We know that Peyton Manning will break the yardage record this Sunday against Kansas City. Mike Tanier talks about Peyton and other quarterbacks who were known for putting up numbers but all shared a similar trait.
They lacked what so many people want to declare is the be-all, end-all of what makes for the greatest quarterback of all time: RINGZ.
Manning has coped with a weird denier movement for his whole career, and not just from Patriots fans. Manning bashing practically spawned an industry. Modern media sports coverage—midday talk shows, blogs, comment-thread arguments, Bleacher Report—all grew up around the conceit of tacking Manning, the top draft pick with the famous name and gaudy stats who couldn’t even win the big game in college, to the ceiling like a pinata and taking lazy swings to knock him down as “overrated.” Manning provided the template for how we treat everyone from Jameis Winston to LeBron James, making the job easy by falling just short enough just often enough to keep the fire perpetually stoked.
Just remember, Broncos fans: Regardless of what happens this season, know how lucky you’ve been to had one of the all-time greats on your favorite team, and that the Broncos will eventually become one of those teams to have had two Hall of Fame quarterbacks take snaps for them.
