Julian Edelman Roasts Peyton Manning During ESPYs Acceptance Speech

When the New England Patriots won the 2017 ESPY award for Best Game, Julian Edelman used the platform to zing an old foe. 

The wide receiver credited Peyton Manning for nailing his hosting duties, but it was only a setup to burn the retired NFL great.

"You know, I never really thought I'd say this, but Peyton Manning is kind of killing it," he said. "Yeah, we are indoors though."

Like most quarterbacks, Manning performed better in controlled environments. According to Pro-Football Reference.com, he posted a 99.1 quarterback rating when playing regular-season games inside a dome and a 99.2 passer rating under a closed retractable roof.

Yet the data doesn't entirely support Edelman's joke. Over his brilliant career, Manning threw 270 passing touchdowns in 136 outdoor games with a 64.6 completion percentage and 94.0 quarterback rating. He led the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos to 95 victories compared to only 41 losses outdoors. (And yes, this is likely too much analysis for a harmless awards-show joke.)

Manning's performance also dipped in cold-weather games, so the Microsoft Theater must not have blasted the air conditioning on Wednesday night.

[ESPN]