To Be Considered The Best, Manning Needs Another Super Bowl Ring
- Monday, February 1, 2010 12:36 AM
- Written By: Joel Huerto
Peyton Manning is a great player, there's no question about that. However, is he the best ever? That remains unclear.
It seems a bit absurd to say that Manning's legacy will be on the line on Feb. 7 in Miami when his Colts face the Saints in Super Bowl XLIV. But, as far as I'm concerned, I can't put Manning in the same conversation with Joe Montana, Johnny Unitas, John Elway, Terry Bradshaw, Bart Starr and Tom Brady unless he leads his team to a second Super Bowl championship.
Manning's resume should speak for itself, right? The guy has a Super Bowl ring, holds numerous NFL records and is the only player in league history to have four regular-season MVP awards. All those are nice decorations in his trophy room, but we all know that legacies are defined by what superstars do in the playoffs and Peyton hasn't exactly been legendary throughout his postseason career. He has the same number of Super Bowl titles as his younger brother, Eli, which must be really hard to stomach if you're The Great Peyton Manning.
There is a difference between great and legendary. Here's a list of MVP quarterbacks with their accomplishments and postseason records in parentheses:
-- Joe Montana (16-7): four Super Bowl titles + three Super Bowl MVPs = LEGEND.
-- Peyton Manning (9-8): average playoff record + four NFL MVPs + one Super Bowl title = GREAT.
-- Tom Brady (14-4): NFL MVP + three Super Bowl titles + two Super Bowl MVPs = LEGEND.
-- Dan Marino (8-10): Former all-time passing leader + NFL MVP + zero championships = GREAT.
-- Johnny Unitas (16-2): two NFL titles + one Super Bowl title + three NFL MVPs = LEGEND.
-- Brett Favre (13-11): average playoff record + three NFL MVPs + one Super Bowl title = GREAT.
-- John Elway (14-7): NFL MVP + two Super Bowl titles + retired as a champion = LEGEND.
-- Terry Bradshaw (14-5): NFL MVP + four Super Bowl titles + two Super Bowl MVPs = LEGEND.
-- Kurt Warner (9-4): two NFL MVPs + two Super Bowl losses + one Super Bowl title = GREAT.
-- Bart Starr (6-1): NFL MVP + two Super Bowl titles + two Super Bowl MVPs = LEGEND.
-- Steve Young (8-6): Average playoff record + NFL MVP + one Super Bowl title = GREAT.
Manning is a lock to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. His resume is certainly good enough to put him among the greats. But taking home another Lombardi Trophy will elevate Manning's status from great to iconic. It will also erase his 9-8 playoff record and past postseason failures (and he has many of them).
Elway is a prime example of overcoming his playoff shortcomings. Much of Elway's Hall-of-Fame career was defined by blowout losses in the Super Bowl, and it wasn't until Elway won two consecutive Super Bowls that he was finally able to erase the stigma of "can't win the big one."
Manning finally won the "big one" in 2007 when he led the Colts to a victory over the Bears. But prior to winning Super Bowl XLI, Manning was mostly remembered for his painful exits against the Steelers and Patriots. Even after he won the Super Bowl, Manning was bounced out of the playoffs by the Chargers - twice!
Winning championships and how their teams respond in crucial moments is what ultimately defines a player's place in history. Peyton Manning needs to win a second Super Bowl ring for me to consider him as the best quarterback in NFL history.
