Before Patrick Mahomes vs. Josh Allen, before Cam Newton vs. Russell Wilson, the quarterback rivalry that defined the NFL was Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady. Between 2001 and 2015, the two legends faced off 17 times, clashing in some of the league’s most iconic regular-season duels and AFC Championship tussles.
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Even though the GOAT ended up winning the head-to-head 11–6, Manning ensured that each matchup felt like a chess game on the gridiron, played at warp speed. In simple words, there has arguably never been a more intense, high-quality, and high-profile rivalry between quarterbacks in the league’s history.
Nearly a year ago, the Indianapolis Colts legend offered a rare glimpse into how he truly felt facing Brady at the height of the New England Patriots dynasty. And for Manning, it wasn’t just about out-dueling No. 12. It meant out-thinking Bill Belichick, adapting on the fly, with the realization that a single loss to New England could shape the entire postseason path.
“You just knew,” Manning told the Bussin’ With The Boys crew. “When we played them in the regular season so many times and if we lost to them, you just knew we’re going to have to go play at New England in the playoffs… Like, we lost to him Week 1 one time, and I’m like, ‘We’re coming back here in January’.”
The five-time NFL MVP described his arduous trips to Foxborough, noting that it wasn’t just Brady’s precision with the ball that made things difficult. It was also what Manning described as the Patriots’ “triple-headed monster” — Brady, Belichick, and a defense that consistently stripped opponents of their strengths.
“It was Tom, it was Belichick, it was the whole thing, right? It was just this kind of this triple-headed monster… You knew their defense was going to be stingy. They always took away the things you really liked to do, so you had to find something else to do well that game,” said the Hall of Famer.
What irked Manning the most, however, was the Patriots’ head coach making life hell for him with constant tactical tweaks.
“Belichick always took away the things you really liked to do,” the former QB said, explaining how he often had to invent a new game plan midweek just to keep pace.
And it worked — sometimes. Though Brady won more games overall, Manning’s playoff record was 3–2 against his greatest rival, including a dramatic win in the 2006 AFC Championship Game en route to his first Super Bowl title.
While Manning and Brady’s rivalry and numbers are known to all, what many seem to overlook is the fact that TB12’s rise started while facing the Colts legend.
Reflecting on his first NFL start in 2001, Brady recalled jogging onto the field when Manning walked up to introduce himself. “Hey Tom, Peyton Manning here,” Brady remembered him saying. “And I was like, ‘No sh*t’.”
Then again, some things are just meant to happen. There was no way Brady, drafted 199th, could have imagined that his meeting with Peyton would mark the start of a rivalry that would define a generation — one built on respect, revenge, and relentless excellence.
In the years since, things between Brady and Manning have become as cordial as it gets. The former Patriot appeared at Manning’s Hall of Fame induction. Manning returned the favor by showing up to his Netflix roast.
