TWO ELITE QUARTERBACKS. ONE UNFORGETTABLE RIVALRY.
1: MANNING AND BRADY-SPEAK: 'OMAHA' AND 'WHITE 80'
It's hard to top "Omaha" and how it spread like wildfire, so this is one matchup Brady is going to have a tough time "winning." Manning has used other pre-snap calls such as "apple,'' "arrow'' or "taco" and even the names of Hall of Fame quarterbacks such as "Montana'' and, yes, "Elway,'' but his use of "Omaha'' has gotten the love by fans. Brady also has a way with words, invoking the use of "White 80" or "Rex Ryan" or "Bruschi," his former teammate. But when the on-field microphones pick up Brady's verbiage at the line of scrimmage, it serves as a reminder of his complete command of the offense and why former offensive coordinator and current Houston Texans coach Bill O'Brien calls his brain the IBM. -- Mike Reiss and Jeff Legwold | Story
2:" SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE:" WHO'S BETTER?
Sure, Brady singing "I won the Tour de France and I did it with no pants'' in his opening monologue in 2005 got the requisite laughs of celebrity athlete stepping out of his public comfort zone. But Manning's 2007 United Way skit will always lead the way for athlete hosts of the long-running show. Manning, throwing to kids in a city park, dropping lines, "Get open, get open, get your head out of your butt. You suck,'' as he rifles a pass at one of the child actors, still gets plenty of action on YouTube or Hulu. There was the "I can't even look at you. You know what? Go sit in the Port-a-let for 20 minutes.'' Or his "consoling'' of one of the players with "I'm sorry, so you want to lose? It's not that hard. I throw. You catch.'' He helped one of the kids get a tattoo, showed them how to steal a car and with the kids gathered around dropped, "Now, I'll kill a snitch. I'm not saying I have and I'm not saying I haven't.'' And the skit closes with, "Spend time with your kids so Peyton Manning doesn't.'' Winner, hands down. -- Jeff Legwold
3: WHEN IT COMES TO AGE, TOM BRADY IS THE JOKESTER
It's pretty much a rite of fall that prior to an upcoming Brady-Manning matchup, Brady slips a lighthearted crack into his remarks to remind Manning who is older. The tale of the age-related tape: Brady turned 38 on Aug. 3, while Manning turned 39 on March 24. That's often the end of the line for NFL quarterbacks, but as we learned from emails of Brady's that were made public during the Deflategate saga of the offseason, he's shooting for another seven or eight seasons, while he sees Manning with just two left in the tank. -- Mike Reiss
4: THE POSTGAME MEDIA SCRUM ON THE FIELD: BREAK OUT THE PADS
This is perhaps one of those times when the photographers should be in pads, too. It can get physical there, everyone jockeying for the best position when No. 18 and No. 12 meet on the field after what is often another epic game. The handshake between the two icons is usually quick and respectful, and sometimes they will catch up after games in the tunnel underneath the stadium away from all the media hubbub. That's what they did in 2011, when Brady introduced Manning to his wife, Gisele Bundchen, as Manning had waited outside the Colts' locker room for Brady so they could catch up. Neat stuff. -- Mike Reiss
5: PEYTON THE AMBASSADOR, EVEN ACROSS ENEMY LINES
One of the underrated moments in the Brady-Manning rivalry came in 2011, the year Manning didn't play because of his neck injury. He still attended the game, watching on the sideline with his Colts teammates, and beforehand he circled Gillette Stadium and signed autographs for fans who had arrived early. Even in a region that has been happy to jeer Manning whenever possible, it was widely viewed as a classy gesture that reflected how he is a true ambassador for the NFL. While Patriots fans are passionate about Brady's standing as the better of the quarterbacks on the field, few in New England can contest the class Manning showed that day. -- Mike Reiss
GAME-WINNING DRIVES
6: CAPTAIN COMEBACK TITLE BELONGS TO ?
Manning has led 54 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime (most all-time), while Brady has 39 game-winning drives (fifth all-time), according to Elias Sports Bureau. I once asked a longtime defense coordinator how much time Manning, in his prime, would need to beat you with a timeout in hand. The answer: "45 seconds, from anywhere on the field.'' Even Brady's own coach, Bill Belichick, feared Manning's late-game work enough in a 2009 game that Belichick elected to go for a fourth-and-2, with a six-point lead and just more than two minutes to go in the game. The Patriots didn't convert and Manning led the Colts on a game-winning touchdown four plays later. Brady, however, has run the two-minute drill with the championship on the line, moving the Patriots from deficit to championship on the game's biggest stage. - Jeff Legwold
7: FATHER'S DAY
Is there another iconic rivalry in sports in which the fathers of those involved are such a big part? This might be unmatched: Archie Manning and Tom Brady Sr. Archie, of course, is no stranger to the public eye from his own days as a professional football great. Meanwhile, Tom Sr. isn't afraid to call in to a local sports radio station and let it rip, defending his son and ripping NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in the process. Prior to the Patriots-Colts game on Oct. 18, Brady's father said he hoped the Patriots would score 60 points. -- Mike Reiss | Story | Story
8: THIS STORY HAS NO LEGS
There is a "running" joke around the Patriots that when Brady tucks the football to run, it often unfolds in slow motion. One might say the same thing about Manning. No one is confusing these two for Mike Vick, although if it's possible, Brady seems to have become more nimble with age and is the master of the quarterback sneak. Brady edges Manning in the career "rushing" tale of the tape, but just barely: Brady 504 attempts for 876 yards (1.7 avg.) with 17 touchdowns; Manning has 431 attempts for 667 yards (1.5 avg.) with 18 touchdowns. -- Mike Reiss
9: AMONG THE GREATEST RIVALRIES IN PRO SPORTS
Manning-Brady didn't save a league the way Larry Bird and Magic Johnson largely did. And Magic and Bird remain friends, guys who openly gush over the other and have appeared in a commercial together. They even played on the Dream Team together as the world watched the first trip to the Olympics for many of the NBA's all-time greats. Manning and Brady have appeared friendly in public, and each has said he respects and likes his rival. But toss in the emails that came to light in the Deflategate investigation, with Brady's friends taking some swipes at Manning with the competitiveness of each quarterback, and it's doubtful you'll see anything like HBO's "Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals.'' -- Jeff Legwold
10: ROUND-TRIP TICKETS TO HAWAII
Count 'em. There are 25 Pro Bowls between the two (14 for Manning, 11 for Brady), which means they should know their way around Hawaii well. At least Manning does. Brady has annually passed on playing in the game, but still, that's a lot of pineapples between the two of them. Pineapples are viewed as a reflection of friendliness and warmth by some, and in that case, it's fitting with Manning and Brady. They have a nice friendship. -- Mike Reiss
11: BREATHLESS DEBATE: WHO'S BETTER?
Records or championships, regular season or playoffs, Northeast corridor or the rest of football America. The constant drumbeat of who's better, who's above whom on any list of all-time players at the position, has fueled countless arguments. It seems impossible to simply enjoy the greatness of each, because a ranking must occur. Brady has four Super Bowl wins; Manning has one. Manning has virtually every major passing record in the league's history, and is former No. 1 draft pick and college All-American. But he's only 12-13 in the postseason. Brady is framed as the former sixth-round pick who took over for an injured Drew Bledsoe in 2001 and proceeded to march to glory. His four rings and 22-8 postseason record as a starter are equal to Manning's pile of passing marks. -- Jeff Legwold
12: SIZZLING ON THE SIDELINE AS TEMPERS FLARE
Manning and Brady can breathe fire on the sideline during games. Manning's longtime center in Indianapolis, Jeff Saturday, once found that out the hard way during a 2005 game against the Rams when, after three straight pass plays in the end zone, he told Manning that the team needed to run the ball. Manning snapped, resulting in pure gold for NFL Films, which had him miked up that day. One of Brady's legendary rants came in a 2011 game at Washington when he and then-offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien ripped into each other after an end zone interception. When they answer questions in news conferences, Manning and Brady are usually poised, articulate and at ease. On the sideline, it can get testy. -- Mike Reiss
13: FASHION STATEMENTS IN POSTGAME NEWS CONFERENCES
When former teammate and current NBC Football Night in America analyst Rodney Harrison calls out Tom Brady's postgame attire as "garbage-can material," you know it's getting fun. Being married to a supermodel wife has certainly impacted Brady's image. He has sported designer haircuts, as well as designer clothes, and he's graced GQ covers. Manning, too, has always presented the visage of uber player/famous guy. The threads don't come cheap and exude the message: Have image, will travel. From awards shows -- and Manning has done more red carpet time of anybody this side of George Clooney -- to high-end pro-ams on the golf course, Manning always has the look of the businessmen who eventually come to court him to sell their wares. -- Mike Reiss and Jeff Legwold | Story
14: FIERY, INTENSE, FUNNY, TOO
They are the alpha quarterbacks of the NFL, but they also are witty, sought-after pitchmen who know how to turn a quality line. Brady's Facebook exploits, including a photo creation of him "planking'' with the massive Vince Wilfork on his back, or the pictures with his family, always launch a flurry of "likes'' and repostings. Manning's "Cut that meat'' commercial was the first look at the guy who would send corporate decision-makers into a frenzy -- "Tommy! Tommy! You're my favorite accountant.'' There was "Football on your Phone,'' with his brother, Eli, and "Chicken parm, you taste so good'' has appeared on T-shirts that have been handed out outside the Broncos' stadium. And this season alone, Manning has used lines from the "Bad News Bears'' and "Bull Durham'' to explain the Broncos' state of affairs at that moment. -- Jeff Legwold
15: TOTAL RECALL: MANNING'S AMAZING MEMORY
St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher said, at Manning's best, it "was like playing a computer ? a player who puts his offense in the best possible position on every snap." Fisher has said there were years when his team's defense wore wristbands that were changed every quarter because the players didn't want to make defensive audibles out loud because they believed Manning knew them, and remembered them. During the 2014 season, Manning walked through a scoring drive, play-for-play, that he had at Tennessee -- in 1995. I went back and checked the game book, and he was exactly right. When he approached the career record for touchdown passes, Manning spent some time after one practice going through each route all of the players who had just one touchdown reception from him had run to get that touchdown. A check of some of the game video revealed him to be right in each case. Every once in a great while, though, he does have a memory lapse. "Sometimes I can't remember if I locked a door at the house.'' -- Jeff Legwold
16: RULE YOURSELF! BRADY AND MANNING DO AS PITCHMEN
Brady hawks UGGs, Under Armour and watches, while Manning peddles pizza, cars and insurance. If you buy it, chances are either Brady or Manning has pitched it. Brady has had a high-end watch named after him with a $2,500 price tag. He has also graced the cover of GQ, and there are times on an NFL Sunday when the breaks in game action are pretty much one Manning commercial after another. As former Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said, "Most guys, we want one commercial. But Peyton, he's got like all the commercials.'' -- Jeff Legwold
17: THE INDOOR-OUTDOOR DEBATE
The Manning-Brady debate is not complete without mentioning playing conditions. Playing in New England means dealing with nasty, ugly and sometimes brutal weather. Playing in Indianapolis (14 of Manning's 18 seasons) meant eight home games played under ideal conditions (now a retractable roof stadium, previously a dome) and taking an annual trip to Houston (which has a retractable roof as well). In 115 career games as a starter indoors, Manning is 80-35 (.696 winning percentage); Brady is 15-3 (.833) as a starter indoors, according to Elias Sports Bureau. - Jeff Legwold
18: LEAN, MEAN, WINNING MACHINES
Brady wants to play into his mid-40s, and he tailors his lifestyle around the hopes of making that happen, which includes everything from diet to monitoring sleep patterns. As detailed in Sports Illustrated in 2014, Brady's ice cream of choice is made from "raw ingredients, mostly vegetables -- he favors an avocado base with cacao mixed in to mimic chocolate." That pretty much says it all. Manning, at 39, said he made a concerted effort this past offseason "to get leaner'' to determine whether he wanted to return for the 2015 season. He also started his offseason workouts shortly after the Super Bowl, the earliest he had started a training program for the next season -- Mike Reiss and Jeff Legwold
19: HAIR TODAY, GONE TOMORROW
Just like the offenses they've run over the years -- with Brady's amoeba-like in terms of adapting on a week-to-week basis and Manning's essentially staying the same -- their hairstyles fall into a similar category. Brady has varied from short to long and everywhere in between, sometimes introducing a beard to the mix (as he did early in 2015). Manning has mostly kept it the same, the only difference being there has been less hair to manage in recent years. -- Mike Reiss
20: FAB FIVE TARGETS
There are five players who have caught passes from both quarterbacks: Torrance Small, Dan Klecko, Wes Welker, Jermaine Wiggins and Austin Collie. - Jeff Legwold
18: LEAN, MEAN, WINNING MACHINES
Brady wants to play into his mid-40s, and he tailors his lifestyle around the hopes of making that happen, which includes everything from diet to monitoring sleep patterns. As detailed in Sports Illustrated in 2014, Brady's ice cream of choice is made from "raw ingredients, mostly vegetables -- he favors an avocado base with cacao mixed in to mimic chocolate." That pretty much says it all. Manning, at 39, said he made a concerted effort this past offseason "to get leaner'' to determine whether he wanted to return for the 2015 season. He also started his offseason workouts shortly after the Super Bowl, the earliest he had started a training program for the next season -- Mike Reiss and Jeff Legwold
19: HAIR TODAY, GONE TOMORROW
Just like the offenses they've run over the years -- with Brady's amoeba-like in terms of adapting on a week-to-week basis and Manning's essentially staying the same -- their hairstyles fall into a similar category. Brady has varied from short to long and everywhere in between, sometimes introducing a beard to the mix (as he did early in 2015). Manning has mostly kept it the same, the only difference being there has been less hair to manage in recent years. -- Mike Reiss
20: FAB FIVE TARGETS
There are five players who have caught passes from both quarterbacks: Torrance Small, Dan Klecko, Wes Welker, Jermaine Wiggins and Austin Collie. - Jeff Legwold