Though not exactly an earth-shattering revelation, Peyton Manning’s former teammate Reggie Wayne wasn’t pulling punches Sunday when he said the Denver Broncos quarterback “struggles” in the playoffs.
Speaking with Deion Sanders, Steve Smith Sr. and Reggie Bush on the set of NFL Network’s NFL GameDay Morning, Wayne called Manning a “great regular season quarterback.” He also said the upcoming AFC Championship Game means more to Manning’s legacy than it does to that of Tom Brady.
“And when it comes to the postseason, he struggles. There’s a lot of one-and-dones in there,” Wayne said, via Conor Orr of NFL.com. “I just think this is a bigger — it’s bigger for him to get this. Seventeenth time going up against Tom Brady. If you look at the wins versus losses, it favors Tom Brady. So I think it’s a bigger situation for Peyton.”
Wayne also said that if Manning can’t beat Brady this year, given the history between the two and the lack of playoff success he’s had that “the stigma will be, well he’s one of the greatest regular-season quarterbacks to ever play the game.”
To be fair to Manning, he has won a Super Bowl, which is no small thing, but Wayne isn’t wrong.
Furthermore, when comparing Manning to Brady, there is no question this game is bigger for his legacy than it is for the New England Patriots quarterback. With a 12-13 career postseason record, Manning’s playoff stats pale in comparison to his regular season stats. In 25 games he has passed for 38 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.