NFL Smashdown: Golden Boy vs Prodigal Son

Soon the golden boy of the NFL will take on the prodigal son of football. Tony Dungy, still in his victory lap from a season ago will once again square up against Bill Belichick, football genius turned cheat turned genius once again. And oh yeah, the Colts and Patriots are playing each other.

In what has become the NFL’s equivalent to Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, the battle between Indianapolis and New England both begins and ends with just one aspect of each team: the quarterback.

Peyton Manning, once heralded as the next Dan Marino (the greatest quarterback without a ring) faces Tom Brady (baby-daddy extraordinaire), and both are clearly the pinnacle draws at the most glamorous of positions.

The question now stands in 2007: who’s better?

Peyton Manning is the one with the bragging rights, winning the big game last year, and he’s got enough commercials to make me cancel my Mastercard due to overexposure and far too much Manning time. Meanwhile Tommy will personify GQ for the next decade whether or not we want him to. Had a kid with a hot actress, dating a hot model, cover boy for anything worth selling, quarterback of a dynasty and former underdog turned glory story. I wouldn’t be surprised if Brady gives 100% of his salary to the United Way and is a longtime Eagle Scout.

The quarterback who is better might not matter, as Peyton has his longtime gridiron life-mate Marvin Harrison a bit banged up while Brady has a touchdown freak named Randy Moss at his disposal. A high-flying offense (think Greatest Show on Turf) will be a handful for the Colts defense, even with the coolest defender in the league: Bob Sanders. That’s right – the rest of the team will actually matter in this contest, as it always does, and as we always forget so.

Will it be a slugfest? Maybe. Will the winner be crowned the best team in the league? Perhaps. Will we see enough Tom Brady and Peyton Manning to last through the Pro Bowl?

Most definitely.