Quote:
Originally Posted by See Red
And again, there's a difference between getting your guys reps and running up the score... the Colts were never accused of doing the latter because they never did the latter. The Patriots, on the other hand, did... I gave you two examples.
|
So, what does that have to do with the discussion? Is Brady supposed to be penalized because the Colts D sucked that year making it more "legitimate" when Manning finished a game? It seems like you are willing to give Manning the benefit of having a bad D, in excusing the lower win total. Be consistent. The shitty Colts D should have no impact for either candidate.
The 80 or so extra attempts are all about the comparison of the quality of the teams. This year's Pats average 32 minutes and change of ball possession per game. That year's Colts averaged 28 and change. There's your extra attempts.
Where the question is answered is in the rates. Which is more preferable?
| QB | Att/TD | Att/INT | Yds/Att | Comp% |
| Manning | 10.14 | 49.7 | 9.17 | 67.6 |
| Brady | 11.56 | 72.3 | 8.31 | 68.9 |
The score is two to two in the relevant stats. Now consider what each is being asked to do and the supporting cast on offense. Both had an unbelievable corps of receivers, very good tight ends, and and offensive line that gave them tons of time. The lone difference, and this impacts scheme a lot, is only one had a 1500+ yard back (Manning). This enables a team to stretch the field more, so it makes sense he scores higher in Yds/Att and Att/TD. Also, the Pats replace some of their running game with more screens and checkdowns than the Colts did, so it's no surprise Brady fares better in Comp% and Att/INT.
Bottom line, I think the differences are negligible and easily explained by differences in what each had in terms of help and scheme. These guys are the best two going, and the differences, to me, are so slight, that there's no wrong answer in who you'd take on the field. But that's on the field. For me, I'd take Brady because I think he's better off the field. I can't recall a time he rolled teammates under the bus like Manning did to his O-Line after the playoff loss to Pittsburg a couple of years ago. And I get the sense, from player comments in the media, that Brady commands more respect from his teammates. That may have something to do with how NE has seemingly always "found a way to win", while Indy, aside from one year, has managed to "just come up short".