The success of the Denver Broncos in this year’s NFL Playoffs will define former Vol Peyton Manning’s legacy to some, but it really should have no impact.
For better or for worse, the legacy of hall-of-fame quarterback Peyton Manning, which is great no matter what, could be face-lifted by one great playoff run beginning with today’s match-up against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Yes, he owns every record and a Super Bowl, but to many people his 11-13 postseason record compared to the success of Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, and even his brother Eli Manning, is a bad look for him.
Manning fans have spent enough time bringing up how utterly stupid those arguments are. So we shouldn’t change that narrative now.
This year’s version of the Denver Broncos is proof enough that a quarterback’s legacy should never be judged by Super Bowls. Manning had the worst statistical year of his career, and he missed seven games, but his team still secured the top seed in the postseason thanks to one of the top defenses.
Yet, despite the undeniable fact that his team is loaded with help, a Super Bowl run this year will have a greater impact on his legacy than any of his MVP seasons, years when he had far less help than he does this year but failed to win a Super Bowl.
Media analysts keep talking about Manning’s chance to facelift his resume with another Super Bowl this year, and they site the supporting cast of the Broncos to prove it.
So let’s get this straight: Manning’s legacy can be face-lifted because of his supporting cast, not because of anything he does individually?
That alone should show how stupid the idea of using team success to judge quarterbacks is. If the Broncos win the Super Bowl, should it mean more for Manning than his 55 touchdowns in the 2013 regular season did?
Of course not.
It was just as stupid when he won his first Super Bowl. Manning’s best postseason came in 2003-2004, when he had a perfect quarterback rating in two straight games. But it was the 2006-2007 season that face-lifted his resume because his team won the Super Bowl, despite the fact that it was one of his worst postseason years through the first two games.
That year, he threw for three touchdowns and six interceptions in the postseason. The next year, he threw for 400 yards in a playoff game, and his team lost anyway to the San Diego Chargers due to the atrocious defense of the Colts. Are we seriously to give him more credit for his Super Bowl run the year before than that game simply because of what the rest of his team did?
Do you now see the flaw in the postseason logic?
If you think Peyton Manning is not the greatest quarterback of all time, that’s fine. There are legitimate cases to be made for Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Roger Staubach, and Johnny Unitas.
If you think he is the greatest quarterback, there are plenty of arguments to back that up as well.
But the minute rings or postseason record comes into play, whomever is making those arguments should be dismissed immediately.
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And depending on what side you’re on, if you intend to let the success of the Broncos this postseason define his legacy, your credibility is shot.