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Peyton Manning Says Tom Brady's 'Stamp Is All Over' the Bucs Ahead of Super Bowl
February 7, 2021
Peyton Manning is as familiar with Tom Brady as any opposing player could be, so it's not a surprise that the newly-elected Hall-of-Famer can see the three-time NFL MVP's fingerprints on this Tampa Bay Buccaneers team.
Speaking to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver, Manning said Brady's "stamp is all over" this Bucs squad as they prepare to play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV on Sunday.
There were moments during the regular season when it seemed like Brady and head coach Bruce Arians were on different pages.
Arians was openly critical of Brady at times, most notably after the Bucs' 27-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 11:
"We've got the guys open. We've just missed 'em. ... Other than the deep ball, I think he's getting confused a few times with coverage that might be causing some inaccurate balls, but I don't see it at all in practice. We're not missing the deep ball in practice, that's for sure, so it's just a matter of, on Sundays, hitting 'em."
That led to a report from CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora that Arians' public comments were "clearly not going unnoticed."
After the Buccaneers 27-24 loss to the Chiefs in Week 12, Brady and Arians appear to have figured something out. They have won their last seven games, with the offense averaging 34.3 points per game during that span.
Brady is averaging 313.3 passing yards per game with 19 touchdowns and four interceptions since Week 14.
Manning played 17 head-to-head games against Brady during his career. Brady had an 11-6 advantage in those matchups, though Manning won their last two playoff meetings in the AFC Championship Game in 2013 and 2015.