Tale of the Tape: Tom Brady vs. Eli Manning

There is not a job with more pressure or a tougher job in the world than being a starting quarterback. Not many in the NFL do it better than Tom Brady or Eli Manning.

While, there certainly will be some debate among fans about who is playing better right now, when the New York Giants face the New England Patriots, both quarterbacks seem to raise their play to another level.

Accuracy

While there have been several periods during his career that Manning seems to wrestle between the personas of good and bad on the field, he has improved on his accuracy quite a bit each season. He still can be erratic at times, but his improvement in accuracy is impressive.

Brady is currently regarded as probably the most accurate quarterback in the NFL. Part of the reason for his success is the Patriots’ offensive system is a quick read system that features short and intermediate throws. If the ball is not batted or intercepted, this is one quarterback who seems to consistently be on the mark.

Arm Strength
While, Tom is an extremely hard worker, who reads and processes defenses very quick rarely does he have to display an exceptional amount of arm strength. While his arm is strong, there are several quarterbacks in the NFL with a stronger arm, most notably Eli.

Eli’s arm strength is quite impressive and he seems to have no problem making throws from either hash during a game. It seems the offense has opened up more each season because of his further developed arm strength in the off season.

Under More Pressure
While, there is no tougher place to perform in sports than a New York stage, at least Manning has a pretty good defense. The team has a shot to win if he does not play perfect football.

It seems crazy to say, but right now Brady is underpaid. He plays with one of the worst defenses in the NFL and the bottom line is if he does not play at a high level, the Patriots have no shot to win the game.

Running Ability
Both quarterbacks have been blessed with the power to be statues, but the good news is their offensive systems never demand that either display running ability. If they do run, it is a victory for the defense.

Clutch
Tom Brady has 3 Superbowl rings, so it is very difficult to argue that he is not clutch. However, Eli Manning did beat him on the highest stage in 2007, so that cannot be ignored. If either quarterback has the ball late in the game, they certainly give their respective teams a chance to walk off the field with a victory.