The 15th chapter in one of the greatest individual rivalries in sports will be written this Sunday when the New England Patriots travel to Denver to take on the Broncos with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
Over the course of the last 13 seasons, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have given fans some of the most memorable games in the history of the NFL. In those 14 matchups Manning holds a slight edge in the overall statistics (3,971 yards, 29 TDs, 20 INTs against Brady’s 3,403 yards, 26 TDs, 13 INTs), but Brady has bragging rights where it matters most: head-to-head, with a 10-4 record.
The history of the constant competition for superiority between these legendary quarterbacks is so rich that we’ve decided to break down each and every contest between the two leading up to Sunday’s AFC Championship game, starting with our picks for the top five Brady versus Manning showdowns (counting down from five to one) and rounding it out with a chronological glimpse at all the rest.
5) New England 38, Indianapolis 34 — Nov. 30, 2003
Brady’s stats: 26-for-35, 236 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
Manning’s stats: 29-for-48, 278 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT
How it unfolded: New England led 31-10 before Manning rallied the Colts to within a touchdown. But on a crucial fourth-and-one play on the goal line in the final minutes, Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest stuffed Colts running back Edgerrin James to seal the win for New England. Squeaking out a victory between 9-2 teams, the Patriots went on to clinch home-field advantage in the AFC.
4) New England 24, Indianapolis 20 — Nov. 4, 2007
Brady’s stats: 21-for-32, 255 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs
Manning’s stats: 16-for-27, 225 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
How it unfolded: Boasting the best offence the NFL had seen in years, Tom Brady and the 8-0 Patriots waltzed into Indianapolis having yet to score less than 34 points in a game and had beaten their opponents by an average of more than 25 points. Down 20-10 heading into the fourth quarter, Brady threw two touchdowns in the final frame, handing the ball back to Manning with just over three minutes left in the game.
Facing their first true test of the season, the Pats defence came up with a huge play, as Jarvis Green forced a Peyton Manning fumble at mid-field, ending the game. The Patriots would go on to a 16-0 record only to fall to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.
3) Indianapolis 35, New England 34 — Nov. 15, 2009
Brady’s stats: 29-for-42, 375 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Manning’s stats: 28-for-44, 327 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INT
How it unfolded: Facing off for the first time in more than two years after Brady missed all but one quarter of the 2008 season, the rivalry was renewed with one of its most memorable games. The two quarterbacks combined for more than 700 yards and seven touchdowns, but the contest would become unforgettable for a whole different reason.
In a fourth-and-two situation on the New England 28-yard line and just over two minutes remaining in the game, Bill Belichick decided he wanted to end the game right there. As we all know, the Colts held and a Manning touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne would seal the win for Indy. It will go down as one of the worst decisions of Belichick’s coaching career.
2) New England 34, Denver 31 (OT) — Nov. 24, 2013
Brady’s stats: 34-for-50, 344 yards, 3 TDs
Manning’s stats: 19-for-36, 150 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
How it unfolded: The Broncos jumped out to a 24-0 lead heading into halftime on the back of three uncharacteristic turnovers from Brady and the Patriots offence. But it was a different unit that came out in the second half – Brady threw three touchdowns in the final two frames to put the Pats ahead by a score before a Demaryius Thomas touchdown catch forced overtime.
In the extra quarter it would be Wes Welker that handed the Patriots yet another win, except this time he was playing for the Broncos. Back as the punt returner in overtime, Welker made a last-second decision not to field Ryan Allen’s kick. The ball was touched by a Bronco player and recovered by the Patriots, who kicked a 31-yard field goal to win the game.
1) Indianapolis 38, New England 34 – AFC Championship, Jan. 21, 2007
Brady’s stats: 21-for-34, 232 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Manning’s stats: 27-for-47, 349 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
How it unfolded: Trailing 21-6 at halftime at home, Manning came out in the third quarter to throw a touchdown and run one in during that frame and Joesph Addai capped an 80-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run late in the fourth to put the Colts ahead for good. Finally able to get past the AFC title game, Peyton would make good on his first trip to the Super Bowl, leading Indy past the Chicago Bears and earning MVP honours in the process.
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A GLIMPSE AT ALL THE REST:
New England 44, Indianapolis 13 — Sept. 30, 2001
Brady’s stats: 13-for-23, 168 yards
Manning’s stats: 25-for-43, 253 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs (2 rushes, 14 yards, 1 TD)
How it unfolded: Despite an underwhelming stat line, Brady led the Patriots to a blow-out win over the Colts in his first start since taking over for the injured Drew Bledsoe.
New England 38, Indianapolis 17 — Oct. 21, 2001
Brady’s stats: 16-for-20, 202 yards, 3 TDs
Manning’s stats: 22-for-34, 335 yards, 1 TD
How it unfolded: David Patten became the first player to throw, run and catch a touchdown since Walter Payton in 1979 as the Patriots improved their record to 3-3. New England would go on to win 11 of its last 13 on the way to a victory in Super Bowl XXXVI.
New England 24, Indianapolis 14 — AFC Championship, Jan. 18, 2004
Brady’s stats: 22-for-37, 237 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Manning’s stats: 23-for-47, 237 yards, 1 TD, 4 INTs
How it unfolded: In the first of two AFC title showdowns between the two legends, Brady held it together better than Manning in the wintery conditions of Foxboro. Brady and the Pats went on to beat Carolina in a Super Bowl better known for Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” then for the riveting back-and-forth game on the field.
New England 27, Indianapolis 24 — Sept. 9, 2004
Brady’s stats: 26-for-38, 335 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Manning’s stats: 16- for-29, 256 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
How it unfolded: The win would be the Patriots 16th in a row dating back all the way to Oct. 5, 2003. New England would go on to win 16 of their final 18 games of the season while Manning broke Dan Marino’s record with 49 touchdown passes that season.
New England 20, Indianapolis 3 — AFC divisional playoffs, Jan. 16, 2005
Brady’s stats: 18-for-27, 144 yards, 1 TD
Manning’s stats: 27-for-42, 238 yards, 1 INT
How it unfolded: Manning struggles again in the snowy conditions at Foxboro, dropping to 0-7 in New England while Brady would lead the Patriots to their second-straight Super Bowl victory, 24-21 over Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Indianapolis 40, New England 21 — Nov. 7, 2005
Brady’s stats: 25-for-40, 285 yards, 3 TDs
Manning’s stats: 28-for-37, 321 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
How it unfolded: The undefeated Colts walked into Foxboro with an 8-0 record and got the monkey of Peyton’s back, earning him his first win against Tom Brady and first in New England.
Indianapolis 27, New England 20 — Nov. 5, 2006
Brady’s stats: 20-for-35, 201 yards, 4 INTs
Manning’s stats: 20-for-36, 326 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
How it unfolded: The Colts again make the trip to New England with a perfect record (7-0) and take advantage of Brady’s worst game head-to-head against Manning, who earned a winning streak against the Patriots for the first time since Brady took over under centre.
New England 31, Indianapolis 28 — Nov. 21, 2010
Brady’s stats: 19-for-25, 186 yards, 2 TDs
Manning’s stats: 38-for-52, 396 yards, 4 TDs, 3 INTs
How it unfolded: Down by two scores after the first half, Manning and the Colts stormed back to within three points thanks to three second-half touchdown passes from their quarterback. Indy would fall just short, however, as Manning was picked off by James Sanders at the six-yard line with less than a minute left.
New England 31, Denver 21 — Oct. 7, 2012
Brady’s stats: 23-for-31, 223 yards, 1 TD
Manning’s stats: 31-for-44, 337 yards, 3 TDs
How it unfolded: In Manning’s first game against Brady in a Broncos jersey, Brady and the Patriots jumped out to a huge 31-7 lead in the third quarter. Peyton would account for the final two touchdowns of the game to make the score a tad more respectable, but the game was never close.
