Who’s Better- Drew Brees or Peyton Manning?
The Saints’ savior has become the leading passer in the history of the NFL. But how does he rank against the man who he just passed?
Drew Brees has broken Peyton Manning’s record for all-time passing yards in the National Football League. But is Brees better than Manning?
A subjective opinion, but these two quarterbacks are almost identical statistically. Brees’ all-time quarterback rating, a misleading statistic but one that does favor players of this era, 97.3. Manning’s is 96.5.
Manning averaged 7.7 yards per attempt. Brees 7.6. Manning had slightly more of his passes go for touchdowns, 5.7 percent to Brees’ 5.3, but also was more apt to throw an interception; 2.7 to 2.3. Brees has suffered more sacks, but is that his fault or an indication he actually was able to succeed just as well as Manning behind more porous lines?
Probably a little truth to both sides of that argument.
Both Brees and Manning have completely changed the perceptions of the franchises they are most associated with. Before their arrivals, the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts were viewed as laughingstocks, much the way the Cleveland Browns are today.
The Saints spent the first 20 seasons of their history without posting a winning record, and when they finally did, they proceeded to get blown out in their first playoff game by a team one game above .500. Los Angeles Times sportswriter Steve Harvey referred to them as “The Ain’ts” and the name stuck. In 39 seasons, the Saints never so much as played in a conference championship game until Brees arrived.
The Saints then went to the NFC Championship Game in Brees’ first season as New Orleans’ starter. Brees made “Ain’ts” as archaic as “Same Old Steelers.”
Think of the Colts and one thinks of the Irsay family. Then one thinks of scum. From moving the team from Baltimore and destroying one of the most precious relationships with team and town a franchise ever had, as well as destroying their legacy, to primarily just being bad in their new, it wasn’t just that the Colts lost, it was the Colts were first losing team that invited fans to heap scorn instead of sympathy upon them.
Indianapolis? Really? Do the fans there even realize one doesn’t dribble a football?
Since moving to Indianapolis, no team has had the first pick in the draft more than the Colts. The Colts are as far, if not more, removed from John Unitas as the Browns are from Marion Motley and the Detroit Lions are from Bobby Layne.
Before Peyton Manning arrived, Indianapolis had never enjoyed a season of 10 regular season victories. With Manning, they would only fail to reach that plateau twice in 13 years.
Contemporarily, at 1–4 the Colts are now headed to their fourth straight non-winning season and the Irsays will certainly squander the career of Andrew Luck and go back to their losing ways.
The argument for Manning above Brees is probably best made on Manning’s 2013 season where he threw 55 touchdown passes and for 5,477 yards, both NFL records. It is this season Manning’s fans can argue “greatest quarterback ever.”
But while Manning has one more ring than Brees, that game isn’t over. It may even be equated by Brees since he beat Manning when the two of them met in Super Bowl XLIV, with the lasting play of a great game Tracy Porter’s pick six of Manning to win the game.
Does one argue Ferragamo above Bradshaw? O’Donnell above Aikman? Morton above Morrall?
True, one game doesn’t make Nick Foles better than Tom Brady, either. But when the playing field is as level as this, it can be the deciding factor.
Super Bowl victories are a large part as to why Terry Bradshaw is still relevant in today’s NFL, while Roger Staubach is a historical figure.
Who’s better? Do we really have to choose? Can’t we just enjoy the greatness of both Brees and Manning?
Marky Billson hosts Tri-Cities Sports NOW 12–2 p.m. ET weekdays on 1420 NBC Sports Radio Tri-Cities. Hear him archived here and here.
