On Sunday, Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau will celebrate his 75th birthday. And Peyton Manning will be jumping out of the cake.
As explained by Peter King of SI.com in his Friday “Game Plan” column for SI.com, LeBeau will commemorate the diamond anniversary of his birth by facing a quarterback who has been playing in the NFL for one-fifth of the time LeBeau has been alive.
“That’s not a real appetizing part of this birthday, trying to defend one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time,” LeBeau told King. “But honestly, playing the game Sunday soothes the fact that it’s my 75th a little bit.”
The fact that Manning is getting older doesn’t make it any easier to face Peyton.
“I don’t see much difference in him, quite honestly,” LeBeau said. “I had a chance to play Bobby Layne, Y.A. Tittle and Norm Van Brocklin late in their careers, and the reason they stayed so dangerous as players is because they knew how to play the position. I believe the quarterback position is more how you manage the game anyway. And I saw that with Peyton in the preseason: He did everything he needed to do to show he still can play the position at a high level.”
He’s played at a high level against LeBeau over the years. Despite Manning’s notorious struggles against the 3-4 defense, he’s 6-1 when facing LeBeau’s version of it.
LeBeau will try to keep Peyton from going 7-1 on the day the Hall of Famer turns 7-5.