End of Discussion: Why Eli Manning Is Better Than Peyton

Check out the reasons why the younger, more goofy Manning brother wins this battle.

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Image via Complex Original
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Intro

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Championships

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Championships

Since this is the easiest to decide out of all categories, we'll just get it out of the way now. 2 > 1. Peyton was 30 when he finally reached the Super Bowl after nine seasons in the league. He defeated the Chicago Bears led by Rex Grossman (eh, not saying much) 29-17. When pitted against another elite quarterback in Drew Brees though, Peyton came up short, going 31 for 45 for 333 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT in the Colts loss.

Eli didn't produce stellar stats in his first Super Bowl appearance four years ago (19 for 34 with 2 TDs and 1 INT), but it was his performance in the fourth quarter that won him MVP honors. Elisha became the first QB to score 2 go-ahead TDs in the fourth quarter of a Super Bowl going 9 for 14 and 152 yards. Top that with his epic 103.8 QB rating performance Sunday plus another Super Bowl MVP award, and your clear winner is lil bro.

Advantage: Eli

Eli: 1 | Peyton: 0

Manning Bowl Record

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Manning Bowl Record

The fact that Eli and Peyton play in different conferences has resulted in the "Manning Bowl" occurring on only two occasions. The first meeting was the season opener of 2006. Eli completed 20 of 34 pass attempts for 2 TDs and 1 INT. Peyton had a subpar game, going 25-41 for 261 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. Despite his lackluster performance, Peyton's Colts pulled out the victory 26-21. That season the Colts would finish 12-4 and go onto win the Super Bowl and the Giants went 8-8 losing in the Wild Card playoff.

In their second meeting, Peyton showed his little bro who was boss. Big bro went off completing 20 of 26 pass attempts for 355 yards, 2 TDs, and a QB rating of 145.5. Indianapolis routed the Giants 34-18 as Eli had a QB rating of 85.6. With his Colts sporting a 2-0 record against Eli's Giants, this one goes to Peyton. Colts fans just wish one of these games had been a Super Bowl.

Advantage: Peyton

Eli: 1 | Peyton: 1

Better Manning Face

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Better Manning Face

This should probably go to Cooper, but since the list is between Peyton and Eli, we'll chalk another one for Eli. True he can look dopey at times and when he puts his hands on his hips and drops his mouth open after an interception, he looks like a sassy 13-year old who just found out she didn't make the pom squad. That said, Peyton's face is bulbous, depressing, and turns crimson red during cold playoff games in Foxborough. Neither really have the eye of the tiger, but we'll take dumbfounded over miserable every time. Point, Eli.

Advantage: Eli

Eli: 2 | Peyton: 1

vs. Common Opponents

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vs. Common Opponents

In games against common opponents played in the same season since Eli became the Giants' starter in November 2004, Peyton is 23-10 and Eli is 18-17 (the records don't match exactly because the Giants played three games against the Eagles one year, and two against the Pats another year—Giants fans probably remember that one). Team Eli fans will look at their man's overall record against the Patriots (3-1, including two Super Bowl wins) versus Peyton's (5-8 in the Tom Brady era), while Team Peyton will remind Team Eli about the first time lil brother played a team the same season as Peyton: December 12, 2004 at Baltimore, when Eli went 4-18 for 27 yards in the first half with two picks for a passer rating of 0.0. At any rate, you are what your record says you are, and this one goes to Peyton.

Advantage: Peyton

Eli: 2 | Peyton: 2

Supporting Cast Pt. 1, Receiving Corps

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Supporting Cast Pt. 1, Receiving Corps

This is something of a chicken-and-egg proposition: While we're pretty sure the Giants wouldn't go 2-14 next season if Eli decided to never come back from Disney World, based on numbers and names alone, Peyton has had the far better supporting cast, at least on the offensive side of the ball, and particularly his receiving corps (granted, Peyton contributed heavily to those numbers and clearly helped make those names).

Any discussion about Peyton's receivers starts with two names: Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. It's hard to gauge the Hall of Fame candidacies of wide receivers these days, with players toting impressive resumes like Cris Carter and Tim Brown getting shut out, but it seems like Harrison is a lock for Canton. He made three first team All-Pro teams, is second in league history in receptions, and twice averaged more than 100 yards a game for a season. Wayne has made one first team All-Pro squad, led the league in receiving yards in 2007, and has three seasons of 100 or more catches. Of course Wayne's drop-off this season, his worst statistically since 2003, makes a great argument for how valuable Peyton is.

Eli has played with a series of good, not great receivers since he became the Giants starter during the 2004 season: Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer, Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, and Victor Cruz have combined for six 1,000 yard receiving seasons with Eli (two fewer than Harrison had alone); only Cruz has made an All-NFL team (he was second team this year). Could Eli and Cruz combine for a Peyton-Harrison-esque run during the next half decade (except with more salsa and less shooting)? Giants fans sure hope so, but until then, it's clear the Peyton has been working with the better supporting cast.

Advantage: Eli

Eli: 3 | Peyton: 2

Supporting Cast Pt. 2, Everybody Else

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Supporting Cast Pt. 2, Everybody Else

This might actually be a better gauge of the Mannings' respective supporting casts, since at least some of the numbers and accolades these players accumulated aren't directly tied to the performance of Peyton and Eli. In his seven-plus seasons in the league, Eli has had five AP All-NFL teammates: Tiki Barker and Osi Umenyiora in 2005, Chris Snee and Justin Tuck in 2007, and Jason Pierre-Paul this past year.

In his 13 full seasons as a starter, Peyton suited up with 13 players who had All-NFL seasons: Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison in 1999, Harrison in 2002, Mike Vanderjagt in 2003 (ask Tom Brady how important a kicker is to your legacy), Dwight Freeney in 2004, Jeff Saturday and Bob Sanders in 2005, Harrison yet again in 2006, Saturday and Sanders again in 2007, Freeney and Dallas Clark in 2008, and Reggie Wayne in 2010.

Throw out the seasons from the wide receiving duo of Harrison and Wayne, and Peyton's still played with more first-team all pros, including Jeff Saturday, who was considered the best center in the game during the second half of the '00s. Peyton certainly did more with more, but Eli did pretty well with a lot less. Advantage Eli here as well.

Advantage: Eli

Eli: 4 | Peyton: 2

Adjustment to the League (Stats from 1st 3 Seasons)

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Adjustment to the League (First 3 Seasons)

The transition from being a college quarterback to being an NFL quarterback is the toughest in pro sports. Both Eli and Peyton's stellar collegiate careers led them to being No. 1 draft picks in their respective classes. But which brother adjusted to the league in a more seamless fashion? Eli went 20-19 with a QB rating of 72.3 in his first three years, while Peyton went 26-22 with a 85.4 rating (Eli didn't start until Week 11 of his rookie year). They both won division titles in their second seasons, but let's not forget about Eli's "Chargers? Oh hell no!" tantrum after being drafted. Peyton looked like he belonged in the NFL from Day 1; it took Eli a while to grow into the role.

Advantage: Peyton

Eli: 4 | Peyton: 3

Better Pitchman

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Better Pitchman

Nowadays it isn't enough just to be a good athlete, you've got to to have to personality to bring in that endorsement cake, too. Eli began to make a name for himself as a pitchman following his Super Bowl XLII victory, appearing in Toyota ads and those somewhat pause-worthy Oreo commercials alongside his brother, Shaq, and the Williams sisters. Eli brought in $7M through endorsements in 2011.

Peyton's on another level when it comes to moving weight though (no Sam Hurd). The Colts QB (for now) brought in $15M in endorsements last year. His classic commercials for companies like Sprint, DirecTV, and MasterCard have made him one of the most marketable athletes today. Even if he never plays another down, we wouldn't mind seeing Peyton appear in a few more hilarious ads or host SNL again.

Advantage: Peyton

Eli: 4 | Peyton: 4

Hotter Wifey

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Hotter Wifey

We can talk Super Bowl rings and MVPs all day, but the only award that really matters is the trophy wife. A certified dime is the ultimate benchmark for admiration and respect. Former NBA first-round draft pick Marko Jaric couldn't get garbage minutes in a D-League game, but he goes home to Adriana Lima and therefore has at least something on Michael Jordan. Peyton's wife Ashley is nothing to sneeze at, she's definitely hot in an Indiana sort of way. But Eli's girl Abby McGrew (see picture above) is striking enough to make Derek Jeter jealous. It doesn't really take an expert to give this one to Eli.

Advantage: Eli

Eli: 5 | Peyton: 4

Regular Season Play (MVPs)

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Regular Season Play

Everyone always make a big deal about coming through in clutch games, the playoffs, etc. But you can't get to any of those moments if you're not playing well during the regular season. And when it comes to that, there isn't really anyone seeing Peyton Manning's consistency. Homie has a regular season record of 141-67, a QB rating of 94.9, and a record four MVP awards. Eli posts respectable but more modest stats like a record of 69-50, a QB rating of 82.1, and has only been named to two Pro Bowl teams.

When it comes to the Manning brothers' ability to lead teams into the playoffs, the Colts have made it to the postseason 11 out of 13 years Peyton was under center, while Eli has led the Giants to the playoffs five out of his seven full seasons as starting QB. Even in his Super Bowl seasons, Eli's Giants are pushed right up to the brink of elimination before going on ridiculous runs to sneak in via wild card. If you're looking for Ws before Christmas, Peyton is your man.

Advantage: Peyton

Eli: 5 | Peyton: 5

Play Calling

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Play Calling

Nothing against Eli, he can check and audible with the best of them, but when it comes to play calling Peyton's the GOAT. The Colts don't even huddle. Their entire playbook is executed through a series of arm flaps, dummy calls and leg kicks by the highly imitated No. 18. Peyton turns the 40 seconds between each play into theater and calls his plays at the line, commanding every drive like a choreographed two-minute drill.

So how does it all work? According to Colts Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday, it's a carefully crafted, synchronized process based on down and distance, "Whatever defensive front they have, I call it that way," Saturday says. "I'm setting who our Mike linebacker is. And then we make our calls based on the offensive linemen passing calls back and forth. At the same time, Peyton is making calls to the receivers and those guys and finally he comes up to the line of scrimmage and makes sure we're all on the same page.” Every 40 seconds.

Advantage: Peyton

Eli: 5 | Peyton: 6

4th Quarter Performances

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4th Quarter Performances

Peyton has an incredible 35 fourth quarter comebacks in his career. By contrast, Eli only has 21. So point Peyton, right? No way! Fourth quarter comebacks are like home runs, it doesn't matter how many you hit, it matters when you hit them. For all the hype Peyton gets as an end of game assassin, he only has one fourth quarter comeback in a playoff game—ONE! Eli has had five such comebacks in the postseason, including two in the Super Bowl. Eli shines late in games when the Giants need it the most. This season the G-Men needed every single one of their 13 wins, Eli led his team back in the final quarter in 8 of those games. That's clutch.

Advantage: Eli

Eli: 6 | Peyton: 6

Eli doesn't throw his teammates under the bus

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Treatment of Teammates

After losing a playoff game to the Pittsburgh in 2006 Peyton Manning was asked about the tenacious Steeler blitz, “I'm trying to be a good teammate here. Let's just say we had some problems with protection." Really? Putting your offensive line on blast is something you do when you're “trying to be a good teammate”? Four years later Manning was asked in an interview why the team didn't run more. “I'd call the run and we'd get one yard, be in second-and-9,” said Manning. “After awhile, you do that and it's hard to keep coming back to it.” Geez Peyton, what did Jeff Saturday and his All Pro ass ever do to you? While his comments aren't quite on Gisele Bundchen's level, they were enough to give fuel to Peyton's critics who say he's quick to pass the blame on his teammates.

Contrast that with Eli. Sure, he sounds like he's going to start talking about dinosaurs every time he opens his mouth, but he hasn't made a habit of putting his teammates on blast. Granted, that may be because Brandon Jacobs would smack the teeth out of his head if he ever looked at him sideways, but whatever your reason for shutting up, diplomacy is one of the signs of a true leader.

Advantage: Eli

Eli: 7 | Peyton: 6

Value to Team

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Value to Team

If the 2011 NFL season taught us anything it's that Peyton Manning is the Indianapolis Colts. Homie hadn't missed a game since entering the league back in 1998 but when a neck injury sidelined him for the entire season the Colts went from a legit contender to the laughingstock of the NFL, sporting a terrible 2-14 record. Eli has yet to miss a game since being named the starting quarterback in November, 2004 but saying he's as essential to the Giants offense as Peyton is to Indy's would be ridiculous. Just don't tell Jim Irsay that. What up, Andrew Luck?

Advantage: Peyton

Eli: 7 | Peyton: 7

Hairline

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Hairline

You know what happens when you win four MVP titles, have an estimated net worth of $115M, a Super Bowl ring, and you're considered the greatest QB of your generation? People like us find shit to clown you for. So yes, we're going straight for Peyton's hairline. Now, it isn't quite LeBron status but P's follicles have been running deep routes with no intentions of curling back. Eli on the other hand seems to be holding onto his locks. We know that Peyton is nearly a full five years older than his little bro but for now Eli and that mop on that awkward head of his wins this battle.

Advantage: Eli

Eli: 8 | Peyton: 7

Winning in New York >>> Winning in Indianapolis

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Winning in New York >>> Winning in Indianapolis

The pressures of playing in the Big Apple are enough to crack the most talented players. If you look at the New York sports landscape it's littered with coaches on the hot seat and players in the tabloids (word to Mike D'Antoni, Mark Sanchez, and Alex Rodriguez). In Green Bay, Brett Favre was an adored legend—all it took was one season in New York for him to become a silver-haired perv, more famous for sending dick pics than throwing touchdowns.

By contrast, Peyton is a Hoosier State folk hero. Dude didn't even have to win a Super Bowl, his back-to-back MVP awards were enough to get him a permanent spot between Larry Bird and Bobby Knight on Indiana's Mount Rushmore. It's harder to win when the lights are bright, the stage is big, and the expectations are high. Indianapolis vs. New York: advantage Eli.

Advantage: Eli

Eli: 9 | Peyton: 7

conclusion

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Conclusion

So that's that. Eli is clearly the best quarterback in the Manning family (you can definitely sit down now Archie). OK, so maybe "clearly" is too strong a word. Still, even when you dismiss the non-football categories, there's an argument to be made that Eli is—and could certainly become—Peyton's superior.

Peyton took the league by storm from the beginning, engineering a 10 game turnaround in the Colts' record in just his second season; he's been the face of the NFL for the past decade. Eli on the other hand, entered the league on a sour note, rubbing many fans the wrong way by forcing his way out of San Diego. His playing career got off to a rough start as well, including his 0.0 QB rating game in Baltimore.

But while it's easy to see Eli as a guy who got hot during two postseasons and rode a lucky streak to elite status, that overlooks his very good (albeit not great, like his brother's) regular season performances, which were accomplished under much more difficult circumstances than Peyton's. Like his older brother, Eli led his team to a division title in his second year; like his brother, he had a couple playoff flops. But unlike Peyton, Eli had to work under the glare of the New York spotlight, and with an inferior supporting cast. In fact, you could make the argument that having personalities like Tiki Barber and Jeremy Shockey in the Giants clubhouse early in his career actually stunted Eli's growth as a quarterback and leader.

It's hard to argue with Peyton's numbers, but it's hard to argue with the numbers we started this list with, 2 and 1. For the second time in his career, the second time in four years, Eli is doing the Super Bowl victory parade circuit this week. Can Peyton be the GOAT but Eli be better? We certainly think so. And if the ring is the thing, then it's really no argument.

End of discussion.

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