What is Tom Brady's record against the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL?
Tom Brady has had a lot of different rivals during his long NFL career, but perhaps the most notable has been the Indianapolis Colts because of his own personal rivalry with longtime Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.
Brady and Manning are two legendary NFL quarterbacks who are friends. The two are also completely opposite to each other. Manning, a first-overall pick tailor-made to become a legendary quarterback and one who never had any doubters; and Brady, the unathletic sixth-round pick who worked his way from the bottom to stardom.
Brady will be playing the Indianapolis Colts this week as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers go against the AFC South team. Will he be as successful as he was during his time with the New England Patriots?
Taming the Colts: Brady's record against Indianapolis
Tom Brady holds an astonishing 15-4 record against the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL. In playoff games, Brady holds a 4-1 record.
Even though Brady and Manning were two immensely great quarterbacks, the differences between the rest of their teams were also huge. Under Bill Belichick's guidance, the Patriots always had strong players to support Brady, while Manning didn't have the same luck during his career with the Colts.
Brady obviously never played against the Colts in the Super Bowl because they play in the same conference as the Patriots, so the greatest stage he could've played against them at would be the AFC Championship Game. It happened twice, with a win each for both sides: in 2003, Manning threw four interceptions, while in 2006, Indianapolis overcame a 21-3 deficit.
When Brady became a free agent in 2020, some people even speculated whether the Colts would consider signing him. On paper, it made sense: they had enough money to sign him and build around him, and they had just finished the 2019 season where Andrew Luck had retired abruptly.
When the Buccaneers go against Indianapolis on Sunday, Brady will need to keep all those memories aside and focus on what should be a vital game for Tampa Bay's aspirations for the season. They have the NFC South under control, but the goal is to be the first seed in the NFC and lock home field advantage. Every game matters a lot. Brady knows how to beat the Colts, and he'll need to do it again.
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