Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have been synonymous with one another for well over a decade.
It is an amazing accomplishment for both men that 16 and 18 years into their respective Hall of Fame careers, fans and media are still bearing witness to the two of them meeting in the playoffs, with the winner going on to the Super Bowl.
For the NFL and its hordes of rabid fans, this Sunday’s game between Denver and New England is likely the last time the two will meet on such a stage. Less than seven days away from their 17th all-time meeting—Brady holds an 11-5 edge—this matchup could go sideways compared to some of their prior barnburners. The result could be a Frazier vs. Ali, or it could be a Toronto Maple Leafs vs. …well, most anybody these days.
At 39, Manning’s body has been decimated by injuries; he’s also coming off the worst statistical season of his career. At 12 wins and 13 losses, he will get yet another chance to shed the tag of being a playoff underachiever, but no one will blame him if it does not happen this time around. A pending free agent this off-season, it remains to be seen whether another franchise will take a chance on him.
Brady, 38, on the other hand, has been ravaged far less by injuries. On the precipice of a seventh Super Bowl appearance, he seems to be getting better with age.
Regardless of the outcome this Sunday, the hype train has already been pushed into warp speed, making it a prime target for a Match Game.
“Brady vs. Manning will be more hyped than ____”
Here are some of the best responses so far:
Get in on the action by tweeting your Match Game response to Tim and Sid on Twitter @timandsid, using the #matchgame hashtag.