This upcoming Monday night game between the Colts and Patriots may just be the most entertaining game to watch this season. Head to head, Tom Brady owns Peyton Manning, commanding a 6-1 lead in games played between the two, including the playoffs. But one may ask why Peyton Manning gets so much more media attention than any other player in the NFL. Why has “Hey little boy, do you mind signing my melon?” become part of our vocabulary?

The answer is simple. Manning matches no other when it comes to putting up individual statistics week in and week out. He is the face of the NFL, despite never winning a Super Bowl. But beyond the stats, what really separates Peyton Manning from Tom Brady? Manning’s inability to win the big game and Brady’s ability to rise to the challenge in big games over and over again.

Throughout the regular season, my attitude has always been to never bet against Manning or Brady. But now, these men are going up against each other in what will probably be the most thrilling game of the year to watch as a football fan. What side should you take? In the past five seasons, Brady has proved his worth in big games, and Manning has not. There’s your answer; stick with the Patriots.

Last year, the Patriots were not in good shape physically when they played the Colts. With all their injuries, they were forced to start little known Patrick Pass at running back and their starters in the secondary were all out as well; not a good situation when going up against the best offense in the NFL. The 40-21 final was misleading.

This year, Laurence Maroney is tearing apart opposing defenses, and a healthy Corey Dillon will be there to spot him going up against the worst rush defense in the NFL. This game is a classic tough-minded Patriots team vs. a finesse Colts team, and Brady and the Pats will prevail once again. And no, the fact that Vanderjagt and Vinatieri have switched teams will not make a difference. The only thing that confuses me is how Brady only places 10th on the list of hottest pro athletes.