Brady Manning is no contest

Here’s an interesting change of pace

So do the fingers of Tedy Bruschi, yet the recently retired linebacker has never been considered among the elite at his position. Why? He never had what Manning has plenty of … numbers. Joe Andruzzi has three rings, but a good portion of Patriots Nation probably doesn’t even remember what position he played. Brady was considered better than Manning for two reasons: he had more Super Bowl rings, and Manning “choked in the postseason.”

So what’s the rationale now? In the last four seasons, Manning has won a Super Bowl, captured a third MVP and padded his already gaudy career stats while every Patriots’ season has ended in failure.

Manning may have choked in big games, but he’s never gagged on the NFL’s biggest stage like Brady did in New England’s fall-from-ahead loss to the Giants in the Super Bowl two postseasons ago — a loss that denied his team a 19-0 season. Since winning that third ring, every season in which Brady’s played has ended in a “Manning choke-like loss” in the playoffs.

Manning, too, has fallen short of re-capturing pro football’s Holy Grail each season since his title. Yet only Manning continues to be slapped with the “choker” label in Patriots Nation, despite numbers that say otherwise.

It wasn’t Manning who blew an 18-point halftime lead in that AFC title game that catapulted Indy into Super Bowl XLI, or had his final pass of the season picked off.