17 Dec 10 Tom Brady Continues Domination of Peyton Manning in New England Patriots Win

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning Squared Off in Their 12th MeetingJim Rogash/Getty ImagesIn one of the most anticipated games of the season, Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts squared off against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Foxboro Sunday afternoon. It was the 12th Reebok Indianapolis Colts 18 Peyton Manning Realtree camo Jersey
time the two Hall of Fame quarterbacks met, and again Tom Brady walked away with the victory.Following a penalty on the opening kickoff, the Colts began the game with the ball on their own 11. Five minutes into the drive, Peyton Manning threw an interception to safety Brandon Meriweather.The Patriots capitalized on the error and scored two minutes later on a 22-yard pass to Wes Welker.On their ensuing possession, the Colts managed a first down, but were later forced to punt. The Patriots held the ball for the remaining six minutes of the first quarter and scored again shortly into the second, when Brady connected with tight end Aaron Hernandez for an eight-yard TD.The Colts got on the board in their following drive when Manning marched the Colts 69 yards for the score, a one-yard pass to tight end Gijon Robinson.Indianapolis kicked off to the Patriots, who began their next series from their own 35. Three pass plays from Brady to Gronkowski, Branch, and Woodhead and four running plays culminated in another touchdown for the Pats when BenJarvus Green-Ellis took it in from six yards out.Tom Brady Leads Patriots to Victory Over ColtsJim Rogash/Getty ImagesNot to be outdone, Manning completed seven passes in the next three and a half minutes, leading the Colts to another touchdown, an 11-yard pass to Reggie Wayne. They would go into the locker room down just seven, 21-14.Neither team scored on their opening possession of the second half. But with six minutes left in the third quarter, the Patriots struck again when Danny Woodhead broke free for a 36-yard touchdown run.The Colts barely had the ball on their next drive, Manning coughing up another interception, when he threw it to Patriot cornerback Devin McCourty on their second play.The Patriots made the Colts pay for their mistake again, adding a Shayne Graham field goal at the end of their next offensive series. The three points would be the difference as a late charge led by Peyton Manning fell short.Two touchdowns from Manning to Blair White with eight and five minutes left in the game were not enough, as the Patriots held off the Colts' final drive with two and a half minutes to go. Manning took the ball 50 yards on eight plays, but was thwarted by his third interception of the game—to safety James Sanders—with 37 seconds left.The Patriots won 31-28 and go to 8-2, tied with the Jets for best record in the AFC, while the Colts slide to 6-4, tied—believe it or not—with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the best record in the AFC South.Who is the better quarterback?Who is the better quarterback?Tom Brady91.3%Peyton Manning8.8%Total votes: 240OvertimeIn the 12 times they have met, including three in the postseason, Brady and the Patriots have defeated Manning and the Colts two-thirds of the time (eight games). More recently, though, Manning has taken the win four of the last six times.Here is the breakdown on all the Brady-Manning matchups:1. Sep 30, 2001 - First MeetingColts 13 - Patriots 44. In the third game of Tom Brady's career, he notched his first win in a Patriot pounding. Both Brady and Manning threw for under 200 yards. Brady had no touchdowns, but the Pats scored three on the ground while Manning threw and ran for a TD.Brady 1 - Manning 02. Oct 21, 2001Patriots 38 - Colts 17. 2001 was the last season the Patriots and Colts were in the same division, so they met for a second time that year, just three weeks later, in Indianapolis. Again, New England would take home a convincing win. This time Brady threw for 200 yards and three TDs while Manning threw for 335 and one. The Reebok Minnesota Vikings 28 Adrian Peterson Realtree camo Jersey
Colts failed to make the playoffs in 2001, while the Patriots would go on to win the Super Bowl against the St. Louis Rams.Nov 30, 2003Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesBrady 2 - Manning 03. Nov 30, 2003Patriots 38 - Colts 34. The two teams did not meet in 2002. They resumed their budding rivalry in the 12th game of the 2003 season, both entering with a record of 9-2. Manning threw four touchdowns, but it wasn't enough, as Brady threw for two and the Pats ran two in.Brady 3 - Manning 04. Jan 18, 2004 (playoffs)Colts 14 - Patriots 24. They met again that season in the AFC Championship Game. Both Manning and Brady threw for 237 yards, but Manning had four interceptions. The Patriots would win the Super Bowl again in 2003, defeating the Carolina Panthers.Brady 4 - Manning 05. Sep 9, 2004Colts 24 - Patriots 27. They faced off in the Thursday night season opener in 2004. Manning could not keep up with the stellar Brady, who threw for 335 and 3 TDs.Brady 5 - Manning 0Brady Owns the Career Matchup Against Manning: 8-4...Jim Rogash/Getty Images6. Jan 16, 2005 (playoffs)Colts 3 - Patriots 20. They met in the playoffs for the second year in a row, and for the second time Brady and the Patriots advanced and Manning and the Colts went home. Brady ran and threw for a touchdown, while the New England defense held Manning at bay. Again, the Pats won the Super Bowl that year, this time against the Philadelphia Eagles.Brady 6 - Manning 07. Nov 7, 2005Colts 40 - Patriots 21. Finally, six games after their first meeting, Manning's Colts defeat Brady's Patriots for the first time, and in the hostile confines of Gillette Stadium. Both quarterbacks recorded three touchdowns, but the difference was in the running game, where the Colts recorded two more.Brady 6 - Manning 18. Nov 5, 2006Colts 27 - Patriots 20. Manning takes his second in a row from Brady and the Pats, again on the road. It was Peyton's day as he threw for over 300 yards while Tom gave away four interceptions.Brady 6 - Manning 2...But Manning Has Won 4 of the Last 6Elsa/Getty Images9. Jan 21, 2007 (playoffs)Patriots 34 - Colts 38. Manning and the Colts savor playoff redemption against their nemesis the New England Patriots, as this time, it's the Colts who win the AFC Championship Game. The Colts scored 17 points in the fourth quarter for the comeback win. They would go on to win the Super Bowl against the Chicago Bears.Brady 6 - Manning 310. Nov 4, 2007Patriots 24 - Colts 20. In 2007, the Patriots won this and all of their other regular season games. Brady was solid enough with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Manning threw and ran for a score, but the Colts fell short. The Patriots would eventually lose their first game of the season in the Super Bowl, to the New York Giants.Brady 7 - Manning 311. Nov 15, 2009Patriots 34 - Colts 35. Brady was hurt for nearly all of 2008, so the two quarterbacks did not meet (note - the Colts defeated Matt Cassel and the Pats 18-15 in '08), but they made up for it in this matchup, arguably their most exciting regular season meeting. Brady went for 375 and three TDs, while Manning outdid him with 327 and four. The Colts came from behind, scoring 21 points in the 4th quarter. They were aided by Patriot coach Bill Belichick's decision to try and run out the clock by going for it on 4th-and-2. The conversion failed and Manning marched the Colts Reebok Minnesota Vikings #4 Brett Favre Realtree camo Jersey
down the field with under two minutes to go, finishing the game with a touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne.Nov 15, 2009Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesBrady 7 - Manning 412. Nov 21, 2010Colts 28 - Patriots 31. Manning's 400 yards and two 4th quarter touchdowns were not enough to defeat the Patriots. Brady managed a solid game, going 19 for 25 with two TDs, while Manning sealed the Colts' fate with three critical interceptions. The Pats scored two on the ground as well, notching another win against the Colts.Brady 8 - Manning 4Follow your Patriots and sign up for weekly newsletters at the Bleacher Report Patriots Site.Follow your Colts and sign up for weekly newsletters at the Bleacher Report Colts Site.