Debunking the Peyton Manning Critics

While sitting at a dinner table with a group of my friends, we watch as Peyton Manning breaks Brett Favre’s all-time passing yards record and then is benched after his fourth interception.

“There goes his career,” says one friend. “It’s a shame that this is how people will remember him.”

Look, understandably, people would think that Peyton Manning’s career is going to be defined by his last few seasons in the league. But players only get remembered for their bad years for so long. Joe Montana retired after some of the worst years a quarterback has ever had and no one talks about them. All they talk about now is how Tom Brady can’t possibly be better than him because Montana is the greatest quarterback of all-time.

So it’s fine to think that Manning will be remembered for his rough years, but it won’t last. There is no way that the younger generations are going to tell their children that Peyton Manning finished his career with these awful two years. Most of them are going to talk about his years with the Colts when he battled Tom Brady every

year and took the Colts to two Super Bowls.

It may be a struggle now, but don’t get too worried that Manning is going to be remembered by his "struggles."

After this argument, another friend jumps in and says, “Yeah, but he (Peyton) was never able to win in the playoffs and everyone knows that. It’s not like people won’t remember that.”

Again, it really isn’t that big of a deal. Peyton led the Colts to 11 winning seasons and two Super Bowl appearances. I’m sure that the fact that his playoff record isn’t that great really isn’t going to come up much.

I’m also sure that when people try and argue that he is the best quarterback to ever play, others will bring up his poor playoff record, but just look at them and say "11 winning seasons," in an extremely sarcastic tone.

A great example of this poor playoff record with a Hall of Fame quarterback is former Miami Dolphin, Dan Marino. I hear constantly, along with most of you, that Marino is one of the top quarterbacks to ever throw a football. What doesn’t come up during most conversations is that he didn’t win a Super Bowl during his 17-year career. The only time this really comes up is when people try and push the limits, trying to argue he’s the greatest of all time.

Then a friend responded with, “But he (Peyton) had one of the best teams in the NFL for the last two seasons and he couldn’t win.”

Anyone else remember when the Patriots went 19-0? Not every great team wins the Super Bowl, especially when they have to play other teams that are almost as great.

The 2014-2015 Denver Broncos did have as talented of a team as anyone has had in a long time. Nevertheless, sometimes a great team just doesn’t win. It happens. However, leading the Broncos to a 12-4 record is impressive to begin with.

The fact that they didn’t win the Super Bowl and the only person to blame is Peyton Manning is nothing but an unfair justification. Manning threw for 211 yards and 0 interceptions. That doesn’t sound like a performance that lost a game. When no one on the team plays well, it’s hard to win, but it’s easy for fans to blame it on the quarterback.

I’m also fairly certain that when people look back at the overall 2014-2015 season, they will be much more concerned about Deflategate than how the Broncos lost in the playoffs.

Then the big statement came up. A friend at the table says, “Too bad he can’t be considered the greatest quarterback of all-time now.”

Personally, I don’t believe he ever was able to be considered the greatest of all-time. I don’t believe anyone can be except Tom Brady. However, not being able to argue that Peyton Manning is the best to ever play is simply not true.

It’s honestly easier to argue that Manning is the greatest of all-time than it is to argue that any other quarterback is. Currently holding 16 NFL records, two AP Offensive Player of the Year Awards, three AP Most Valuable Player Awards, and numerous others, Manning is the most decorated player in NFL history.

He also has both a Super Bowl ring and two Super Bowl appearances. In just about every aspect, Manning has the accomplishments to be named the best quarterback in history. His only soft spot is his playoff career, but arguing that he can’t win in the playoffs is like arguing that Tom Brady can’t win Super Bowls against the New York Giants. That doesn’t necessarily mean that he can’t be considered the greatest.

Then, all my friends sat there. No one said how bad they felt for Manning or how he isn’t good. They just sat there.

Everyone wants to talk about how bad Peyton Manning is doing right now, but when did right now recollect on his entire career? It’s time to stop looking at NOW and realize that Peyton Manning didn’t fit an 18-year career into two NFL

seasons.