Ray Lewis Discusses Difference Between Tom Brady And Peyton Manning

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are both top five quarterbacks of all time. But what made each guy so unstoppable, and how were they different from one another? Perhaps one of the best people to ask is a Hall of Fame defensive player who went up against both Brady and Manning in their primes. That’s why it’s always enlightening to return to an interview with Baltimore Ravens legend Ray Lewis, who describes the differences between Brady and Manning better than anyone.

“(Brady) was slower,” Lewis said. “The game (for him) … it was chess. … You (had) to study Tom more from situational football, right? … Because then you understand how he’s gonna play the game. He don’t go at your throat a lot, right? He just slowly cuts you.”

“And Peyton is the opposite,” Lewis continued. “Peyton, first play the game, I’m going at you. I’m going deep first play of the game. First play, second half — I’m going at you … Each one of them had different things that you had to study.”

Few rivalries in NFL history have captivated fans like the one between Brady and Manning, two quarterbacks who redefined excellence at the position. Over their overlapping careers from 2001 to 2015, they clashed 17 times, with Brady holding an 11-6 edge, including pivotal playoff battles that often decided AFC supremacy.

Manning, drafted first overall in 1998, spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts before a move to the Denver Broncos in 2012. In 18 years, he amassed 71,940 passing yards and 539 touchdowns, earning a record five MVP awards and 14 Pro Bowl nods.

Manning’s precision passing and pre-snap mastery led the Colts to Super Bowl XLI victory in 2007, where he claimed MVP honors. He capped his career with a Super Bowl 50 win for the Broncis in 2016, defeating the Carolina Panthers 24-10. Retiring that year, he joined the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021, cementing his status as a strategic genius who elevated every offense he touched.

Brady’s journey, from a sixth-round afterthought in 2000 to the NFL’s ultimate icon, spanned 23 seasons across the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He shattered records with 89,214 passing yards, 649 touchdowns, and seven Super Bowl triumphs (the most ever) plus five Super Bowl MVPs. Brady’s three MVPs and 15 Pro Bowls reflect his longevity and clutch play. He is the GOAT.