Bill Belichick thinks Peyton Manning is the greatest quarterback he's ever coached against.
"I mean, he's great, he's obviously a great quarterback," Belichick told reporters Wednesday. "The best quarterback I've coached against."
While the gravity of that statement may be lost in another mundane mid-week press conference, it's worth noting that Belichick has coached against Dan Marino and Joe Montana. He's faced all of the modern-era greats, including Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers.
"Not to take anything away from the Montanas, Marinos and Elways or whoever is up there with those guys, but he is tough," Belichick said.
In the coming years, the rivalry between Tom Brady and Manning will be one of the most fun to look back on. Perhaps by then, Belichick will be out of the weekly grind and more willing to explain what put Manning above everyone else in his mind.
Also, we'd like to hear how, in 22 regular-season matchups, Belichick has still maintained a winning record (12-10) against Manning, including a 10-5 run with Brady as his quarterback.
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