Peyton: Still number 2?

[DarrylStingley]

This is not the thread to debate Brady vs. Peyton. If you still think that's a question, that's fine, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Even if it's wrong.

The question here is -- assuming, as sane people must, that Tommy is number 1 -- is Peyton still firmly in second place?

Because after seeing his performance this season, and thinking back to last year's Super Bowl and the Horrendous Pick 6, and having read Peter King's article yesterday, I'm not so sure.

He PROBABLY is still in second place.

But damn, Brees, Ben, Rodgers and Rivers are all quite excellent. Even putting aside who is the best among them -- and I'll take Brees -- I'm not so certain that I wouldn't want most if not all of them over Peyton.

Thoughts?

 

[RodThePat]

Don't kid yourself. Manning is still in a different league than all those guys.

 

[DarrylStingley]

Don't kid yourself. Manning is still in a different league than all those guys.

If Brady went out tomorrow, I'd rather have Brees and Ben than Manning on Sunday night.

And I don't particularly HATE Manning.

 

[RodThePat]

If Brady went out tomorrow, I'd rather have Brees and Ben than Manning on Sunday night.

And I don't particularly HATE Manning.

Well, you're wrong.

 

[upstater1]

Manning is still second best but he did not look good at all this year. He did not look like Manning at all during the Jets game. Loss of confidence was obvious.

I would say that Aaron Rodgers is the best up and comer but I'm starting to think he learned from Favre too much. Sometimes he has a 2-cent head out there. He stands in the pocket and makes some killer heart-ripping throws, but then he just does dumb things.

Brees and Rodgers, who are 3 and 4, have some warts on them.

So, Manning is #2 by default.

Rivers--I'll never give him credit. With that ridiculous herky jerky throwing motion and that crybaby voice, he's #5 maybe.

 

[JSn]

Peyton was working with scraps and a weaksauce coach. I think he did all he could have done. With that same situation, I don't know if Brady or Brees makes the Playoffs. Certainly not Ben. That D is a huge part of what they do.

You MIGHT be able to make a case for Rivers. Maybe.

 

[RodThePat]

Peyton was working with scraps and a weaksauce coach. I think he did all he could have done. With that same situation, I don't know if Brady or Brees makes the Playoffs. Certainly not Ben. That D is a huge part of what they do.

You MIGHT be able to make a case for Rivers. Maybe.

You don't know if Brady makes the playoffs in that situation? In the AFC South? If I'm not mistaken, he won 12 games once with a FAR worse offense than the Colts currently have.

 

[sieglo]

Peyton was working with scraps and a weaksauce coach. I think he did all he could have done. With that same situation, I don't know if Brady or Brees makes the Playoffs. Certainly not Ben. That D is a huge part of what they do.

You MIGHT be able to make a case for Rivers. Maybe.

Rivers can't even make the playoffs with a talented team (although granted his coach is a huge handicap).

 

[RodThePat]

Rivers can't even make the playoffs with a talented team (although granted his coach is a huge handicap).

It always pisses me off when people praise Rivers for having to overcome Norv Turner's deficiencies. The guy MADE Phillip Rivers. He might not be a great HC, or even a good one, but he is, undoubtedly, one of the great offensive minds of his generation, and Rivers has only been considered a great QB since Norv started coaching the Chargers. He is perhaps the main reason for Rivers' recent success, so he can't be viewed solely as a burden to the San Diego QB.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

If we needed a QB to run OUR offense, I would go with Brees.

If one considers the excuses Manning gets.....missing training camp in 2008, no weapons in 2010....no defense ever.....zero coaches in his career eventhough he had Tom Moore for his career.....

I wonder if he could handle the fluid nature of the Pats organization and unique weekly gameplans.

ROD

Rivers only started one year under Marty Shott. They went 14-2.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Manning is still second best but he did not look good at all this year. He did not look like Manning at all during the Jets game. Loss of confidence was obvious.

I would say that Aaron Rodgers is the best up and comer but I'm starting to think he learned from Favre too much. Sometimes he has a 2-cent head out there. He stands in the pocket and makes some killer heart-ripping throws, but then he just does dumb things.

Brees and Rodgers, who are 3 and 4, have some warts on them.

So, Manning is #2 by default.

Rivers--I'll never give him credit. With that ridiculous herky jerky throwing motion and that crybaby voice, he's #5 maybe.

I assume you meant Brees and Rapistburger, and I pretty much agree with your assessments. Ryan MAY be approaching in the hunt, as well as Flacco - although he's got some similar brain warts too.

But it remains Brady, Manning, gap to the next tier and gulf to the rest. Including that other Manning, lucky ring aside the mailman's kid I presume...

 

[RodThePat]

If we needed a QB to run OUR offense, I would go with Brees.

If one considers the excuses Manning gets.....missing training camp in 2008, no weapons in 2010....no defense ever.....zero coaches in his career eventhough he had Tom Moore for his career.....

I wonder if he could handle the fluid nature of the Pats organization and unique weekly gameplans.

ROD

Rivers only started one year under Marty Shott. They went 14-2.

Yeah, they went 14-2 because of LdT and Gates. Norv Turner is a fantastic offensive coach and was instrumental in Rivers' development as a QB. He isn't a good HC, but to say Rivers is great because he has to overcome Norv's ineptitude, while failing to give him credit for greatly helping number 17 become the QB he is today is bogus.

 

[JSn]

You don't know if Brady makes the playoffs in that situation? In the AFC South? If I'm not mistaken, he won 12 games once with a FAR worse offense than the Colts currently have.

Yes, but Brady had Belichick and a defense.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Manning will be 35 in March and it is starting to show. His throws have a little less zip, a little less accuracy, and as a result he is a little more indecisive.

Philip Rivers has more to prove to me, but as one example I'd take Aaron Rogers before Peyton any day, right now and into the future. The past is the past and I respect what Peyton has done. He seems like he's on the early stages of the steady decline, like we have seen for years with Shaq in the NBA. In both cases it doesn't diminish what the great player used to be, or even say he is valueless, but it does reflect reality.

He's at #3, but falling. If Philip Rivers puts together another good year and couples it with more leadership and winning football, he'd be competing for #2with Rogers.

 

[jarnhestur]

Manning is definitely the 2nd best right now and probably for the next few years, depending on how the new QB's (Ryan, Flacco, etc) mature.

If I had to pick a QB other then Brady to lead this team right, I'd pick Manning in a second. If I had to pick my QB of the future, that's a different story.

I think Brees is a good QB, definitely in the top 5 today and probably my #3, but it's hard to say just how good he is that that talented offense he has. He has a lot of toys, that's for sure.

 

[pheenix11]

Right now I'd take Aaron Rodgers over all of them behind Brady. He hasn't proven it yet, but that kid has something that just says winner. I like his demeanor.

 

[Fixit]

Peyton was working with scraps and a weaksauce coach. I think he did all he could have done. With that same situation, I don't know if Brady or Brees makes the Playoffs.

It's like Brady's first five seasons never happened. It really is.

 

[Keyser Söze]

I guess he is even though he shouldn't be.

9-10 in the playoffs is pathetic when most consider you the GOAT.

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

Not even top 3....

I put Brees & Rodgers ahead of him.

 

[JSn]

It's like Brady's first five seasons never happened. It really is.

I gues I'll say it again: Belichick. I'm not taking anything away from Brady by saying he couldn't have done it with Caldwell as a coach, I don't think.