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Week 12 Patriots vs Broncos: Have We Seen the Game Between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady?

As Peyton Manning is benched and dealing with injuries, we have to consider that we've seen the final game between two of the all time greats.

By Rich Hill

The New England Patriots don't play the Denver Broncos until week 12, but an apparent injury to Peyton Manning is worth noting.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, a former Broncos beat writer, Manning has plantar fasciitis, which is a foot injury that always seems to linger. The injury is to Manning's right foot, which is his planting foot, which could explain why he's been so unable to push off and step into his throws.

Manning is coming off his worst game, ever. He played worse than his statline, which featured a 0.0 passer rating.

The Broncos opted to bench Manning in favor of back-up Brock Osweiler. Manning has been on a steady decline since the middle of the 2013 season and his poor play can't be fully discounted because of his injuries. He's not a great quarterback from a physical perspective and he can't make the necessary throws.

So this begs the question: have we seen the final game between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning? The Patriots absolutely walloped the Broncos 43-21 last season en route to a Super Bowl winning season. Is that going to be the final game between the two greatest quarterbacks of the past 20 years?

While Brady has slowed his torrid pace a little bit due to all of the injuries on offense, the Patriots star quarterback is still the unquestioned best in the league. The Broncos defense is starting to unravel as their frustration with their ineffective offense is boiling over.

Peyton Manning's injuries should hold him out until he's fully recovered. The Broncos need to see if Osweiler is the quarterback of the future, instead of worsening the injury to Manning's foot. Take away the name on the jersey and Manning doesn't deserve a starting spot in this league right now.

A win over the Broncos almost certainly guarantees the Patriots a first round bye and maybe the two teams will meet in the playoffs. But with the status of Manning's injuries, it's just as probable that a Peyton Manning team is destined for another one-and-done.

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