To break Tom Brady and Peyton Manning’s joint stronghold on the AFC playoffs in the new millennium, it took an overwhelming amount of defensive firepower, but Ray Lewis was one of the most reliable suppliers.
Lewis made 21 postseason appearances, and nearly one-third of them were against Brady and Manning’s frequent aerial assaults. All but four of the first 20 AFC title game editions in the new century showcased the abilities of Lewis, Brady, Manning, or some combination of them. So, while amateur and professional observers continue to argue about the relative talents of Brady and Manning, Lewis’ status as one of the game’s defensive icons is cemented.
Lewis took a stand in the ongoing argument, choosing the skills of the former Indianapolis Colt/Denver Bronco because of the manner the meticulous linebacker had to alter his preparation regimens before their games, when he appeared on the online series STAT Sports with Rob “Lep” Lepelstat.
“I think Manning forced me to change my game as a quarterback and as a student of the game,” Lewis remarked. “He made me watch more film and that’s what I call the greatest quarterback, to me, me and his battle.”
“Brady, of course (has) rings, but when you talk about just walking out there and seeing a man knowing that whoo, here we go again, Peyton Manning was rough.”
In three postseason meetings, Lewis and Manning split the two sets that they played each other. In the successful 38-35 thriller versus Denver in the 2012–13 AFC Divisional playoff, the linebacker stood out with 17 stops, including one for a loss. Later, Lewis and company won the Ravens’ second Super Bowl.
