Brady vs. Manning: A Symphony on Turf

Oh, sure, it might be fun if they hated each other, stole each other's women, fired off nasty tweets, treated their rivalry like another bloody night in the Octagon. But the beauty of Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady -- wait, give Brady first billing, since he has a 3-1 lead in the Super Bowl rings derby -- is that neither is a jerk on a sports planet filled with such creatures. Both are classy, dignified men who avoid blowhardish braggadocio and succeed because they rely on a tool that can be so remarkably beneficial when used properly.

The brain, we call it.

Their collision course in football history is rooted in the cerebrum. Other than Joe Montana, no one has thought on his feet at a higher level in the biggest moments than Brady. Nor has anybody been a more efficient, dynamic conductor than Manning, who has made the line of scrimmage his personal symphony pit and turns film sessions into clinical studies. By luck and quirk of the NFL schedule, they will face each other for the 11th time on Sunday evening in Indianapolis, and while each emphasizes that he's facing the opposing defense, there will be an air of pomp and circumstance reminding us that this is the greatest of duels at the most glamorous of positions.

Who do I prefer? Can a question be more loaded? If I needed a quarterback to elevate the average talent around him, be the ultimate coach on the field and amass spectacular numbers that probably will dominate the record books when he's finished in seven or eight seasons, it's Manning. If I needed a quarterback to maximize an offensive system and win a game in the final minute -- every friggin' time, it seems -- it's Brady. This is Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird for a new millennium, the most compelling form of mano-a-mano competition going in team sports, or at least until Kobe Bryant and LeBron James clash in the NBA Finals. And even then, I'm not sure that would be bigger than the battle of two golden right arms who glorify what we all love to do this time of year: throw the football around the backyard, leading receivers in stride with sort-of-perfect spirals.

I'm glad they're friends. We need civility in these complicated times, gentlemanly showdowns in which they want to beat the other's brains out for three hours, and then maintain a deep mutual respect until their next meeting. Brady was asked if he appreciates the Johnson-Bird comparison. After playfully wondering which one he is, Brady spent the next minute extolling Manning's virtues.

"Yeah, I'm always keeping up on Peyton. We talk from time to time. I have a lot of respect for him as a player, and for the role model that he is, the way that he carries himself, the way the he leads the team, and the way he's a representative for the league, and all of those things,'' Brady said. "It was his third year in the league when I was a rookie, and it was pretty much my first start came against the Colts. Peyton came over on our field and said, 'Hey, I'm Peyton Manning.' I said, 'No sh**.' ''

He laughed, admiringly. "We were both getting warmed up and he was probably on his 100th throw of the day, two hours before the game,'' Brady said. "It was a pretty quick meeting.''

It's a tribute to their professionalism and character that they would confer with each other about injuries. When Brady had a staph infection after surgery, he immediately contacted Manning.
The rest has been world domination. They have ruled the decade, sharing four Super Bowl championships, three Super Bowl MVP awards, four league MVP awards and 13 Pro Bowl appearances. Because quarterback legacies are predicated on winning titles, I must say Brady has had the better career, however slightly. But he also has had the advantage of being in Bill Belichick's system, which has given him more chances to win than Manning. Colts fans will counter that Belichick is a crook who needed the Spygate affair to win -- and might even have had something to do with the mouse droppings and dead mice found of late in the Colts' 15-month-old, $720-million Lucas Oil Stadium. Fortunately, as always, Manning stays above the fray and eloquently praises Brady.

"What Tom has done during this decade, it's hard to do it justice,'' Manning said. "He's been unbelievably consistent and just seems to get better year after year. He's had multiple players around him, he's had some coaching changes. Though he said he may have had the same system, he's had some offensive coordinator changes and different guys to throw it to, yet he's remained consistent and accurate throughout.''

The difference, of course, is that Manning has been groomed to be one of the game's elite quarterbacks of all time. Son of Archie, brother of Eli, the bloodlines ordained that he would excel in college, be picked No. 1 in the 1998 NFL draft and reign over the sport from the start. Brady alternated with the much more ballyhooed Drew Henson at Michigan -- what ever happened to him? -- and wasn't chosen until 199th in the 2000 draft. Once he had his chance, he seized it, never let go and became the envy of every American male, not only directing the Team of the '00s but getting the world-class supermodel, too. Manning's personal path was nearly as prodigious, but the Patriots were his early bugaboo, the team he couldn't get by -- sometimes with disastrous results. For a while there, it seemed Manning always would hang in Brady's shadow, but three years ago, the Colts finally broke through for their first Super Bowl championship. And this year, they're smelling another with an 8-0 record, though injuries to defensive and offensive personnel could sabotage Manning. As for Brady, he has recovered from reconstructive knee surgery, but with 15 touchdown passes and a 6-2 record, he hasn't been nearly as prolific as he was in his record-breaking, 50-scoring-pass season in 2007, when the Patriots went 18-0 before losing to Eli Manning and the Giants in the Super Bowl.

It's crazy to ponder the similarities in the rivalry. The Colts have the NFL's best record this decade (109-43), just one game ahead of the Patriots. The Patriots have won three Super Bowls to the Colts' one, while Manning has won three MVP awards to Brady's one. And the Colts have won four of the last five, including a vintage 38-34 victory in the AFC title game that preceded their Super Bowl victory over Chicago. The sense earlier this season was that Manning was on his way to another championship, but the Indianapolis secondary isn't cooperating. Bob Sanders, so talented yet so injury-prone, is out for the year again. So is cornerback Marlin Jackson. The Colts' other cornerback, Kelvin Hayden, is also gone for a while. This while Manning has adjusted to new receivers -- Pierre Garcon (who had four catches in 2008) and rookie Austin Collie -- and a reconfigured line. So Brady is being urged by everyone, including former Patriot and current NBC analyst Rodney Harrison, to throw, throw and throw some more to Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Won't they leave tire tracks on Indy's two rookie corners, Jacob Lacey and Jerraud Powers?

A shootout could be in store. Certainly, Brady no longer is showing rust and mechanical issues from the two torn knee ligaments that forced him to miss last season. "Physically, I've felt great for a long time," he said. "The rehab process is what it is. It's pretty straightforward. The health of my knee is great, and I feel great physically."

Said Colts linebacker Gary Brackett: "Looks like the same guy to me, moving around in the pocket and not taking a lot of hits out there.''


Manning, too, raved about Brady's comeback. Remember, he also had two procedures on his left knee last year, though each involved infections of the bursa sac. Brady's left knee was shredded, including the anterior cruciate ligament. "My injury was completely different from his," Manning said. "He had major, major reconstructive surgery. Months and months of rehab. Mine was a unique type deal. I just can't relate to the injury that he had. What he's been able to do, coming back this year, is incredible. We've seen film of the Patriots playing other teams, other defenses, and you can't tell he missed last year with major knee surgery. He's picked up right where he left off the year before and handled it pretty smoothly.''

It's a tribute to their professionalism and character that they would confer with each other about injuries. When Brady had a staph infection after surgery, he immediately contacted Manning. "That is a true story,'' Brady said. "I called him and I said, 'Tell me about your knee and what you went through.' He provided a bit of insight. He was very encouraging. Always has been. He's just that kind of a guy. He's a very classy guy.''

They even compare notes on opponents, game plans and preparation techniques. "It kind of runs the gamut,'' Brady said. "He's got great knowledge of the game. He really studies it and understands what he does well and what his team does well.''

So the most pleasant big rivalry in the history of sports resumes Sunday night. In a year when the NFL never has seemed more popular, prepare for one of the highest-rated regular-season games ever, just as the weather gets cold in the East and Midwest and people need something to warm up to. "There have been some classic games between these two teams, we can't discount that," said Colts coach Jim Caldwell, the first rookie coach since 1931 to start 8-0. "There have been some memorable ones, and they have been hard-fought. Typically, they were games that had a lot riding on them. But this is Week [10] and not the end of the year. It's not the playoffs. It's not the Super Bowl."

Hmmm. Sure feels like it.