5 unique reasons why Tom Brady is better than Peyton Manning in the NFL

The rivalry between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning is one of the best in NFL history. They are considered by many to be the two best quarterbacks to ever play the game.

Watching them duel it out over the years was always a treat for NFL fans. The debate around which is the better quarterback has long been a popular topic.

Now that both are retired, it's pretty clear that Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He has an edge over Peyton Manning in just about every statistical category and has enjoyed much more team success throughout the course of his career.

It wouldn't be difficult to just compare their career passing numbers and show that Brady was better and more accomplished.

This article will take a slightly different approach when showing that Brady had a superior career to Manning. Rather than comparing the traditional numbers, such as passing yards, touchdowns, and Super Bowl rings, here are five reasons that are just a bit more unique.

5 unique reasons why Tom Brady's career was superior to Peyton Manning's career

Quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady

#1 - Brady threw fewer interceptions than Manning

Brady took care of the ball much better than Manning did throughout each of their careers. Brady has thrown a total of 203 interceptions in 22 years, while Manning threw 251 interceptions in 17 years.

Brady recorded an interception on just 1.8 percent of his career throws, while Manning did it on 2.7 percent.

#2 - Longevity and consistency

Brady retired from the NFL at the top of his game, leading the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns in his final season at 44 years old. Manning played in his final season at just 39 years old and severely struggled to perform at a high level.

He completed less than 60 percent of his passes, while throwing nine touchdowns and 17 interceptions in ten games.

5 unique reasons why Tom Brady had a better career than Peyton Manning

Quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady

#3 - Super Bowl MVPs vs. Super Bowl appearances

It would be easy to just say Tom Brady won seven Super Bowls in ten tries, much more than Peyton Manning's two victories in four tries. It goes even further than that, with Brady winning five Super Bowl MVP awards, which is a higher total than Manning's four appearances.

Manning also only won one Super Bowl MVP award.

#4 - Lopsided head-to-head record

Manning and Brady faced off against each other 17 total times in their careers. It should come as no surprise that Brady owns the head-to-head series between the two.

He accumulated an 11-6 overall record straight up against Manning.

#5 - The underdog vs. the top prospect

Manning was always projected to be a top-level quarterback, having been selected as the number one overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. Brady's path was much different, being selected 199th overall in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.

Brady was always facing an uphill battle, originally viewed as a back-up quarterback at best. Overcoming this obstacle adds to Brady's legacy.