Manning and Manning: can either brother win the Big One?
Just over a year ago, after the Colts lost to the Pats in their postseason contest, Boomer Esiason said on national television, “I think maybe Peyton (Manning) is the Dan Marino of this generation.” Esiason went on to say that Manning “is a great football player, but he’s not going to make it to the Super Bowl, I tell you, not with that defense.”
Marino, who was on set, took offense at the reference and replied, “Oh wait a minute. I made it to a Super Bowl.” Marino made a good point, but still, Esiason seemed to be on target by blaming none of the quarterbacks for his failures, but rather the guys on the other side of the ball, their weak defenses.
Fast forward to January 15, 2006, almost exactly one year after the date Esiason made his comments. What was different this time for Peyton Manning and the Colts? The Colts seemed to have the complete package: a great running and passing attack, a solid offensive line, and excellent defense. Everything was lined up for Manning-Mania to have full effect, especially after such a spectacular regular season.
But once again, under the glare of the national spotlight, in a great playoff game and under the kind of pressure he had rarely seen all season, Peyton Manning collapsed. This latest derailment of Colt’s Super Bowl Express generated a barrage of disparaging comments from many writers and commentators, including William C. Rhoden of the NY Times. Two days after the loss, Rhoden dubbed Manning “the king of stats but the prince of NFL quarterbacks” in the sense that while he can generate stats, he may be unable to close the deal and bring a championship to Indianapolis.
No matter how much you respect Peyton Manning and his incredible performances in the regular season, it’s hard to argue with the facts. In eight seasons, the Colt QB has led his team to the playoffs six times, where he is 3-6. In those nine games, he has hit 15 touchdowns, throws 8 interceptions and is sacked 13 times. There are quarterbacks, most recently Tom Brady, who generally manage to rise to the occasion in the big game, deftly dealing with a panoply of adversity. And then there are those like Manning, usually capable of running like finely tuned precision machines, meaning that when everything is copacetic they hum but let something like a blitz alter their rhythm and break.
Some people point out that maybe he has too much control over offense, constantly changing and adjusting plays on the line of scrimmage, and when things go wrong it’s almost impossible for Manning to adapt. Others claim that you just can’t handle the pressure of a major gambling situation. Some blame others on the team. After losing to the Steelers this postseason, Peyton Manning did something he had never done before; point the finger at your teammates.
Then there’s Peyton’s younger brother Eli, who just finished his second NFL season and first professional postseason. Against the Carolina Panthers, Eli Manning completed 10 of 18 passes, threw three interceptions, was sacked four times and fumbled when the Giants were humiliated by 23 opponents for shooting. At one point in the game, it seemed as if Eli Manning thought his job was to get the ball to the Panthers as boos echoed around Giants Stadium and fans rushed to the exits.
Coldness under pressure: is this a Manning trait? Or do Peyton and Eli share some kind of panic gene? For Eli, it’s too early to tell, and with Peyton, there’s still time to change course.
Perhaps one should ask, “What would Dad and former NFL quarterback Archie Manning do?” There’s no answer to that question: In 15 NFL seasons, Archie never came close to making the playoffs.
Time will tell what the true legacy of the Manning brothers will be. Dan Marino: Move?