Great rivalries are an important part of the sports landscape. Fans and media alike are drawn to the stories of triumph and failure that occur within a long-standing clash of two iconic sports figures. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady’s decade plus of epic battles are no different.
The very fact that these two are still at the helm of their respective football teams – although Manning now wears a different colored jersey, is truly remarkable in today’s harsh NFL. The opportunity to still have the chance to add a few more chapters to this historic feud is exciting and certainly a privilege that not all fans and media get to experience.
Of the 13 times these two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks have met on the field, Brady has come away victorious in nine of those matchups. Manning does have the edge statistically speaking as he has thrown for more yards and touchdowns than Brady during those epic clashes.
The next page of history will take place in Week 12 when the Denver Broncos head to Foxboro to take on Brady and the New England Patriots. As of Friday Las Vegas has the Broncos favored to win the game by 2.5 points. This is the first time a road team has been a favorite in New England since Manning rolled into town with the Indianapolis Colts in 2005.
While the two signal callers remain the same, these 2013 Patriot and Bronco teams are very different than their predecessors. The Patriots enter this game with many question marks on the offensive side of the ball. Brady has had a rough season so far, trying to find chemistry with his young receivers and battling injuries with the veterans.
Manning is showing up to Foxboro with an offense that is shattering records on a weekly basis and running on all cylinders. However, the team as a whole has had its share of adversity this season ranging from linebacker Von Miller’s suspension for NFL drug policy violation, to Denver’s head coach John Fox requiring heart surgery and now being led by interim head coach Jack Del Rio.
This 13-year battle is just the most recent in a line of former elite quarterback clashes since the beginning of the Super Bowl era in 1966. Perhaps one of the greatest came out of the ‘70s, pitting Pittsburgh Steelers’ great Terry Bradshaw against Dallas Cowboys signal caller Roger Staubach.
These two iconic NFL quarterbacks could not have been more different from an image standpoint. Staubach was the clean-cut Navy alumnus, while Bradshaw was the outspoken Louisiana Tech grad with the huge arm. They did not meet as often as Brady and Manning due to divisional differences, however clashed in two epic Super Bowls, forever linking them in the history books.
The 1980s brought us Dan Marino versus Jim Kelly. These guys’ lives were so parallel that it’s almost impossible to not compare the two in history. Both men were from western Pennsylvania, members of the draft class of 1983 and played their whole careers in the AFC East.
Statistically, Marino put up better numbers and broke more records during their storied careers; however The Bills with Kelly at the helm won more games throughout the late ‘80s into early ‘90s.
The 49ers’ Steve Young and Cowboy’s Troy Aikman developed a nice little rivalry in the ‘90s as well. When these two dominant teams faced each other, it was usually for post season glory. Aikman got the best of Young’s 49ers in both the 1992 and 1993 NFC Championship games, while the Cowboys were defeated by Young that very next season in a revenge NFC title match in 1994.
The quarterback rivalry has always been an iconic part of NFL history and will continue to do so for generations to come. Long after Manning and Brady have retired and are either holed up in their moat-surrounded compounds or out selling pizzas, there will be a clash of two elite, ultra-competitive signal callers.
The next two to step up to the plate: Andrew Luck versus Russell Wilson. Both players were drafted the same year and had totally different hype surrounding them. The two quarterbacks are currently in their second seasons, leading their respective teams to potential post season runs with a very bright future ahead of them.
For now though, the focus this week is all on the Broncos, led by 37-year-old Peyton Manning headed into hostile, cold New England to take on 36-year-old Tom Brady and his Patriots. Besides the actual rivalry between these two men, there are also many other backs stories to this matchup.
Bronco fans are always looking for a way to stick it to former Head Coach Josh McDaniels, who is the current offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the Patriots. There is also the matter of one Wes Welker, a former New England slot receiver who signed with the Broncos as a free agent this past March.
No matter which angle one chooses to take on the Week 12 matchup of these two franchises, it should make for a great 60 minutes of football. On paper, the Broncos appear to have the advantage; however anything can happen when these guys actually take the field.
Both Brady and Manning know what it takes to win football games and are prepared to go to battle one more time to make it happen. The ultimate goal for these two rival quarterbacks is to make it to the Super Bowl and this matchup is just another stepping stone on their way there.
Both men will leave it all out there on the field on Sunday and the world will be watching once again as these two future Hall of Famers take on history.
