DENVER — There were two games that changed my mind about Tom Brady.
In the first, Brady and his Patriots were trailing Peyton Manning and the Broncos, 24-0 at halftime in a 2013 regular-season game and in the second Brady and the Patriots lost a heartbreaker to Manning and the Broncos, 20-18 in the 2015-season AFC Championship Game.
Until those two games, I always argued Manning was a better quarterback than Brady. Manning was so sublime in the way he operated. He ran the whole show. Seemed to call the game at the line of scrimmage. Threw the ball and then the receivers broke open for the catch. A quarterback maestro and de facto coach.
Brady was solid made great by his coach Bill Belichick. I viewed it as two against one, Peyton vs. Brady and Belichick.
Such an argument seems silly now as Brady announced his retirement this week a full six years after Manning hung up his cleats, if hardly his profile. Brady’s accomplishments over his extended career were so vast, he stampeded even 4-0 Super Bowl Joe Montana in the argument for the NFL’s all-time best quarterback.
It reminded me of when pitchers Steve Carlton and Nolan Ryan were going back-n-forth for the strikeout record long held by the great Walter Johnson. Carlton was 285-184 going into the Great Strikeout Chase of 1983, while Ryan was barely better than .500 at 205-196. I was pulling for Carlton to wind up with the strikeout record because he was the better pitcher.
But this is why contemporaries should not be judges of history. Carlton was awful in the waning segment of his career, going 44-60 in his final six seasons. Ryan lasted five more years than Carlton and went 119-96 over his final 11 seasons.
Ryan finished with nearly 1,600 more strikeouts than Carlton and his career record of 5,714 will never again be threatened now that the complete game has gone the way of the scheduled two-for-the-price-of-one doubleheader.
Time was also much more favorable to Brady than Manning. But before Brady left no doubt he was the G.O.A.T by leaving Belichick and the New England Patriots and winning a Super Bowl in his first try with a new team last season – the heretofore hapless Tampa Bay Buccaneers at that – there was a 15-year stretch when Manning and Brady was a debate.
Thus the two game when even one of Manning’s most ardent supporters (I was a Peyton-over-Brady guy before I started covering the Broncos in 2005, by the way, never mind before Manning joined the Broncos in 2012) couldn’t deny Brady’s greatness.
Game one (November 24, 2013, Gillette Stadium)
Billed as Manning-Brady XIV in the days leading up to the Sunday night game in Foxboro, the hype was blown away by 22 mph winds that turned the game-time temperature of 22 degrees into 6 on the windchill meter. Manning, who was on his way to setting all the single-season passing records that year, and his nerve-damaged right arm were no match for the blustery conditions. He threw for only 150 yards with an interception as the Broncos instead turned to running back Knowshon Moreno, who rushed for an astonishing 224 yards.
Brady was only 10 of 17 for 81 at halftime as the 9-1 Broncos coasted into their halftime visitor locker room up, 24-0.
But in the second half, Brady stepped up and fired lasers into the wind, and dropped in touch passes with the gusts at his back. The Patriots scored 31 unanswered points in the second half and though Manning did deliver a clutch, game-tying drive capped by a touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas late, New England won it in overtime, 34-31.
Amid impossible passing conditions, Brady threw for 344 yards and three touchdowns. That’s where I started giving Brady a little more credit for not only being a great passer, but a great bad-weather quarterback. Manning, who played all those years in the comforts of the Indianapolis dome, threw well in some tough weather in Denver his first three seasons with the Broncos. But Brady and all those Hall of Fame Green Bay Packer quarterbacks were the best bad-weather quarterbacks ever.
I was working for the Denver Post at the time and each week I used to publish a weekly Tuesday Morning Quarterback rankings. After the Gag in Gillette, I moved Brady from No. 5 to the top spot:
1. Tom Brady, Patriots (5)
It took me awhile to figure it out. But this guy is off the charts in mental toughness. He spotted Peyton Manning, the reigning No. 1, a 24-0 halftime lead. And the passing conditions were poor for Brady, too. He still threw for 344 yards with 3 touchdowns to improve to 10-4 head-to-head against Manning.
2. Peyton Manning, Broncos (1)
Except for perhaps Wayne Gretzky and Secretariat, all the sports greats had a nemesis. For Manning, it’s Brady and Belichick.
Game Two (2015 AFC Championship Game, Mile High)
The Patriots were heavy favorites going into the 2015-season AFC Championship Game, even though it would be played in Denver. Manning started quickly, throwing two early touchdown passes to tight end Owen Daniels to give the Broncos a 14-6 lead.
I mentioned Brady’s incredible mental toughness in that 2013 regular-season game in Foxboro. In this game, I came away amazed by Brady’s physical toughness. I had never before witnessed a quarterback take such a beating, and still be able to play well. Brady not only was sacked 4 times, 2.5 by Von Miller, but he was hit an astounding 17 times, 7 by DeMarcus Ware. And there was an 18th time and an 8th clobbering from Ware on the game-deciding 2-point try in the final seconds.
The best completion I saw in my life came with 1:34 left in the game and the Broncos leading, 20-12. It was fourth-and-10 at midfield. Brady threw a deep ball down the middle to tight end Rob Gronkowski, who was double covered by Josh Bush and Chris Harris Jr. Brady laid it in perfectly and Gronkowski made a tremendous over-the-shoulder catch. Brady later threw a fourth-and-goal, do-or-die touchdown pass to Gronkowski to make it, 20-18 with 12 seconds left.
Brady had no chance on the 2-point play as Wade Phillips blitzed and Ware was on the quarterback before he had a split-second to decide where to throw. It fell incomplete and Manning and the Broncos won, but I came away in awe of Brady’s competitive toughness.
These two convincing games, of course, came years before Brady would expand his accomplishments, none greater than playing in 10 Super Bowls – double that of Elway’s second-most QB total. And 7 Super Bowl wins – including one without Belichick – leaves no doubt Brady leaves as the best ever. Even a longtime defender of Peyton Manning can see that.
Broncos podcast: Klis' Mike Drop
Denver Broncos headlines, game previews and interviews with our 9NEWS insider Mike Klis.
HOW TO LISTEN
> Top stories curated daily just for you! Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTER to get can’t-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Sports
MORE WAYS TO GET 9NEWS
Subscribe to our daily 9NEWSLETTER
Download the 9NEWS APP
iTunes: http://on9news.tv/itunes
Google Play: http://on9news.tv/1lWnC5n
HOW TO ADD THE 9NEWS APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA.
For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "9news" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
