Manning, Brees are in a QB Class by Themselves

Vinnie Iyer - SportingNews.com

The Super Bowl is the NFL's biggest stage, so it makes sense that the game's most important performers -- the quarterbacks -- are measured by their success when a league championship is on the line.

For the past two regular seasons, no two quarterbacks have been more successful than Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. Beyond the standout statistical years as prolific passers, they also have set the standard in two other important aspects of their job -- leading and winning.

When the Colts and Saints take the field Sunday for Super Bowl 44, Manning and Brees will be the unquestioned leaders of their teams. Because both teams were so dominant most of the season -- Indianapolis started 14-0 and New Orleans 13-0 -- the matchup is fitting.

Looking back at their consistent prosperity as QB contemporaries, it shouldn't be a surprise that Manning and Brees would eventually meet with so much at stake.

"When you go back and look at their careers as early as high school, you see that their teams are always winning," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "It kind of follows them."

Manning and Brees have much in common, from their exceptional credentials to their special connections to the city of New Orleans to their importance to their teams. Here's at look at what makes each so great:

Manning: Matchless mind

Manning's combination of preparation end execution is unrivaled -- except maybe by Brees. Manning's remarkable base of knowledge and ability to analyze situations so quickly distinguish him as arguably the most intelligent quarterback the league has ever seen.

"He just has a brilliant mind. By the time that ball is snapped from the top of his drop, he knows exactly where everyone is," ESPN analyst and former Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski said. "He sees the field with incredible clarity, and he is really smart."

Manning is unfazed by anything he sees from a defense. As technically sound as he is, he also excels at just lining up and playing "pickup football," reacting to complex looks by simply working the ball to the open receiver.

"He's like a coach out there in a player's body," said Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, whose team gave up 360 yards passing to Manning in the AFC championship game. "He controls the game very well. He audibles four or five times to get them in the right position for them to make the good play."

Manning was an early bloomer in the NFL, but as he continues to see and experience more, he's also raising the play of the inexperienced players around him. This year, he has helped young receivers Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie become top targets.

"Being in the system for so long, he has been allowed to put his own stamp on a lot of things over the years," Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo said. "Now, he has an understanding. He can teach everybody else. That goes a long way."

Brees: Point guard in pads

Brees didn't come into the NFL with Manning's family pedigree. At 6-0, 209, there were concerns about his lack of prototypical size for a dropback passer. But he has proved to be a nimble athlete with a quick release.

His footwork has not only made him adept at sidestepping the oncoming pass rush but at getting on his toes to throw over opponents.

"I think he's just uncanny with his movement in the pocket, the ability to find the lanes and throw from different platforms," Jaworski said. "He'll move his passing slot to get to an open receiver. The accuracy is absolutely amazing."

While Manning is the master of audibles at the line, Brees' success is linked more closely to his coach. Much of what the Saints do offensively is set up to succeed before the snap, based on one of the several permutations of play calls, formations and personnel groupings designed by Payton.

Because of that, Brees is most dangerous when he gets into an early rhythm. He becomes a point guard, distributing the ball to a variety of playmakers in what becomes a fast-paced, efficient attack.

"Everything revolves around Drew Brees," Cardinals safety Antrel Rolle said. "He's the leader. He can do anything. He pretty much sets the tempo."

Vinnie Iyer is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at viyer@sportingnews.com.

----

More football news

More sport news

Sports home

Copyright 2012 by SportingNews.com