Tom Brady Vs. Peyton Manning Debate Not Over Yet

The great debate of the past decade has centered around two top-tier quarterbacks.

Tom Brady. Peyton Manning. Dead horse? Maybe.

It's been broken down hundreds, maybe thousands of times in the past. Some would say that the two are beyond comparison because of their black-and-white styles of play. Brady is far more cerebral, making safe throws on short patterns, while Manning is a risk-taker. The numbers don't lie in that regard.

Others contend that Manning has had more weapons on the offensive side of the ball, while Brady has enjoyed the company of a top-five defense.

But nine times out of 10, the argument boils down to the same two factors. Which is really more important: statistics in the regular season, or victories in the postseason?

Well, when it's phrased like that, it's obvious what's more important. What does it matter what you do all season long if you can't get it done when it really matters: the playoffs?

Brady: 14-4. Manning: 9-9.

By now, everyone knows what these numbers mean (for those living under a rock, it's Tom Brady and Peyton Manning's respective postseason win-loss records).

Three Super Bowl rings, one regular season MVP award.

One Super Bowl ring, four regular season MVP awards.

To the above statements, Peyton Manning might quote a former head coach of his: "Playoffs?! Don't talk about the playoffs!"

The adage goes, "defense wins championships." Maybe if Manning had a mediocre offense all those years and a top-flight defense, he'd be the one with three rings and not Brady.

Manning's supporters might prefer the statistical argument.

Brady's numbers are great (225 TD, 99 INT), but look almost pedestrian when put side-by-side with Manning's (366 TD, 181 INT). So obviously Manning is better, right?

Think again.

What’s more telling than all those numbers is the TD and INT percentages of each player. Peyton Manning’s TD percentage is 5.6, while Brady’s falls just short at 5.3. But so much for Brady being a more efficient passer than Manning; while Brady’s INT percentage sits at a low 2.3, Manning’s is only half a percentage point higher.

Yardage? Manning has to win that one, right? Well, at 7.7 yards per attempt, Manning doesn't look a whole lot more spectacular than Brady at 7.3.

And we're back to square one.

It seems that no matter what type of logic or spin is put on the topic, the debate will rage on like a wild fire for as long as the oxygen of these two men's storied careers continues to flow through the NFL.

Ah, there's the rub.

Does it matter what we say here and now? Are we really that desperate to proclaim the best quarterback of this era that we can't wait until it's all said and done?

Didn't we learn our lesson from Super Bowl XLII, when Tom Brady had just completed a record-setting season and was ready to complete only the second undefeated season of all-time and stake his claim as the greatest quarterback of all time? The Giants, obviously, saw things a bit differently.

What about Super Bowl XLIV, when fans, analysts, and "fanalysts" were anointing Manning as the best QB who ever lived until he threw a costly fourth-quarter interception? One throw took all the talk and, like the Colts' Super Bowl chances, threw it out the window (or into the arms of Tracy Porter).

Why talk about this now, when it would take no more than one "off" season from either man to tilt the scales in either direction? And an "off" season from the other would only bring us right back to square one.

Perhaps it's best not to ask who's the best quarterback just yet. Perhaps the answer will reveal itself when both players hang up the pads for the last time.

Perhaps instead of belaboring the point to death, we should just sit back and enjoy the privilege of watching two of the greatest quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen.