Football has become an American pastime unlike any other. From August to February all regular life stops and the world of football occupies the mind of the American public.
Everyone has their own teams, and depending on how their team is succeeding, or lack thereof, determines the level of fandom they exhibit. And still, there are those people who no matter whether their team loses every game or gets to raise the coveted Lombardi trophy above their heads in proud recognition of their success, have spirit enough for half the nation.
At the beginning of every season anybody who has a team they routinely cheer for, is enthusiastic and excited about the prospective season and what could ensue. Now, as the season starts to come to an end and the most anticipated event in professional football is close to being upon us, there are so many comparisons that are drawn between competing teams, particularly, the quarterbacks.
With the American Football Conference Championship game finished and the Denver Broncos crowned the champions of the division, the Tom Brady and Peyton Manning comparison seems to start to wind down. The past week was full of continuous juxtaposition of two quarterbacks that may be classified as two of the greatest in the National Football League history. Now that the game has proven that the Broncos were able to bring their game when it really mattered, it is interesting to compare the actual performances of Brady and Manning to evaluate their differences and what makes each of them so individually successful.
It is without a doubt that I can say the Broncos clearly displayed superior skills both on the offensive and defensive sides of the field. Offensively, the Broncos led by Manning were able to achieve 26 points by the conclusion of the game with few offensive blunders, but the Patriots spearheaded by Brady were only able to grab 16 points.
The problem is the Manning-Brady match-up would not have been as exciting without the unparalleled ability of their receivers down field. Yet, unlike previous games this season, the Patriot offense was unable to break through the Bronco defensive line. The tough, strong line created by the Bronco defense helped stunt Patriot movement down field and add pressure on Brady. Bronco defensive linemen were able to sack Brady twice during the game and have multiple rushed throw attempts down the field to Patriot receivers. Without the aggressive, wall-like manner the Bronco’s defense displayed, the game would have been a completely different outcome. Yet, even when the Patriots were able to get around the defense they still struggled making forward movement down the field and continued to be stunted on third down movements especially.
On the other side of the field, (no pun intended) the Bronco offense was as close to perfect as they could get. Manning was impressively on target with his accuracy down field, and all the wide receivers were in sync with Manning’s movements and positioning. The game statistics released by ESPN showed only one rushed pass on Manning’s part, which also further heightened the idea that the Broncos have the best offense in the National Football League. Without the combination of the impassable offensive line and the agile, almost psychic ability of the wide receivers down field led the Broncos to a victory over the New England Patriots.
As the world waited impatiently to see who would come out on top, Manning or Brady, many continue to see the unparalleled abilities of both of these talented men, their comprehensive and overall adaptability to the game and the responses needed to effectively play the game. Between both Manning and Brady the athleticism displayed on the field and the sportsmanship off the field solidified their immense talent. But the game itself showed that Manning, backed by the Broncos, would be dubbed the superior team, at least this year.
