9]
Their final matchup came in January 2016. Age and injuries had sapped Manning of his arm strength, and he was no longer capable of carrying a team deep into the postseason. But Denver boasted one of the league’s best defenses, and they hounded Brady during the AFC Championship, sacking him four times and forcing two interceptions en route to a 20-18 win. [10]
From a personal matchup perspective, it was an anti-climatic ending. Brady threw for over 300 yards but completed less than 50% of his passes. Manning wasn’t impressive either, finishing 17-32 for 176 yards, though he did throw two touchdowns. [11]
While Manning finished his career just 6-11 against his rival. He did end up with a better postseason record at 3-2. He also has the head-to-head edge in passing yards and touchdowns. [12]
Manning:
Wins: 6 (3 in the postseason)
Passing Yards: 4985
Touchdowns: 35
Interceptions: 22
Brady:
Wins: 11 (2 in the postseason)
Passing Yards: 4323
Touchdowns: 32
Interceptions: 22 [13]
But was the other Manning Brady’s True Nemesis?
While Peyton and Brady have squared off many times, Peyton’s little brother has an argument that he is Brady’s biggest foil.
Brady and the Patriots were on the cusp of history in February of 2008. They entered the Super Bowl 18-0 and seemed poised to wrap up the second undefeated history in NFL history. The Giants finished the regular season 10-6 and were huge 12.5-point underdogs. [14]
Instead, we were treated to one of the greatest games in Super Bowl history.
The Giants’ defense was able to get consistent pressure on Brady, sacking him five times and disrupting New England’s potent passing game led by Randy Moss.
While Brady enjoyed three regular-season victories against Eli Manning and his New York Giants, they met once again in the 2012 Super Bowl. New England was only favored by three points this time, but the game followed a similar pattern with the Giants rallying for a late touchdown while the Patriots’ last-gasp attempt fell short. [15]
It was Brady’s first two Super Bowl defeats, although upstart Nick Foles and the Eagles managed to knock off Brady and the Patriots in 2018 too.
Conclusion
Peyton Manning may have the most all-time victories against Brady, but it took him a lot of games to get there. It’s a testament to Brady and the foundation that the Patriots built that they were able to stymie one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game again and again.
While Peyton may have the most numerical victories, I’d be curious to see if Brady perceives his little brother as his bigger villain thanks to those two Super Bowl defeats.
If you were Brady, who would you view as your biggest rival? Or would you pick a different player or team? Let us know in the comments below.
Read more:
References
- https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/7-nfl-quarterbacks-wins-tom-brady#:~:text=7%20NFL%20quarterbacks%20with%20the%20most%20wins%20against,%283-6%29%2C%20Joe%20Flacco%20%283-6%29%2C%20Eli%20Manning%20%283-2%29%20
- https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/7-nfl-quarterbacks-wins-tom-brady#:~:text=7%20NFL%20quarterbacks%20with%20the%20most%20wins%20against,%283-6%29%2C%20Joe%20Flacco%20%283-6%29%2C%20Eli%20Manning%20%283-2%29%20
- https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/7-nfl-quarterbacks-wins-tom-brady#:~:text=7%20NFL%20quarterbacks%20with%20the%20most%20wins%20against,%283-6%29%2C%20Joe%20Flacco%20%283-6%29%2C%20Eli%20Manning%20%283-2%29%20
- https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2891331-tom-brady-vs-peyton-manning-head-to-head-nfl-scores-and-top-highlights
- https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2891331-tom-brady-vs-peyton-manning-head-to-head-nfl-scores-and-top-highlights
- https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2891331-tom-brady-vs-peyton-manning-head-to-head-nfl-scores-and-top-highlights
- https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200511070nwe.htm
- https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200701210clt.htm
- https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2891331-tom-brady-vs-peyton-manning-head-to-head-nfl-scores-and-top-highlights
- https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201601240den.htm
- https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2891331-tom-brady-vs-peyton-manning-head-to-head-nfl-scores-and-top-highlights
- https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2891331-tom-brady-vs-peyton-manning-head-to-head-nfl-scores-and-top-highlights
- https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2891331-tom-brady-vs-peyton-manning-head-to-head-nfl-scores-and-top-highlights
- https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200802030nwe.htm
- https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201202050nwe.htm
