1. I think it would, once and for all, distance him from Peyton Manning. How could it not? For all Peyton's statistical accolades, he's only been able to obtain one ring.
2. It may very well remove that little black cloud that has hung over New England since losing Adam Vinateri to the Colts in free agency, SpyGate and 2007 loss to the Giants.
3. For Belichick, I think he will solidify his spot in the top 5 NFL coaches of all time and challenge Lombari for the 3rd spot on the All Time list.
It would distance him from everyone. Ditto Belichick who already has a fist full of rings counting his two as a DC (the game plan for one of which is already enshrined).
And if 18-1 and 11-5 after losing the franchise for an entire season and 14-2 and a league MVP constitute your idea of a black cloud, god help you if they ever land under a real one with actual dire consequences again once these two retire.
Basically these two have it all now. Whatever remains is icing on their cakes.
I find it
unfathomable that anyone with even a
rudimentary understanding of this Game would put Manning in Brady's
class, much less consider them nearly equals.
1 ~ Most people who vastly overrate Manning do so because of Stats. But if you actually LOOK at Stats, Brady has CRUSHED Manning since we finally gave him weapons on equal footing with Manning's, in 2007:
Manning:
31 TDs +
15 INTs per year.
Brady:
38 TDs +
8 INTs per year.
* Manning plays about 14 games a season in the pleasure dome or other comfy places.
* Brady plays about 14 games a year in New England and other rough spots.
Are those two guys in the same CLASS???
THANK you.
2 ~ Championships. Brady is up, 3 to 0, unless you count the one that the refs stole from us, by dint of that phantom Pass Interference call on Hobbs that was so hideously blatant that the ref was actually required to pen a formal letter of apology to Hobbs. If you count THAT one, 2006, then it's FOUR to nothing, thank you very MUCH.
3 ~ PlayOff Record. Brady is Vince Lombardi. Manning is Marty Schottenheimer.
And if anybody's fact-challenged enough to suggest that our Defense's prowess in any way dilutes that dominance, here's a news flash: Since 2004, in terms of Points Allowed ~ the measure that COUNTS ~ the Colts have finished Top 8 4 out of 6 times, and Top 2 twice...Yet Manning led his team to defeat in the PlayOffs, every one of those 4 years.
*******************************************************
I have IMMENSE respect for Manning, as is well documented, to the annoyance of many.
But when the bullets are flying, against the best teams in the league, in the biggest games of all, Brady moves the chains and wins Championships...while Manning CHOKES.
And isn't THAT how you separate the Great Ones from all of the rest???