I don’t really care too much about New England Patriots football.  I think Belichick is a great, great coach, but calling him a genius is a bit much.  Tom Brady, on the other hand, is pretty easily one of the best quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL, and so it was pretty weird watching him put up a stinker against the Ravens this past weekend.  Guys like Manning and Brady are supposed to dominate games like these, and so when they don’t, something feels a little off.

And I’m not saying this in the same way that someone would say that, like, it’s good when Notre Dame is competitive in college football.  No, I’m saying this from the perspective that it’s pretty clear that Brady’s best days are behind him and the legendary status is going to decline from this point on.

Granted, Brady had to play from behind against a bloodthirsty defense and was without Wes Welker…but he was also playing at home and had the second-best wide receiver of all-time to throw to.  Brady completed just 23 of 42 passes and threw three picks to end up with a 49.1 passer rating (somehow, Flacco had a rating of 10.0, but that’s what happens when you throw just 10 passes and end up with a pick).

There’s no excuse for what happened to the Pats this weekend, as they simply got their asses beat by a better team.  I love Tom Brady – he’s a guy that knocks up actresses, bangs supermodels, and still has time to win Super Bowls – but I’m pretty sure his best days – and the Pats, too – are in the past.

What I’m trying to say is that Peyton Manning has had and will continue to have a better career.  I’m still hung up on that argument.