Tom Brady: How He Can Swing The Peyton Manning Debate in 2010

The Tom Brady-Peyton Manning debate has raged on for the past decade and will probably continue to do so until the two retire. Every time one seems to make their case, the other offers a rebuttal the next year.

Manning made his case in 2009 by carrying his team to a Super Bowl berth with an MVP season. But 2010 could be the year that Brady swings it in his direction.

Brady has enjoyed a phenomenal preseason, and already appears to be in midseason form after going 18-of-22 for 276 yards, three touchdowns, and no picks in the preseason game against the Rams.

He has looked that way all preseason long, going 33-of-42 in the first three preseason games for 425 yards, amassing passer ratings of 89.1, 124.0, and 158.0 along the way.

But of course, it doesn't matter what you do in the preseason.

So how can Tom Brady end the debate?

Many of Manning's biggest supporters argue that he has better stats throughout his career. This is true, albeit for reasons that would be too tedious to cover in this article.

Manning will obviously retire with better numbers than Brady, but another big statistical season from Brady could prove that he's also a "stats guy" like Manning, and not simply a system passer.

People love to argue that Brady has been helped recently by his weapons at receiver, while Manning has (recently) gotten by with lesser talent (though not early in his career). Brady has Randy Moss and Wes Welker, of course, but other quarterbacks in the all-time greats discussion (including Manning) have also had a tremendous amount of help from their organization in surrounding them with talent.

Brady has gotten by with lesser talent in the past, so he clearly doesn't need the help, but he will be working with inexperienced guys like Brandon Tate, Taylor Price, and converted quarterback Julian Edelman. Like Manning did with Brandon Stokley, this will be a good opportunity for Brady to make a name for any of those guys.

One of the other knocks on Brady has been that he had a top-five defense to fall back on in the dynasty days of 2001-2004, but that's not the case this year. In fact, it's quite clear that the Patriots defense still has a bit of work to do.

One of the top arguments of Manning supporters is that he has often gotten by without a top-five defense. If Brady can do the same, that argument will be dead in its tracks.

Manning has carried his team on his shoulders to victory for much of the past two years. Brady is faced with the same task this year, and if he's up to the challenge, he could quickly silence the critics.

In all honesty, the debate may never end. It could rage on long after these two are gone.

But 2010 is an opportunity for Brady to add a notch to his side of the argument. The best way for him to build his resume over Manning, though, is with a Super Bowl ring.