Analysis: Playoff numbers favor Manning
January, 31, 2012
Jan 31
6:19
PM ET
By
Jeremy Lundblad | ESPNBoston.com
Dating back to the 2007 playoffs, Eli Manning has been a better postseason quarterback than Tom Brady.
And that's no insult to Brady.
Between the past three games and his performance four years ago, Manning has put together an impressive body of work. With a win Sunday, Manning will have won eight of his past nine postseason games. His brother Peyton has never done that. Nor did Brett Favre or John Elway.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Manning would join this list of quarterbacks to win eight of nine postseason games: Montana, Aikman, Plunkett, Roethlisberger, Brady and Starr.
Brady, of course, won his first 10 postseason games, and was 14-2 going into Super Bowl XLII. However, his recent postseason struggles have been well-chronicled in New England.
Including that Super Bowl, Brady has lost three of his past five playoff games. True, that includes a pair of wins this January. But his two-interception performance against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game raised familiar alarms.
Brady saw his streak of 35 consecutive games with a touchdown pass snapped. It was also the first time in almost 10 years that he didn't throw a touchdown pass in a postseason game.
Dating back to the 2007 season, Brady is 4-3 in the playoffs with 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Those numbers got a big boost from a six-touchdown game against the Denver Broncos on Jan. 14. In that same time frame, Manning is 7-1 with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Read more HERE
And that's no insult to Brady.
Between the past three games and his performance four years ago, Manning has put together an impressive body of work. With a win Sunday, Manning will have won eight of his past nine postseason games. His brother Peyton has never done that. Nor did Brett Favre or John Elway.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Manning would join this list of quarterbacks to win eight of nine postseason games: Montana, Aikman, Plunkett, Roethlisberger, Brady and Starr.
Brady, of course, won his first 10 postseason games, and was 14-2 going into Super Bowl XLII. However, his recent postseason struggles have been well-chronicled in New England.
Including that Super Bowl, Brady has lost three of his past five playoff games. True, that includes a pair of wins this January. But his two-interception performance against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game raised familiar alarms.
Brady saw his streak of 35 consecutive games with a touchdown pass snapped. It was also the first time in almost 10 years that he didn't throw a touchdown pass in a postseason game.
Dating back to the 2007 season, Brady is 4-3 in the playoffs with 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Those numbers got a big boost from a six-touchdown game against the Denver Broncos on Jan. 14. In that same time frame, Manning is 7-1 with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Read more HERE
Jeremy Lundblad
ESPN Stats and Information- Senior researcher
- Provides statistical analysis for ESPNBoston.com
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