"I'll take Brady, Rodgers, or any of the two Manning's before Brees"

... now you're talkin', Larry ... very "MANningLY" of you ... ...
... and, yes, luck IS a factor ... but I'm sure you will agree, it takes more than LUCK to get to be a Super Bowl winner ... no matter what team it is ...

... and as for top QBs of ALL TIME? ...I'm old enough to go back to Johnny Unitas and even Otto Graham ... # 1 and 2 in my book ...
As Bubba Smith once told ESPN Classic, "A guy broke through the line, hit Unitas, pushed his head in the ground. He called the same play, let the guy come through and broke his nose with the football."

You can't do that any more. In another year or so, it will be flag football, or two hands below the waist touch!
For all the money they make, we should get to see more BLOOD!!

DonM

First, he wouldn't be able to get the nose of the ball through the masks they wear now ...
And I'm with you Don ... I'm all for player safety - as are the owners with the salaries they're paying - but some of the calls are ridiculous ... one thing about the replacement refs - there was a lot more contact down field than there has been in a loooong time ... just like 'old fashioned football ...

Yeah, I agree it ain't the football of yesteryear, but when you see some of the results of the brain damage inflicted on some of the players of even the recent past, you have to say that no amount of compensation is worth it. Jim McMahon can't even go to the corner store 'cause he can't remember how to get back home. Post=career suicides, many attributable to brain injuries (concussions) incurred during their playing years, are numerous. Sure, it 'waters down' the game a bit, but considering the potential consequences, I'd rather err on the side of safety. Of course, for fan pleasure, we could go back to Roman gladiator times, and when Ndamukong Suh knocks a quaterback out, the fans could give a 'thumbs up' or a 'thumbs down' for Suh to stomp his head into the turf. JMO, though.

chas

Diki, it's not all about offense. The best offense is a good defense. It's all about the whole team playing, team work togetherness etc.

Iahawk all of the guys you mention, Brees has probably already passed every record any of those guys ever set, and if not, he will next year even if they have a bad season.

The guy is a genius at quarterbacking and works harder than the rest. He literally eats, sleeps and dreams quarterbacking. He has more dedication. At 5'4" tall he has to. Ha ha!

Do some research. I like all of the guys you mentioned in the day too. But the best today just play and think faster. What amazes me is that Brees isn't even 6' tall. Can you imagine him at 6'7" like Peyton or even Eli?

Why didn't you mention Terry Bradshaw? He is never mentioned with the Montana's, Elway's and Marino's. However, he's won more Superbowls than all of those guys put together. Ha ha! Just an exaggeration. But he has won 3 right? Or, is it 4?

He does not have the stats those guys have, but his teams are probably rated with the top teams of all time.

You guy's ever hear of the "Steel Curtain?" Defense, defense, defense. The Falcons seem to hang in a play-off spot for years now. How great has their offense ever been.

If you think the crap this year has not upset the team's togetherness, think again! It could be a long dry spell just like Dallas is having, Green Bay had, and Denver has had.

I hope I'm wrong, but the "Saints" may have had their day and now it's gone.

chas ... fully agree with you on the injuries ... and today's players are bigger, stronger, faster which makes some 'hits' even worse ... and players who demonstrate a propensity for bad hits should be dealt with harshly - even banned - ...
I also wonder what the affect of artificial surface has when a players head hits the ground ... I know a frozen field is also bad, but I would think the number of games played on 'frozen' fields is relatively small ...
BUT, I still think that some calls are made too hastily ...

Bounty-gate gutted the Saint's defense. No need to invent a non-existent 'resentment' to explain why they delivered so poorly this year. Personally, you want to look around for any resentment, it would be against the coaches and players that encouraged and funded the 'bounty'...

And, just how many NFL records do you have to hold before you are mentioned with Johnny U? Maybe BEATING his record would be a good place to start?! Brees is one of the top ten quarterbacks that have ever played the game. Maybe top 5. Superbowl's are TEAM achievements. Look at any quarterback stats and records, you'll see Brees up there. And, injury aside, he's got a good 5 more years at least...

You are watching one of the greats.

Personally, I do not think one can compare yesterday's athletes and their accomplishments with today's athletes and their accomplishments in any sport ... the rules, tools, and player's sizes and shapes are ALL different ... that is why I do not like lists that propose to name the "BEST EVER" ...
If someone wants to compare accomplishments in a certain 10 maybe even 15 year span that might be OK, but to go beyond that ? ... I think there are too many variables ...

And even individual records are subject to deep scrutiny... Eli Manning through a 2 yard pass that Victor Cruz ran 98 yards with and Eli gets credit for a 98 yard completion ... Tom Brady has LIVED with the 5 - 8 yard pass that his receivers run another 10 yards with ... for every pass completion a QB gets credit for there has to be a receiver on the other end - often making near impossible catches - ... a running back has a hole opened for him and runs for 20 yards or more ... if he didn't have an offensive line open that hole to get him at least those those first couple of yards, where would he be ? ... so even INDIVIDUAL stats aren't "INDIVIDUAL" ...

To paraphrase: "Be happy with who you have playing for your team" ... unless of course, your team stinks ...