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3-Wide: Which quarterback has had a better career - Tom Brady or Peyton Manning?

Stew Milne / US PRESSWIRE

3-Wide is a weekly feature in which theScore's NFL editors debate the hot topics around the league. Grab a cold towel and brace for hot takes.

Which quarterback has had the better career: Peyton Manning or Tom Brady?

Michael Amato: If the question was who has been the better of the two or who would you rather have, I would probably go with Manning. But since it's who had the better career, I'll say Brady. You definitely can't compare quarterbacks based on Super Bowl rings, but at the end of the day, you know Manning would trade away all his records for Brady's three championships. Granted, Brady had the advantage of having arguably the best coach ever but his ability to rise to the occasion when the game mattered most can't be ignored. Add his Super Bowls to his longevity, great numbers and the fact he quarterbacked a team to a perfect season, and Brady's had a career that will likely never be duplicated. 

Joe Thomson: Peyton Manning has had the better career, dominating Brady in every passing stat you can find. The only argument in favor of Brady is Super Bowl victories (3-to-1), but wins are a team stat and Brady's three Super Bowl wins came when the Patriots boasted exceptional defenses. Consider that Brady didn't actually begin thriving as an above average passer until the 2007 season and all of his best seasons have come since the last Patriots Super Bowl. Manning himself would probably aw-shucks his way to a self effacing answer and say Brady because of the rings, but all objective observers should give him the nod.

Gino Bottero: Since wins are a team stat, Manning's the guy. While many will be quick to point out that he's played in a very quarterback-friendly era, Manning has still been head and shoulders above his peers. When he finally hangs them up, Peyton will be the all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns. It's hard to argue he isn't the best quarterback of all time without mentioning the accomplishments of other quarterbacks' teams. That's not to say that Brady is a scrub, but few can hold a candle to Manning's body of work.

Who will be the next head coach to be fired?

Thomson: I'm going to go with the 5-3 Bills' Doug Marrone. Looking at the Bills' schedule, they have a good shot at losing five of their next six games – setting up a Week 16 matchup with the historically bad Oakland Raiders. The Raiders will win their first game and carry Tony Sparano past an exasperated Jim Schwartz and into the locker room. I believe Marrone will be fired before the Bills' plane leaves the tarmac. Seriously, new owner Terry Pegula will want to bring in his own regime and, if the Bills falter, I think he will before the season ends.

Bottero: A tough question because a lot of the top candidates have a little extra job security by virtue of their specialties. The Jets' Rex Ryan and the Bears' Marc Trestman would each be hired as coordinators in a heartbeat should they become available. Trestman is a bit of a long shot given what he's been able to do with the team's offense, but with reports of infighting compounding the disappointing season the team has endured, the organization may be forced to make a move.

Amato: It's probably between Rex Ryan and Mike Smith, but I'll say Smith. Or at least it should be Smith. He has so much more talent than Ryan to work with and the Falcons have been terrible for a good season and a half now. When you also consider the fact that Smith has to be one of the worst coaches ever in regards to game management, it's time for Atlanta to find someone new to patrol the sideline.

Which six-win team is most likely to falter in the second half of the season?

Bottero: The Lions have endured some real struggles over the past couple of weeks and each time escaped with a late victory. It's a weird set of results, because typically the Lions lose games the way their opponents have been losing them. The team will come back from its bye with, in all likelihood, a healthy Calvin Johnson, but the loss of Nick Fairley will hurt them just as much – the Lions' defensive front has been the team's biggest asset through the first half of the season. Consecutive road games at Arizona and New England could throw the team into a tailspin. 

Amato: As good as they have played this season, it's the Dallas Cowboys. The defense is still very vulnerable and the loss of linebacker Justin Durant is going to hurt more than people realize. DeMarco Murray and the offensive line have been carrying this team, but there's no way Murray can continue at this pace the rest of the way. If he keeps getting the ball 25 times a game, he is eventually going to break down. That's going to put more pressure on an already banged up Tony Romo. Dallas will face the Cardinals, Colts and Eagles twice in the second half of the year and, given how competitive the NFC is, there won't be much room for error.

Thomson: The Dallas Cowboys. A great way to send your team into a downward spiral is to conspicuously undermine your head coach's authority on the sideline and then publicly bully your ailing quarterback into playing "through the pain." Jerry Jones runs this team like a gambling addict throwing together three-team teases at 12:50 on a Sunday. He can't help but tinker and this will all end in disaster. The Cowboys still have to face the Cardinals, Colts and Eagles twice so I think they get 8 or 9 wins, lose the NFC East and miss the playoffs.

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