What I remember about Archie was that he was a great college QB and a very good pro on some really bad teams. I guess he was like a Fran Tarkenton. To compare him to current QB's, I guess Mike Vick or Doug Flutie? Archie was a drop back QB that ran for his life! I don't think they had free agency back then (or the compensation was too high) so it took longer to build teams. When the Saints came into the league they didn't get luxury of drafting players before their first game. They had to play their first season before they participated in the draft.
I grew up in New Orleans and remember Archie very well. Archie could have been in the same league as Stabler, Bradshaw and Staubach but played on some of the worst teams in the history of the NFL. I believe he held the record for being sacked the most times but that may have been broken. And back then the Saints defense was as bad or worse than the offensive line. His MVP award in '79 was the only time that award went to a player on a team that did not have a winning record (Saints were 8-8 in '79).
There is an NFL films documentary about Archie's career and Bill Walsh is interviewed and he said that had Archie played for the Steelers, Raiders or Cowboys, he would have won multiple Super Bowls.
Archie was a better scrambler than Peyton and Eli. His arm was slightly weaker than his sons' in my opinion. He had a funky sidearm delivery as a result of years of baseball including starting at shortstop for Ole Miss. I think Archie's greatest asset was his toughness and his class. He got the living shit beat out of him every week and he never complained. He never experienced a winning season in his entire career and he never complained. The Saints ownership at the time was a complete joke and he never complained. He got traded to Houston for a washed up, beer bellyd Ken Stabler and never said a word. He was never busted for drugs, drunk driving, steroids, beating his wife, toting guns, banging whores etc.
I used to live across the street from the Mannings from '82-'84 and know them fairly well. You will not find a better human being than Archie Manning. I still have my autographed 8x12 (which is a photo of Archie dropping back to pass with Freddy Dryer coming from the blindside about to clean his clock) and have fond memories of Cooper and Peyton playing my Intellivision.
It's hard to say if Archie was better than Peyton. Peyton has a MUCH better supporting cast, coaching staff and ownership. I'd say Peyton also had the huge advantage of a lifetime of learning from an accomplished NFL QB while Archie was winging it and running for his life.
Peyton has a chance to accomplish allot more than Archie, but I think Archie could have had the same success or more had he had the same circumstances.
There is an NFL films documentary about Archie's career and Bill Walsh is interviewed and he said that had Archie played for the Steelers, Raiders or Cowboys, he would have won multiple Super Bowls.
Archie was a better scrambler than Peyton and Eli. His arm was slightly weaker than his sons' in my opinion. He had a funky sidearm delivery as a result of years of baseball including starting at shortstop for Ole Miss. I think Archie's greatest asset was his toughness and his class. He got the living shit beat out of him every week and he never complained. He never experienced a winning season in his entire career and he never complained. The Saints ownership at the time was a complete joke and he never complained. He got traded to Houston for a washed up, beer bellyd Ken Stabler and never said a word. He was never busted for drugs, drunk driving, steroids, beating his wife, toting guns, banging whores etc.
I used to live across the street from the Mannings from '82-'84 and know them fairly well. You will not find a better human being than Archie Manning. I still have my autographed 8x12 (which is a photo of Archie dropping back to pass with Freddy Dryer coming from the blindside about to clean his clock) and have fond memories of Cooper and Peyton playing my Intellivision.
It's hard to say if Archie was better than Peyton. Peyton has a MUCH better supporting cast, coaching staff and ownership. I'd say Peyton also had the huge advantage of a lifetime of learning from an accomplished NFL QB while Archie was winging it and running for his life.
Peyton has a chance to accomplish allot more than Archie, but I think Archie could have had the same success or more had he had the same circumstances.
I agree with datrout that we will never know how good Archie could have been as he played on some horrendous Saints teams. I wonder what his stats would have been say if he had James and Harrison or Faulk and Holt or some tandem comparable. Though his record and stats will never be as good as both Eli and Peyton, I will always respect Archie Manning for being a great quarterback.
Key point. Expansion teams back then were not given free agent players like now. That first year Saint team was maybe the worst ever, save for Tampa Bay. Archie was the star player on a horrible team. Too bad the average Joe will never know how good he was, and would have been with any kind of support.
