Peyton Manning will go down as the greatest Quarterback of all time

Adam on 10 14, 2009

Peyton Manning is the best quarterback to ever play the game.  I myself am a 49ers fan, and still I won’t use the normal default greatest of all time, Joe Montana.  It’s not Dan Marino, John Elway, Brett Favre, Tom Brady, or anyone who played when TV was in black and white.

You may not regard this claim as a reach, but if you do, let me tell you why Peyton is head and shoulders above anyone who has ever played the position.

The number one reason is responsibility.  Manning is given almost entire autonomy to make his own play calls at the line of scrimmage.  He picks the play once he sees the defense, alters protection, and systematically scans the defense for potential weaknesses.

He’s not the first quarterback to have a large amount of responsibility in play calling, but he’s the best at making the calls there has ever been.  Manning has endured a coaching change this past year, as future hall of fame coach Tony Dungy retired. What was the result?  Manning has only gotten better (if that’s possible) in Dungy’s absence, which shows you just how much command he has over this offense.

Not only does Manning make all the calls at the line of scrimmage, he is also a master of deception.  He utilizes dummy audibles, hand signals, and varies his snap counts so that he is literally in the head of every defender lined up across from him.

All this, and we haven’t even gotten to snapping the ball yet.

When the ball is snapped, the list of superlatives goes on.  Nobody in the history of the game has been as good with ball fakes, pump fakes, play action, and looking off defenders as Manning.  It’s as if he has an endless toolbox full of moves, and he is a master at when and where to use them.

The next thing that jumps of the screen is Manning’s accuracy.  He could throw a football threw a baseball sized hole from 50 yards away.  Ok, well maybe not, but you get the idea.  His passes hit his receivers in the perfect position for them to catch and run.

He made an absolute superstar out of Marvin Harrison.  You would expect a drop off after losing future hall of famer Harrison this past off-season, but that has not been the case at all.  Manning has simply shifted favorite targets to Reggie Wayne, and is currently working on putting Wayne in Canton along side Harrison.  Manning has also turned Dallas Clark into perhaps the best receiving tight end in the league.

Then of course you have to consider Manning’s mind-boggling numbers.  His passer rating this year is an astronomical 114, 95 is his career rating which would put him directly behind Steve young for best all time.  If he continues to play at this rate, expect him to eventually eclipse Young and claim the top spot.  Manning also holds the record for best rating in a season at 121, which many quarterbacks never achieve in a single game.

His career completion percentage (which should also continue to rise since he is completing 73% this season) is 64.7 percent.  That places Manning third all time behind Chad Pennington, and Kurt Warner, neither of whom are in the discussion for greatest of all time.

Manning also has a good chance at beating Dan Marino’s single season yardage record this year.  If Manning continues his current rate of production he will in fact beat Marino’s mark.

In addition, Manning will likely break almost all of Brett Favre’s records, and will need fewer games to do so.  The only mark he likely will not break is Favre’s ignominious interception record.

Then there is the amount of MVP awards.  Manning has 3 tying Otto Graham, Brett Favre, Jim Brown, John Unitas, and Randall Cunningham for most all time.  Manning is already the clear favorite to win the award again this year.

Finally, Manning is only 33 years old, has a super bowl, and appears to be in top health.  He rarely gets hit, and should be able to play at a high level for at least four more years.  With all things considered Manning is the greatest quarterback ever by a sizeable margin.

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  • Dolemite
    Peyton Manning is simply amazing, there's nothing better than watching him in the zone picking apart an excellent defense.
  • I agree, he has a chance. Another Super Bowl would solidify it. He might just win his 4th mvp this year, if Brees doesn't take it away. Manning is unbelievable. He's like an offensive coordinator
  • gayton fanning
    damn riding manning balls deep i see. Elway for life!!
  • Mark
    I am a huge John Elway guy, but, I think you may be right about Peyton. The man is a complete and total STUD when it comes to running an offense. Maybe the smartest QB ever as well...Great article...I agree with Matt that one or two more super bowls would cement it for sure.
  • "He is literally in the head of every defender lined up across from him."

    God, I hope not.
  • John el Ghey
    El Gay sucks. Stupid, lucky donkeys.
  • Bob
    I agree that Manning has a chance (not WILL) to go down as the best of all time. He better watch out for Eli though.
  • Jason
    Through, not threw - homonyms are our friends!
  • I came across your site on twitter. Peyton Manning is the man! and this is coming from a Jaguars fan. I can't really say he was better than other QBs I have never seen play but I do think he is the best QB in the NFL.
  • Another positive about Manning is the overall respect that opposing players seem to give him. You can tell that he is a great guy, someone that if you met on the street would be like a regular joe, I have yet to find anyone that doesn't like him. Also, that Saturday Night Live episode that he did....classic!
  • Every one of Manning's commercials are great, too
  • Bob
    Through, not threw – homonyms are our friends!
    Homophones, not homonyms, which are read, bow, et al.
  • chibears
    He might end up the greatest of all time; but it certainly is not by a large margin. He has only won one Super Bowl despite having some of the best offensive weapons most seasons. This is mostly due to sub-par (for SB winners anyway) defenses thanks to the HIGHLY overrated Tony Dungy. However, great stats aside, he does not get better when the game gets tighter. He gets worse when things get tough. That was his problem in Tennessee and is his problem in the NFL. IMHO, Elway is still the greatest ever and Tom Brady is second; both were absolutly clutch when it mattered most and Brady will have the most SB victories of any starting QB in history by the time he retires and that is ultimatly what matters most.
  • peyton's the best, no ifs n or
    i am sorry but you are brain washed by the media. Tom Brady has the most time in the pocket then any other QB and when he doesnt, he chokes. The other thing is I don't know how Brady can get credit for come backs in a superbowl when his kicker was kicking FGs over 40 yards in each of them??? Any decent QB can take his team to the 30 yard line on the last drive of the game.
    Manning is already tied for 4th quarter come backs, so as the game goes on he does not choke, he gets better!!
    Manning has made his weapons, they have not been great on their own. He is making Pierre Garcon look like a star??? Elway never won until he had a good defense and a great running game???

    Wow you are disillussioned. Manning is the GOAT. Every year the Pats beat them in the playoffs, the Pats offense would run 15min on 1 posession (because they could never stop the running game).

    The reason people say Marino cannot be the greatest is because he never won a championship. That is hogwash. It is a TEAM sport, so 1 player cannot do it all but 1 player can carry his team most of the way and Manning has been doing that his entire career. So for those who say you need at least 1 ring, Manning has got it.
  • lazerrocketarm
    lets us not forget the lazer rocket arm which breaks human bones...
    for he is not from this planet like you and me...

    ** look closly you shall see shiny metal in he **
  • lazerrocketarm
    it is he who has the lazer rocketarm whom puts the little cub bears back up the tree
  • lazerrocketarm
    my favorite teams are da colts and however is playing those * low down cheating patriots *
  • Shadesofevil
    He chokes in the clutch? yeah....3rd all time in fourth quarter combacks. Down 18 in the AFC championship and comes back to win it. Only QB to bring a team back from 20 down with 4 minutes to go and win. Yeah, that's choking all right. If he had Elway's or Brady's defenses he'd set a new record for SB wins by a QB.
  • Jake
    Let's hope he's loyal. His contract is up soon, and although I don't think he could ever be lured away by money, he would definitely snatch up an opportunity to win another Superbowl. There are two types of NFL players -- guys who want to play, and guys that want to get paid. Peyton wants to play football and win games. It's the single most important factor in his life. Win. Win. Win. If the Colts go one and done in the playoffs this year -- he may consider an offer from a more reliable team. Should Brees go down this year, I would not be shocked if Peyton left Indianapolis to inherit that kind of offense. On top of that, it's the team his father played for. Think about it.
  • Hey Jake....how could you even begin to question his loyalty? In 2001, I watched
    Peyton break his jaw in the middle of a game, come out for one series, and then go right back into the game in a season that was already in the dumper. It's also obvious that you know absolutely nothing about the Manning family. Archie Manning spent his entire career with the New Orleans 'Aints....you don't think he had other offers? Archie was loyal to the end, and if you would bother to watch any interview with Peyton where he talks about his dad, he always mentions the lessons his father taught him; loyalty is always one of them. Peyton isn't going anywhere. He's a Colt for life, unless they trade him (like Unitas) in the last sad year of a legendary career. If I'm wrong, I'll expect an I told you so on my website from you.
    Thus endeth the lesson.
  • I nearly forgot.....hey Chibears.....Tom Brady has three rings but NO class. When he lost the AFC Championship to Indy he left the field, head down without even a word to Manning. Not to mention the infamous photo of Tom parading through downtown Boston wearing a freaking Yankees ball cap! Plus, if you'll recall, he only got the job because Drew Bledsoe was injured, and it was Bledsoe who stepped in for an injured Brady to win the AFC Championship in 2001. Big deal, three rings....it's easier when you cheat anyways.
  • Dolemite
    I have to agree with Mr. Owens, Peyton is going to be a Colt for ever (at least until they don't want him).

    But you have to give credit where it's due, Tom Brady is a great QB who loves to win just as much as Peyton.
  • Dolemite
    "lets us not forget the lazer rocket arm which breaks human bones…
    for he is not from this planet like you and me…

    ** look closly you shall see shiny metal in he **"

    LOL what?
  • tchinds
    Brady is an average QB nothing more. The Patriots finished last year 11-5 and made Matt Cassel look great. When it comes to Brady it’s the system not the QB. I’d like to see Brady go somewhere like Kansas City and see how well he’d do.
  • Jack
    You're high. It's Joe Montana. Hands down. Joe had the INTANGIBLES. Throwing a pick 6 when the Super Bowl is on the line........is not THE greatest. Stats don't mean jack. The most important stat........4 rings and it should have been more.

    As much as people hate this, it's JOE MONTANA. Period. And for those who have not seen this guy orchestrate his O in the 80s, I feel sorry for you. This guy was money.
  • Jack
    he's won in high school....he's won in college (NC his junior year and that crazy cotton bowl COMEBACK victory his senior year) and........he's won with 9ers....

    A Winner.

    If you want to win, Joe Cool is the man.
  • Dolemite
    You've been drinking too much Montagia, go back to sleep.
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