The Super Bowl

Does Peyton Manning need to win this game for his legacy? In a word: yes. People are already anointing Peyton as the best quarterback of all-time. I disagree. He's not even the best quarterback of this generation. Tom Brady (still) is.

Just two years ago people were calling Tom Brady the best ever. He was coming off an 18 win season with an MVP award and 50 TD passes. He lead his team to a lead with 4 mins to go in the Super Bowl. A season ending injury and early exit from the playoffs later and now people are ready to call Peyton Manning the best ever? Please.

People are way too quick to crown people now-a-days. Peyton Manning is still like Steve Nash for me. I'll take him in the regular season all day, but in the playoffs give me Brady. Peyton Manning has won 4 MVP's so people will argue he's the best ever. Guess what that's a regular season award. He more often than not disappoints in the playoffs. And guess who has 3 MVP's? Brett Favre. Nobody is arguing he's the best QB ever. People project that Peyton will break all the major QB records. Guess who's records he's going to be breaking? Yep, Brett Favre. Again nobody is going to argue that Brett Favre is the greatest ever. Not to mention in this era every QB puts up huge statistics (even Matt Schaub) so you can't compare to players from earlier eras like Joe Montana, John Elway, and definitely not against Johnny Unitas, Bart Starr and others.

In the end Peyton Manning is agonizingly mediocre in the playoffs, currently at 9-8. Does that scream to you best ever? Nope, not me. Give me playoff performances over regular season stats. Peyton has struggled big time in the playoffs, especially early in his career. Give me someone like Brady who is 14-4 in the playoffs or Montana who is 16-7.