Rodney Harrison: Brady 'Has Edge Over Manning in Terms of Leadership'

This is sure to rile up the natives but, well, Rodney Harrison built a career around that -- along with late hits, blows to the head, and 15 years of some pretty solid football.

Earlier today he announced his retirement from tackling fat guys for a living, as well as his plans for the future: studio analyst for NBC's Football Night in America, along with recently retired Colts coach Tony Dungy.

That's all well and good, and I think both will be fine additions to NBC's coverage. Truth be told, even as a Steelers fan, I liked Harrison. Sure, he prematurely ended Duce Staley's 2004 season*, but even if his methods were sometimes questionable, the guy was a game-changer. Sorta like the defensive version of Hines Ward but without all the grinning.

During a Wednesday conference call with Dungy to talk up their new gig, Harrison dropped some knowledge on the never-ending Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady debate. When the topic turned to former Colts' assistant coaches Tom Moore and Howard Mudd (they resigned last month because of pension issues), and Manning's subsequent frustrations with the news, Harrison offered this:

"This is something I've discussed with Coach Dungy and I think it gives Tom Brady the edge over Peyton Manning in terms of leadership. If this went on in New England, it wouldn't come out publicly. He wouldn't make a big fuss over it. So many guys are looking up to [Peyton] that once they sense panic, they get nervous. You have to control your emotions and not allow these things to get outside the walls. I have a lot of respect for Peyton Manning, but this is a guy that needs to control his emotions."

Look, Brady-Manning, Manning-Brady. The order doesn't really matter; they're the two best quarterbacks in the league. I think we can all agree on that. But does Harrison seriously think that Brady appears less publicly panicky than Manning?

I know, Bill Simmons fed his family off "Manning Face" bits up till 2006, but I've seen Brady publicly -- and animatedly -- ripping his teammates on the sidelines or in the huddle when they're not playing up to his expectations. And then there's this peculiar "keep our names out of your mouth" outburst from 2005. Because nothing screams "leader" like a quarterback busting out the disrespect card on a team fresh off its third Super Bowl this decade.

Other than the fact that he routinely wears out the Steelers, I couldn't care less how Brady carries himself on the field. It's just that I have no idea what Harrison's talking about. And neither does Dungy, apparently, who responded with, "I'm not sure I would agree it was panic."

Harrison's reply:

"As a player, it's your job to play football. This is OTAs. It's not even minicamp yet. There is no sense of panicing. These things can be worked out. He's been running the same offense for 11 years, it's not like it's new to him. That disappointed me, for him to publicly come out and say things. I thought it was a sense of panic."

As best I can tell, these are the comments from Manning that most disappoint Harrison: "I'm not sure everybody's on the same page in this building. I'm just trying to focus on playing quarterback well. ... It's not normal not having a full coaching staff ... I know we hired a couple of guys to come in, but these guys are learning. They're not offering a lot of coaching out there, I can assure you of that."

Translation: "I give up. The 2009 season is doomed. We don't have a chance. Oh, and Tom Brady owns me." - Peyton Manning.

Or maybe Harrison's insane. Because that's what I'm going with.

* rampant speculation!

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

6-03-2009 @ 4:01PM

bdyftns said...

Can't argue with that. Brady has shown much better poise than Payton. Peyton often shouts at his teammates when a play goes wrong, and does a lot of complaining on the sideline. Brady is just the opposite. I rather play for Brady for just that reason.....but as far as skills go for a Quarterback, you can't go wrong with either one. They are both the best in the NFL.

6-03-2009 @ 4:52PM

Omen1618 said...

Rodney Harrison, ha, more like Rodney Dangerfield. This is so ridiculous it must be a joke. Peyton and Brady are both very great, very different quarterbacks, for this fool to try and cheapen either of them proves his stupidity. We can only hope NBC wises up and gets rid of this idiot so we don't have to endure anymore of his half-cocked comments.

6-03-2009 @ 7:54PM

riordanwhfnf said...

neither one can take a hit. They both don't like being sacked and go after their O-line when they do.. I'll take Ben over them any day. put him behind a good line and you won't be taking about either one of those cry baybies

6-08-2009 @ 8:59PM

kim said...

You must have never watched Brady play, except for the last time he got hit he got up everytime to go on and win.

6-03-2009 @ 8:03PM

JoeMC83 said...

Harrison's hardly one to talk. He made a career out of late hits and dirty hits with his cocktail of HGH playing for a coach who cheats. And comparing him to Ward doesn't make any sense... Ward may block hard, but he plays clean. Then telling Dungy that he isn't a great leader? I think Dungy knows both Manning, leadership, and integrity better than anyone out of the Patriot Orgainzation.

6-03-2009 @ 8:22PM

nickstoli said...

Absolutely! Finally, someone speaking the truth about Manning. The news media has overhyped him from the get go.

Peyton winning the SB MVP just shows what a sham award it is.

6-03-2009 @ 8:57PM

YouFaceTheTick said...

Late hits? Blows to the head? The guy played Safety the way it's supposed to be played - like he wants to kill an opponent. If more guys played like Harrison, Lott and Steve Atwater then you'd have fewer WRs willing to come across the middle.

Harrison is a rare safety in today's super sissified NFL. Rather than playing smart and tough most of today's overhyped safeties rely on speed (Pollyprayermu) to make up for lack of sense or ball skill.

6-03-2009 @ 9:04PM

Ted said...

I'll take Brady over BOTH Manning's any day; and I am a Giants fan. There is Brady, Peyton and then everyone else.

6-04-2009 @ 1:22AM

necro5124 said...

So, hits to the head and late hits are the way the NFL is supposed to be played huh? If I wanted late hits and hits to the head, I'd piss some people off in a bar and go have a street fight. The NFL still features some enormous hits, but late hits and blows to the head don't prove anything. They just prove that you are weak yourself and need to do that to boost your ego. Rodney Harrison is an overrated, drug abusing wuss who should never even be uttered in the same breath as the hall of fame. As far as Brady and Manning go, both of them are great quarterbacks and both get animated on the sidelines. Don't even TRY to say Manning throws more hissy fits on the sidelines. Both do their share of complaining when something goes wrong, but that is what competitive players do. They show their emotion and play the game. Grow up and stop jumping on the bandwagon.

6-04-2009 @ 9:08AM

Prior to the early 2000s (after Payton and his crew whined), WRs were fair game. They could be pushed, prodded, hit while in the air and in general treated like rag dolls. Now if a CB even breathes on a WR they refs throw a flag. A WR goes up for the ball, misses it and if a SS lays a smack on him a flag is thrown for "hitting a defenseless player." That robs the game of the playing style that MADE Lott and Atwater. Safeties of the 70s, 80s and 90s earned reputations as guys who would take off a WRS head if the WR had the nads to cross the field.

Harrison is more like those players than today's media-hyped whiners (Bob Sanders and Troy PollyAnnaMu).

6-04-2009 @ 10:41AM

claytor said...

Lol, Tick , you are perhaps the dumbest comment dropper on this blog, and prolly should your card revoked. Troy is a whiner? Really. The guy who was pulled down BY HIS HAIR by Larry Johnson after a big interception, and didnt complain...the NFL started whining about haircuts. Peytons receivers helped cause safeties to stop playing hard? Wow...who knew. Funny, i thought it was the owners tiring of watching some guy they paid 10 times more for during the season than some of these overpaid "shutdown corners", and "big hit safeties", get sent to the sidelines because these guys couldnt stop said receiver PROPERLY, and resorted to cheap shots. Atwater was thought of as a dirty player at times, people just remember him because he tackled Okoye, who freaking hoo. So did a hundred other players. The irony in you dissing Troy while praising Lott is beyond insane, considering Troy is a former USC Trojan, and plays almost EXACTLY like Lott, he hits hard, snags ints, and plays the rush better than any other safety in the league. Im not even a Steelers fan saying this.

Lets also recall that last year Troy said the NFL was trying to turn football into flag football, but yes, hes a girly man. At least he doesnt need to deal drugs to parlay a quality NFL career, like Roidney did.

6-05-2009 @ 1:24AM

Claytor, here's a friendly tip: if you insult someone's intelligence you should proofread.

"Tick , you are perhaps the dumbest comment dropper on this blog, and prolly should your card revoked."

Another tip - it's football. Lighten up, Francis.

"Peytons receivers helped cause safeties to stop playing hard? Wow...who knew."

After the 2004 AFC Championship game the Colts whined up a storm to the NFL - so much so that the NFL changed the rules on defense/receiver contact:
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/5926505/

"The irony in you dissing Troy while praising Lott is beyond insane, considering Troy is a former USC Trojan, and plays almost EXACTLY like Lott, he hits hard, snags ints, and plays the rush better than any other safety in the league. Im not even a Steelers fan saying this."

What does the USC angle have to do with anything (other than the fact they both attended a 2nd tier school)? I watched Lott play from his days starting as a CB in SF to the sad time he toiled with the Jets. I see no similarities in how they play the game. PolyPrayer doesn't play injured, doesn't lay the wood on WRs and relies totally on his speed (thus no play while injured) to compensate for his lack of ability to read plays. He's like Seau was as a 20-something - all flash and speed, all freelancing with no discipline. Quoting anything Troy has to say is interesting. The man's not exactly right in the head. Troy claims he prays to an invisible paternal power in the sky between plays - http://www.bpsports.net/bpsports.asp?ID=6004 and http://www.steelersfever.com/editorials/0757.html - this is hardly a human you should ask any questions and expect a sensible answer.

To each his own. I respect the play and personalities of Atwater, Lott and Harrison. Troy - nope - he (like Dungy) is a beloved media figure and he seems to be a bit unhinged mentally (like Dungy).

6-04-2009 @ 1:25PM

soulcitysigma1914 said...

i hate the idea of Harrison in the booth. If you thought Collinsworth was biased...

6-05-2009 @ 10:27AM

dtenore said...

I don't think Collinsworth is biased, or, at least that isn't my gripe. I think he just sounds like an idiot who never played the game. Half the crap that comes out of his mouth leaves me scratching my head and wondering how he didn't get beat up by his teammates daily.

6-05-2009 @ 3:44AM

The point you're missing Tick, is the fact that these rules and regulations were already in place.

Key word: Already.

When someone says hey, quell the roidragers a smidge and oh, i dont know, CALL penalties on rules in place? Thats not whining to get special treatment. Lol, if youd like to discuss rules actually being created JUST for a single player, ask Tommy Boy, the tuck rule, and now the Brady rule concerning qbs getting hit (finally? sorry, Carson.) are a direct distinction between a team wanting rules enforced, and a team needing special rules crafted, including one practically on the fly during a game.

Troy plays hurt wayyyyyy more than you think, and no, hes not just speed, have you even watched a Steelers game? Again, i am NOT a Steelers fan, but ive watched Troy play, he hits hard, hes almost always up on the line either to blitz, play the run, or at least disguise the hell out of it, and makes key plays across the board, sometimes healthy, sometimes not. I admire Lott as well, but lets face it, the guy was a giant in the undersized receiver world of the 80's. Id loveeeee to see him flatten T.O. or Boldin. Towards the end of his career, yet still very talented, Okoye knocked him out cold. He missed a bunch of time as well, being physical takes a toll on the body. Keep in mind at this point in their careers, Troy has actually missed LESS games than Lott, and has similar stats.

Lol, not a Trojans fan either, but theyre far from a second tier school having won multiple nat titles and competing for another this decade alone. Troy is a surefire weirdo, ill give you that, but he has called the NFL on their merciless toning down of contact through the past few seasons, at one point wondering publicly if its a girls league.

The point is lost on this post. Its about Rodney, Tick, not whos whining where. Its about a guy who was selling ped's to teammates, and turned it all into a successful career. Id hardly call that successful. So he delivered a "heartfelt apology" AFTER he got popped by the F.B.I. and turned snitch to avoid jail? That warms the soul. Its beyond the normal use excuse, this guy was a direct part of the problem, one step above a user. I really dont care if it sustains a playing career, when youre done, youre done.

Harrison is a disgrace to the game, and ill say that about ANYONE who gets snapped up by the feds doing it, too.

6-05-2009 @ 11:04AM

i agree with you, and if speed was really a substitute for the ability to read plays as our friend here seems to suggest, then Chris Gamble and DeAngelo Hall would be among the elite NFL corners. And they are FAR from that.