He never raises it. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t show up in a conversation.
Eli Manning is the only living quarterback to have this on Tom Brady – the seemingly ageless marvel heading into his 10th Super Bowl, the first with the Buccaneers. Brady is 6-3 in his previous Super Bowl appearances, all with the Patriots, and the first two defeats came at the hands of Manning and the Giants.
With as much (deserved) discussion this week about 43-year-old Brady as the best he’s ever done, Manning will forever be 2-0 against him on the biggest stage.
Not bad.
“It’s one of those things, it’s not something you ever say or think,” Manning told The Post on Tuesday. “I’ve been around Tom many times and I’ve never played a Super Bowl or our games against them. He actually raises it. It still bothers him a bit, especially the one from 07 when they had a chance to come down as the best team of all time.
“But I have no right to brag about Tom. This is his 10th Super Bowl, and I’m very impressed with his whole career. “
Manning was the MVP of the Super Bowls after the 2007 and 2011 seasons, and returned first to Glendale, Arizona, then to Indianapolis in the fourth quarter to annoy Brady and the Patriots. The only other quarterback to beat Brady in a Super Bowl is Nick Foles, three years ago. Manning is left alone as Brady’s killer on two occasions.
“I think I didn’t root for him or against him for that reason,” Manning said. “I still watch the game and usually root for the quarterbacks in certain situations, especially the fourth quarter: whoever has the ball, I’m rooting for the quarterback and rooting for the offensive to play.”
In Tampa on Feb. 7, Brady and the Buccaneers face Patrick Muhammad and the Chiefs. Brady, in a place unknown to him, is the despised one.
“It’s really impressive what Tom has been able to do,” said Manning, who participates in Frank’s RedHot Big Pour Challenge to raise $ 100,000 for Tackle Kids cancer. “Just the fact, change teams after 20 years, with a team where you have had so many successes and go to a new team, a new city, a new state during a pandemic, where you have a reduced low season and different get the same results. Going back to a Super Bowl, at 43, yes, it’s so awesome. It was hard to think that this would be possible. Obviously, he has a special behavior and a special ability to get the boys to gather around him. “
Manning makes no predictions, but yes, even the one who won the 2021 Super Bowl – whatever team and quarterback has the ball passed.
“Usually,” Manning said, “that’s how it works with these guys.”
You should know that.