Games always matter. Regular season wins equate to a shot at the playoffs. Shouldn't Ben Roethlisberger be in the discussion for greatest QB of all time if success in the playoffs is counted?
IMO, being the best means that you're just better than everyone else. Peyton Manning has always been better than Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, etc. and if he wins this year, he'll be closing the gap on the only good talking point for the argument that Brady's a better quarterback. It sounds kind of silly that he actually has to win 2 more super bowls before he can even be in the discussion. Also silly that Dan Marino is never mentioned as a possible greatest quarterback of all time, despite having held almost every significant passing record for several years. Brett Favre too.
Tom Brady was more like Ben Roethlisberger until the Patriots started to move more towards the pass, Peyton Manning has always been like Peyton Manning, regardless of who his receivers have been. Even without Stokley and Harrison, Manning put up the same stats. Can the same be said for in reverse for Brandon Stokley, who signed a huge contract and then did nothing? Absolutely not.
I don't think any of them would have done anything without Peyton Manning, and I don't think Tom Brady would have ever won an MVP without an elite receiving corps. He wasn't even in the same league as Peyton Manning when he won his Super Bowls tbh.
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