The untuck rule
The Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning debate got old for me about, oh, three years ago. Maybe four. Sunday night, however, it dawned on me (four Super Bowls later) that the discussion is only just beginning.
Prior to this season, about the only thing the undisputed two best quarterbacks in the universe had in common were the initials preceding their name on the depth chart.
I'm not expanding the discussion to include the Patriots defense that mugged Manning for so many years opposite the Colts' excuse for a counterpart. Neither Adam Vinatieri nor a liquored up kicker enter this equation, either.
What killed the Brady-Manning Sportscenter loop running these past three years was, interestingly enough, what made ESPN's summer version of that rerun -Yankees vs. Red Sox - so compelling. New York and Boston were such polar opposites, their clashing styles naturally made for theatre. Until, that is, the Red Sox became the Yankees (heck, the beloved face - and hair - of Boston literally traded in his red sox for pinstripes). The Sox shed their blue collar image along with players like Trot Nixon and Kevin 'Cowboy up' Millar while bidding for the right to bid on Japanese pitchers and, speaking of overpaying, arranging shady deals with J.D. Drew.
Tom Brady, however, has become Peyton Manning, allowing for the two to finally to be compared.
What captivated us for years was less Manning vs. Brady than it was Peyton vs. Belichick and Bruschi. But when the defending Super Bowl champs host you know who Nov. 4, riding on the bus with Brady will be a real live premier receiver. He's got another legit receiver on the roster too. And, what's that, a third one who can play?
Meanwhile, Manning and his all-world wideout, Marvin Harrison, have led a career-long full-scale assault on the record books. Reggie Wayne may be a Harrison in waiting, only he's done waiting. When poor Peyton lost his slot receiver in the offseason, the Colts waited all the way until April's draft to buy him a brand new one - Anthony Gonzales in the first freaking round. Brady's typical slot receivers probably didn't expect to make it past the first round of training camp cuts. The Pats leading receiver last season, Reche Caldwell, barely did only to be shown the door two-and-a-half weeks ago.
Now we get to see Brady throw to talent the likes of which his buddy Peyton has for years. How the Patriots finagled Randy Moss for a fourth-round pick, or had the money/common sense to sign former first-round pick Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker fresh off a 67-catch season with Dolphin QBs throwing to him? That's beyond me.
I'm afraid it's beyond Peyton, too. At least that's were Brady will end up with this cast around him.
Did you see the touchdown Brady threw to Randy Moss against the Jets? How did he know Moss would pull away from the TRIPLE TEAM encircling him? What about the sideline pass he rifled directly at the Jets defender, only too high for him but the perfect height for the 6-foot-4 Moss.
Brady's spent seven years in the league making stars out of tight ends because he has never (never!) had a great receiver, much less an elite one. Adding further contrast to his 2007-08 corps, the Pats WR depth chart reached new depths last year. We've never seen Brady trust enough to consistently put the ball in spots where his pass catcher is the one that has to make a play.
Sunday night, against one of the best defenses in the NFL, he didn't even have to make those spectacular throws. The Pats simply dissected a Chargers team that went 14-2 last season for their second 38-14 win in as many weeks.
Now ESPN has legitimate reason to dissect the Brady-Manning dynamic all over again (be afraid).