This week's edition of ESPN's Manningcast was probably the most anticipated yet because the guest lineup featured Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.
Peyton and Eli Manning hosted their long-time on-field rival Brady to talk about the Monday Night Football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints, amongst other things.
Brady and the Manning brothers' back-and-forth banter and their insight into the game made it one of the show's best episodes so far and one that will be hard to top. While there were many great soundbites during Brady's appearance, the one that stood out was the Buccaneers quarterback's tongue-in-cheek explanation for why defensive players can't play offense in the NFL.
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Tom Brady roasts NFL defensive players
Brady spoke about the game and about playing last year with no NFL fans and no crowd noise. He then explained how defensive players fell for his pump fakes, even when he was well beyond the line of scrimmage.
He went on to add the following about defensive players:
“Have you been to some of those defensive meeting rooms? I mean you wonder why they play defense, and after about two minutes you go, ‘Yep, they could never be an offensive player,’ so...
He added:
“Defense is kind of like a dog chasing a car. Just get the guy with the ball.”
Ouch.
Of course, Peyton, being the king of the witty comeback, said this in reaction to Brady's comments:
“I’m sure Antoine Winfield really appreciates those comments, for sure. Let me know how that conversation goes at breakfast in the morning.”
Winfield, the Buccaneers' standout safety, has been a revelation since being drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. Manning insinuated that the second-year star would likely not take Brady's comments well and that the quarterback would have to explain it to him in practice the next day.
Overall, the Manningcast is all in good fun, and a little ribbing goes a long way in allowing players to be themselves and seem more relatable to fans. And these interviews won't be bad for television ratings either.
Next week's Manningcast for Monday Night Football will see the New York Giants take on the struggling Kansas City Chiefs.
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