Not too long ago, Tony Dungy was one of the more respected minds in football. Now he only seems to make news when he says or does something that upsets a lot of people, whether it was his comments about Michael Sam, him giving Bobby Wagner an MVP vote in 2014 or, most recently, him ranking Tom Brady as the sixth best quarterback since 1978 on ESPN.com’s “GOAT index.”

That’s right: The former Colts coach doesn’t even have Brady in his top-5 best quarterbacks. At least that’s what headlines across the interwebs say. And, of course, he is being ripped for that opinion. If Dungy should be ripped for anything, though, it should be him misunderstanding his assignment.

Unlike the rest of the panel, which included names like Wade Phillips and Norv Turner, Dungy took a different approach to the exercise, as ESPN’s Mike Sando explains…

Via ESPN.com:

Dungy threw an interesting curveball. He approached the project as if he were a defensive coordinator drawing up a game plan. Dungy saw skilled passers across the board when looking at the best QBs. He reasoned that those who also were dangerous runners were the toughest quarterbacks to stop, which is why his top three comprised John Elway, Steve Young and Aaron Rodgers. Brady might own the best career credentials, but those other guys presented additional challenges.

So calm down, New England. This wasn’t a former Colts coach holding a vendetta against Tawmmy and the Pats. Peyton Manning didn’t even crack his top-3! This was a defensive-minded coach approaching the question like a coach who had to gameplan for these quarterbacks. So it’s no surprise that Dungy went with three of the most talented mobile quarterbacks who have ever played the game: Elway, Young and Rodgers.

This is not as hot a take as the headlines suggest. Ask any defensive coach around the league; mobile quarterbacks who also pose a threat from the pocket are just a nightmare to gameplan for.

A guy like Brady? Not so much. Not because he isn’t great — for the record, he’s No. 1 on my list of the best QBs ever — but because it doesn’t take a complex gameplan to beat him. You need corners who can match-up in tight man-to-man coverage and a defensive line that can get after the quarterback without the aid of a blitz. In fact, getting too complex is when you get into trouble against a quarterback like Brady. He’ll recognize any disguise or pressure you draw up and punish you for it.

Pardon the cliche, but beating Brady isn’t about the X’s and O’s, it’s about the Jimmys and Joes — and those Jimmy and Joes executing at a ridiculously high level.

Still not convinced? Take it from NFL coaches. Sports Illustrated’s Andy Benoit asked a dozen defensive coaches at the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine who they’d rather face, Colin Kaepernick or Peyton Manning. Their answer might surprise you…

Benoit writes:

A solid majority said they’d prefer to face Manning… A man who many—and especially those inside the NFL—agree is one of the five greatest quarterbacks of all time feels less threatening to opponents than a callow fourth-year pro who is still not always comfortable reading the field. None of those coaches were saying Kaepernick is a better quarterback than Manning, they were just saying he’s more stressful to face. Manning might be able to cut a defense with greater depth and regularity than Kaepernick, but at least the defense knows in what ways he can cut them. With Kaepernick, there’s a terrifying unpredictability.

So, no, Dungy probably doesn’t think John Elway has a better career resume than Tom Brady. He’d just have a much more difficult time preparing for the former, which makes a lot of sense.

So stop complaining about Dungy and let’s focus on the real monster here: Ray Rhodes. This guy had Eli Manning in his top-10. Eli Manning! Unacceptable, Ray.