My sentimental side loves the idea of Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady. The realist in me cringes.
There’s a chance, perhaps a good one, that this won’t end well for Manning, and that the week-long hype for the showdown between the two top quarterbacks of their era will fizzle out.
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who admires and likes Manning, will do his best to design a game plan to exploit Manning’s biggest weakness, which is that his body can’t cash the checks his mind writes. Manning still can conjure a great moment or two, as he did in the game-clinching, run-heavy drive that led to the Broncos’ 23-16 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in an AFC Divisional round playoff game.