All-time Top 12 seasons by a QB

[SniperSB23]

It has everything to do with defense why the Patriots win more games. Look at the almost perfect correlation between the Patriots defensive rank and their record since Brady took over in 2001:

4th - 16-0
6th - 12-4
7th - 14-2
9th - 14-2
10th - 11-5 (injured)
23rd - 9-7
24th - 11-5
26th - 10-6

On the other hand Peyton Manning has had exactly one defense better than 11th since 2003 and that happened to correspond with the year the Patriots went 16-0. Yet he's still managed these records:

12-4
12-4
14-2
12-4
13-3
12-4

Of course in the playoffs that lack of defense has hurt them but very few of the playoff losses have been Manning's fault. And guess what, the only time Manning got to go head to head with Brady in the playoffs at home, he won.

[King Glorious]

Putting it all on the defense as the reason why Brady wins and Manning loses is not right. Let's check out some numbers. I looked at their complete records as starting quarterbacks in the NFL, including the playoffs and not including this season's numbers. Here's what I found.

During the regular season:
Games-Manning 176, Brady 111
Winning %- Brady .784, Manning .665
TD-Manning 333, Brady 197
Int-Manning 165, Brady 86
TD %-Manning 5.6, Brady 5.4
Int %-Manning 2.8, Brady 2.3
Yards-Manning 45628, Brady 26394
YPG-Manning 259.3, Brady 237.8
Completion %-Manning 64.4, Brady 63.0
QB rating-Manning 94.8, Brady 93.0

From the numbers here, Brady wins at a much higher percentage but that has a lot to do with team play. Looking at the TD% is shows that they are pretty much equal there but Brady is better at not throwing as many interceptions. Manning throws for more yards obviously but their accuracy is pretty much the same and their quarterback ratings are very close.

Playoffs
Games-Manning 15, Brady 17
Winning %-Brady .824, Manning .467
TD-Brady 26, Manning 22
Int-Brady 12, Manning 17
TD %-Brady 4.3, Manning 4.0
Int %-Brady 2.0, Manning 3.0
Yards-Manning 4208, Brady 3954
YPG-Manning 280.5, Brady 232.6
Completion %-Brady 62.5, Manning 61.7
QB rating-Brady 88.0, Manning 85.0

It's no contest here. Manning doesn't even have a winning record (7-8) while Brady is 14-3. Brady is more accurate by completion %, has a better td% and is again better with keeping the interceptions down. Manning's td to int ratio is horrible. Brady's is more than 2-1. The only thing that Manning has an advantage in is more yards.

Conference championships and Super Bowls
Games-Brady 9, Manning 3
Winning %-Brady .778, Manning .667
TD-Brady 13, Manning 3
Int-Brady 6, Manning 6
TD %-Brady 4.3, Manning 2.3
Int %-Brady 2.0, Manning 4.5
Yards-Brady 2001, Manning 833
YPG-Manning 277.7, Brady 222.3
Completion %-Brady 63.9, Manning 56.8
QB rating-Brady 89.3, Manning 64.4

You've got to be kidding me to compare the two. Obviously, Brady with six more games is going to have more touchdowns and more yards and as usual Manning passes for many more yards per game. Manning has as many interceptions in three games as Brady has in nine. Brady's td-int ratio is still better than 2-1 while Manning's is 2-1.....in the wrong direction. Brady is much more accurate and the rating is not even in the same area code.

Interesting to see how as the stakes go up, Brady either holds steady with his numbers or increases them while Manning drops considerably in every area except for passing yards and the only reason he keeps that up is because he's usually losing and they are throwing the ball to get back into the games. Brady is right on the same level with Manning in the regular season and completely destroys him in the playoffs and in the championship games. You can blame the Indy defense all you want but I don't see how the same defense that gets you 12 wins a year every year becomes so horrible in the playoffs and how that bad defense means that Manning has to become a much less accurate and effective quarterback.

[King Glorious]

Now that I'm rolling, I want to do some more quarterbacks. Takes a little time between them but here's Joe Montana. Remember, all stats and records are as a starter only. First column regular season, second is total playoffs, third is conference title games and Super Bowls.

Games......164 (117-47.713).......23 (16-7.696).........11 (8-3.727)
Comp...............3304..................460...... .................220
Att..................5220..................734.... ...................345
Comp%.............63.3..................62.7...... ...............63.8
Yds.................39318................5772..... ................2873
TD...................259....................45.... ....................24
TD%.................5.0....................6.1.... ...................7.0
Int...................134.....................21.. ......................7
Int%.................2.6....................2.9... ....................2.0
YPG.................239.7.................251.0... .................261.2
Rating..............92.1...................95.6... ..................104.7

Montana is incredible. Notice how his accuracy is steady no matter the level of the game and is at it's highest in the biggest games. His td% goes up at each level and his interception % is at it's lowest in the biggest games. His yards per game go up and so does his quarterback rating. It's clear to see why he's considered one of the most clutch big game performers in history. Yes, he usually played with really good teams and really good players but we've seen plenty of guys that did that and when the pressure was turned up, the faltered. Montana didn't.

Coming up next is Troy Aikman.

[King Glorious]

Aikman

Games........165 (94-71.570).........15 (11-4.733).......7 (6-1.857)
Comp.............2898....................309...... .................145
Att................4715....................486.... ...................218
Comp%..........61.5.....................63.6...... ...............66.5
Yds...............32942..................3735..... ................1823
TD................165......................23..... ...................13
TD%...............3.5.....................4.7..... ...................6.0
Int................141.......................16... .....................4
Int%...............3.0......................3.3... ....................1.8
YPG...............199.6..................249.0.... .................260.4
Rating............81.6.....................89.2... ...................104.6

Aikman is another one that increased his productivity during the playoffs. He was a decent regular season qb but nothing spectacular. But notice how his td% rises as the stakes get higher and he goes from barely over a 1/1 td to interception ration during the regular season to over a 3/1 ratio during the conference title games and Super Bowls. His yards per game and passer rating shoot way up as the games get bigger and of course, his winning percentage does too. These are the hallmarks of guys that come through in the clutch.

[King Glorious]

Here's Brady and Manning in the same format

Brady
Games..........111 (87-24.784).......17 (14-3.824)..........9 (7-2.778)
Comp............2295.....................372...... ..................191
Att...............3640....................595..... ....................299
Comp%..........63.0....................62.5....... .................63.9
Yds..............26394.................3954....... ..................2001
TD................197......................26..... .......................13
TD%..............5.4......................4.3..... .....................4.3
Int.................86......................12.... .........................6
Int%..............2.3.......................2.0... .......................2.0
YPG.............237.8...................232.6..... ...................222.3
Rating..........93.0.....................88.0..... ....................89.3

Manning
Games..........176 (117-59.665).......15 (7-8.467)............3 (2-1.667)
Comp............3839.....................348...... .....................75
Att...............5960.....................564.... .......................132
Comp%..........64.4.....................61.7...... ....................56.8
Yds..............45628...................4208..... ......................833
TD...............333.......................22..... .........................3
TD%.............5.6........................4.0.... .......................2.3
Int...............165.......................17.... ...........................6
Int%.............2.8........................3.0... ........................4.5
YPG..............259.3....................280.5... ....................277.7
Rating...........94.8......................85.0... ........................64.4

[King Glorious]

Marino

Games........240 (147-93.613)..........18 (8-10.444).......4 (1-3.250)
Comp..............4944.......................385.. ...................92
Att.................8319.......................687 ....................175
Comp%............59.4........................56.0. ................52.6
Yds................61121....................4510.. ..................1255
TD..................417........................32. .......................8
TD%...............5.0..........................4.7 .....................4.6
Int..................251........................24 .......................7
Int%................3.0........................3.5 ......................4.0
YPG................254.7......................250. 6................. 313.8
Rating.............86.4........................77. 1...................74.3

Marino's numbers are suprisingly disappointing. I knew he was a high yards and touchdowns guy but I didn't really realize how average he was in so many areas. His completion percentages and td/int ratios are way below what I expected to see when I started looking up this stuff. He also regressed significantly in the biggest games. Very disappointing.