Esiason On Toucher & Rich: No Quarterback Could've Beaten Seattle Last Night
BOSTON (CBS) - Boomer Esiason of WFAN and CBS Sports believes last night's Super Bowl loss has no bearing on Peyton Manning's legacy because no quarterback could've gotten a win against that Seattle team.
"Peyton Manning has a lot of questions to answer, but quite frankly I don't know if there's another quarterback in the NFL that could have beat the Seattle Seahawks. The only team that maybe could've kept it close was San Francisco because those two teams hate each other so much, and a rivalry like that brings out the best in each team."
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Manning won his fifth NFL Most Valuable Player award over the weekend, and another Super Bowl ring would've made for great offseason fodder for which quarterback, Brady or Manning, is the best of this generation.
Luckily for Patriots fans that didn't happen - but Esiason said on Toucher & Rich Monday morning that Manning's latest big game loss doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.
"I appreciate everything that Peyton Manning has done. He is going to be on the Mt. Rushmore of quarterbacks right next to Tom Brady when you think about what he's accomplished throughout his career and how well he has played - even given last night's performance. There's going to be a lot of people talking about last night, but his legacy is already cemented in my eyes. Nobody has to explain what happened to me."
On the team that beat Manning, Esiason thinks the Seahawks have a chance for sustained success.
"The Seahawks are a young, fast and aggressive team that doesn't have to pay it's quarterback big money until the year after next, so this team will be a formidable foe all the way through next year. I wouldn't be surprised to see them in Phoenix in Super Bowl 49."
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Despite Peyton Manning accounting for three turnovers (2 INTs, 1 fumble), Esiason believes the brunt of the blame lies in Denver's offensive tackles.
"Manning's offensive tackles got their butts whipped by Seattle's defensive ends [Michael] Bennett, Cliff Avril and Chris Clemons. They beat the heck out of those guys, and unfortunately for Manning it forced him into some interceptions. Denver was just not ready for the speed of the Seattle defense."
Listen below for Boomer's take on Joe Namath's coat, how to build a team to beat Seattle and future potential cold weather Super Bowls:
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