You're my boy, Bill! Peyton says Belichick is best
Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesPeyton Manning says Bill Belichick may be greatest coach of all time, but won't place rankings on himself and Tom Brady.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - Peyton Manning didn't hesitate when asked about his mental tussles with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
'Coach Belichick is the best coach that I've ever competed against,' he said Wednesday. 'I think it's safe to say he'll go down as the greatest NFL coach of all time.'
But when asked about Tom Brady, Manning wasn't providing any power rankings. How could he?
'Tom Brady is an incredibly competitive quarterback that has played his best football in so many big games. I am not one that ever has the ranking of quarterbacks. I've been fortunate to play against some great quarterbacks - Dan Marino, Troy Aikman, Brett Favre, Steve Young, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning,' he said, ticking them off. 'The list goes on and on and on. I know rankings and lists are important to a lot of people. I have such great respect for all of them, and if you want to name anybody in any order on any list, that's fine. I'm just flattered to be in the conversation.'
Ah, but the conversation where Manning and Brady are concerned has been less flattering to Peyton. When Brady brought the Patriots from 24 points behind at the half to beat the Broncos at Gillette Stadium in late November, he ran his record to 10-4 in his head-to-head matchups with Manning, including a 2-1 edge in the playoffs. Manning set an NFL record with 55 touchdown passes this season in spectacular fashion while Brady's season was less about flash and more about guts as he somehow got an injury-ravaged offense to play winning football. Now, to get to his third Super Bowl, Manning, with all the weapons, will have to beat Brady, with all the intangibles.
There are other story lines this week, including Wes Welker up against his old team, but the QB battle will be getting all the focus, and the only way for Manning to change the narrative is for him to win. It's as if he has more to lose. He even sounded a bit envious when speaking about Brady's career.
'I think the one thing that jumps out about Tom is just his consistency,' he said. 'I feel like he's been a better player each year than he was the year before, and that, to me, speaks to his work ethic in the offseason, his refusal to be complacent or satisfied. He always feels like he can step his game up one level higher.
'The conversations that I've had with him, I can tell that's something that's always a goal and a focus of his every offseason - targeting something that he wants to work on and improve. And he's done that, and that's a real credit to him. That's just one thing. There are many, many well-deserved accolades and adjectives to describe the way he's played quarterback and the way he's competed, but that's one that's really impressive to me.'
Brady was out sick as the Broncos and Patriots began their preparations Wednesday so he has yet to be peppered with Manning questions. Broncos coach John Fox, meanwhile, said neither quarterback will be thinking about the other Sunday.
'As far as matchup and all those things, it's a little bit like this game, and in games when they get in bigger magnitude, it's really noise, and both those guys understand,' Fox said. 'I can't speak for them. They have to speak to that. This is going to be New England Patriots versus Denver Broncos, and I think they understand that, and I know that everybody that sits in this room (the press conference was in the auditorium used for team meetings) understands that.'
That's the game. But when it's over, it won't be just about the game, it will be about legacy.
And rankings.
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