Manning played with really bad defenses in his rookie season of 1998 and again in 2001. Brady played with a strong defense in his debut season of 2001 and a great defense in 2003.
Those first impressions created storylines that linger today: the average fan says Manning's career has been burdened by terrible defenses, while Brady has benefited from the defensive genius of Bill Belichick.
The reality, the Cold, Hard Football Facts, are quite a bit different. The 2005 Colts boasted the No. 2 defense in football, surrendering just 15.4 PPG on their way to a 14-2 record.
The 2005 Colts, with Peyton Manning and an elite defense, went one-and-done in the playoffs, losing 21-18 at home when Manning and the offense struggled to get into gear and, indeed, had produced just a single field goal through three quarters.
Remember the 16-0 Patriots of 2007? Well, it was Peyton Manning's Colts which boasted the league's No. 1 defense that year, surrendering just 16.4 PPG. Those 2007 Colts, which paired Peyton Manning with the best defense in football, also failed to win a single playoff game. The heavily favored Colts lost at home 28-24 to the Chargers.
Manning in that game threw picks on consecutive possessions inside Chargers territory, including one with the ball sitting at the San Diego 4 yard line.
The 2012 Broncos paired Peyton Manning with the league's No. 4 scoring defense; yet again, that team failed to win a single playoff game. Manning threw a pick-six and an ugly overtime INT to seal Denver's fate in a 38-35 loss to the Ravens.
Including this season, Manning has played with seven different defenses that ranked in the Top 8 in scoring. Brady has played with eight different defenses that ranked in the Top 8 in scoring.
Manning's teams have surrendered an average of 21.4 PPG; Brady's teams 18.8 PPG. But Manning has played with Super Bowl-caliber defenses throughout his career, nearly as often as Brady.
Each quarterback has played once with the best defense in football. Brady rode that defense to 15 straight victories and a Super Bowl title during the 2003 season; Manning **** the bed with that defense and went one-and-done in the playoffs during the 2007 season.