Peyton Manning's Legacy

If you're talking Super Bowls, Favre gets the edge. If you're talking numbers, Manning trumps Favre with better accuracy, far fewer picks (even by ratio), more 4,000-yard seasons, the single-season touchdown record (49), etc.

So if Manning wins tomorrow, yeah, he's already passed Favre in legacy in my mind.

 

Even by numbers?

Favre has had eight 30-TD seasons, including five in a row. Manning has three. (Yes, one of those was the record-breaker.) But other than the 49, the most he's ever had is 33, back in 2000. Favre has had four seasons with 33+ TDs.

Manning's had seven 4,000-yard seasons, Favre four. ... But Favre has had 11 seasons above 3,800 yards (Manning has seven) -- so those extra 200 yards a season, an extra 12 yards a game, isn't exactly a monumental difference.

Can't argue the picks.

(Actually, I can. Manning has 139 INTs over 9 years = average of 15.4/season. Favre has 273 INTs over 16 years = average of 17.06. Again, not exactly a monumental difference.)

Can't argue completion pct. (Manning 64.0, Favre 61.1).

So no, not by the numbers, either. If Manning lasts as long as Favre and challenges all of Marino's career marks that Favre is going to break next year -- the ones he hasn't broken already -- then we'll talk.

But right now, it's not even close.

 

When you break it down by touchdown-to-interception ratio, though, Favre is 1.5-to-1; Manning is about 2-to-1. Just saying.

 

Dear BW: This is Manning's 9th season. It was Favre's 16th. Barring injury, it's a very safe bet he'll pass Brett's numbers by the end of his career.
Super Bowls? Well, we'll see tomorrow. They could be tied by 10 p.m. EST.

 

Which is my point. Wait and see.

"Barring injury" is a helluva qualification to make about any football player.

 

Particularly a QB. Though Manning and Favre have been ridiculously healthy thoughout their careers, considering they play something along the lines of 18 games every year where the other team is looking to maim them.

 

I believe the quote was, "I don't want to be a bad teammate, but we had some protection problems."

That's like saying, "I don't want to be a racist, but I hate black people."

 

Dear Starman: In the America's Game tribute to the 1972 Dolphins, who were rated number one of the 40, and isn't that a thread in waiting, Don Shula said just about the same things of Earl Morrall you just did.

 

Not even close.

He was asked a SPECIFIC question about the Steelers' pressure and gave a SPECIFIC answer about the protection problems. The fact that he said "I don't want to be a bad teammate" shows that it pained him to point out the obvious answer to the question.

If you witness a carjacking, and the police ask you to describe the person, and you say "It was a black man," you're not making a racist statement or "throwing black men under the bus." You are answering a question honestly.

 

Starman is Don Shula?

Who knew?

 

Bear schedule, this year, was softy-soft. No two ways.

It was tougher than the one Miami played in '72.

 

Dolphins beat 10-4 Cleveland at home in the playoffs, then at the 12-3 Steelers, and then vs. 13-3 Redskins at neutral site.

Much tougher road to hoe than the Bears.

That said, what a laughable selection by the NFL Network.

1973 Dolphins were the better team.

Along with at least ... eight?.... other SB winners.