The Manning-Brady Era, as Seen by Some of Its Top Defensive Players

January 22, 2016   ·   Dan Pompei   ·   Jump to comments

For a decade and a half, they have been each other's great impediments.
If Peyton Manning had played in another time, Tom Brady might have six Super Bowl rings instead of four. If not for Brady, Manning might have three instead of one. The first quarterback Brady beat in the NFL, on a cloudy September day at the old Foxboro Stadium, was Manning. If Sunday's AFC Championship Game turns out to be Manning's final act, it would only be fitting that Brady plays the lead role.
One is the measuring stick for the other, now and forever.
The great defenders who have played against Manning and Brady can appreciate this better than most. They saw and felt the way these two future Hall of Famers fed off each other, ushering in a golden era of quarterbacking. And they were left in awe by the way Manning and Brady have presided over the NFL.
"It's crazy that every year it comes down to these two guys," five-time All-Pro middle linebacker Brian Urlacher said. "It's so hard to get ...

Read Complete Article at Bleacher Report - NFL
Article is property of BleacherReport.com