Peyton Manning is 5-11 in his career against Tom Brady’s New England Patriots and it comes as no surprise to the veteran Denver Broncos’ quarterback that he needs to slay the familiar foe to reach Super Bowl 50.
“They are there for a reason. There’s a reason the head coach and quarterback have been there for as long as they have,” Manning said. “You have to give them a lot of credit. When the schedule comes out and you know you are going to play them in the regular season, when the final second ticks off you know there’s a good chance you are going to see them again if you do your job.”
Manning was idle for the Nov. 29 win started by Brock Osweiler. Manning missed six games with plantar fasciitis and said Tuesday that he fought himself daily to not peek ahead to the next day.
“I really tried just to stay in the moment, not to get too far ahead – any type of finality of what was going to happen in three weeks or four weeks,” Manning said. “There’s no question a lot has happened this season that has been very different for me than any other season in 18 years. … That has certainly helped me.”
Manning said it has been an honor and privilege to play against Brady, who is 0-1 facing the top-ranked defense in the NFL this season, losing to the Broncos 30-24 in Denver.
“This time of year, especially right now, the margin and the difference in winning and losing can be just one play,” Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said.
Manning said he watched the six-point win over the Patriots in the training room with veteran defensive end DeMarcus Ware.
“He’s a big second-guesser,” Manning said, pointing out that the hot dogs aren’t bad from stadium vendors. “It will be nice to be on the field.”
Now the Patriots get another go at the Broncos, the top seed in the AFC playoffs. Denver led the NFL in sacks (52) and pass defense (199.6 yards per game) but lost twice at home this season in games where the Broncos’ offense came up short. Denver scored 12 in a loss to the Raiders on Dec. 13 and scored 13 in a Nov. 15 loss to the Chiefs.
Manning is 3-1 in league championship games and Brady hasn’t defeated him in the postseason since 2004.
Manning has four touchdowns and six interceptions with a 2-2 record in the playoffs against the Patriots. He’s 12-13 overall in the playoffs and 1-0 under Kubiak, who is in his first season with the Broncos since replacing John Fox in January.
“It’s been a different season with some of the things that have occurred with the injuries but he’s been extremely consistent,” Manning said of Kubiak. “I have a lot of respect for that.”