February 8, 2010
As a New York Football Giants fan, every Super Bowl will be measured by the 42nd edition of the great America game.  Until the day I die, the first Sunday of February will always flash back to 2008, when the Giants shocked the undefeated Patriots to win their 3rd Super Bowl in franchise history.  Even in the aftermath of the Steelers-Cardinals game last year, one of the great sporting events of the 21st Century, I was immediately drawing comparisons to the Super Bowl that came before it.  The defining contest of the biggest sporting event in America. Last night was an especially specific case of deja vu.  As with Super Bowl XLII, Super Bowl XLIV featured a Manning brother walking onto the field in the closing minutes of the championship game needing to score a touchdown.  Peyton needed to score a touchdown to tie, Eli needed to score a touchdown to win, but the circumstances other than that were virtually similar.  A touchdown in the final minutes of the Super Bowl were absolutely necessary. A great quarterback from the most famous family in football, Peyton Manning is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time.  Only 34 years old, he is already ranked #1 in Passing Yards Per Game (261.1), #4 all time in Completions (4,232), #4 in Passing Yards (50,128), #3 in passing TDs (366), #5 Quarterback Rating (95.2).  He has a Super Bowl ring and more MVP awards (4) than anyone in the history of the league.  Eli Manning is a fine QB in his own right, one of the ten best in the league. However, his place in history is perhaps the best Giants QB ever.  Peyton Manning’s ceiling is best QB in the long and storied history of the National Football League.  But in what may have been the defining Super Bowl of his NFL career and the most important drive of his football life, Peyton Manning threw an interception TD to Tracy Porter that ended the Colts chances of winning their second championship in four years.  The indelible moment of Super Bowl XLII was Eli Manning desperately breaking free from two sacks, heaving a Hail Mary pass down the field, which David Tyree caught with one hand and his helmet.  The indelible moment of Super Bowl XLIV was Peyton Manning getting thrown to the turf as Porter raced towards the end zone and football immortality.  Peyton Manning still has many years ahead to establish himself as the greatest quarterback of all time.  If he stays healthy and plays into his 40s, he could hold every major quarterback record.  But for now, in terms of Super Bowl wins, he’s still tied with his little brother.

As a New York Football Giants fan, every Super Bowl will be measured by the 42nd edition of the great America game.  Until the day I die, the first Sunday of February will always flash back to 2008, when the Giants shocked the undefeated Patriots to win their 3rd Super Bowl in franchise history.  Even in the aftermath of the Steelers-Cardinals game last year, one of the great sporting events of the 21st Century, I was immediately drawing comparisons to the Super Bowl that came before it.  The defining contest of the biggest sporting event in America.

Last night was an especially specific case of deja vu.  As with Super Bowl XLII, Super Bowl XLIV featured a Manning brother walking onto the field in the closing minutes of the championship game needing to score a touchdown.  Peyton needed to score a touchdown to tie, Eli needed to score a touchdown to win, but the circumstances other than that were virtually similar.  A touchdown in the final minutes of the Super Bowl were absolutely necessary.

A great quarterback from the most famous family in football, Peyton Manning is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time.  Only 34 years old, he is already ranked #1 in Passing Yards Per Game (261.1), #4 all time in Completions (4,232), #4 in Passing Yards (50,128), #3 in passing TDs (366), #5 Quarterback Rating (95.2).  He has a Super Bowl ring and more MVP awards (4) than anyone in the history of the league.  Eli Manning is a fine QB in his own right, one of the ten best in the league. However, his place in history is perhaps the best Giants QB ever.  Peyton Manning’s ceiling is best QB in the long and storied history of the National Football League. 

But in what may have been the defining Super Bowl of his NFL career and the most important drive of his football life, Peyton Manning threw an interception TD to Tracy Porter that ended the Colts chances of winning their second championship in four years.  The indelible moment of Super Bowl XLII was Eli Manning desperately breaking free from two sacks, heaving a Hail Mary pass down the field, which David Tyree caught with one hand and his helmet.  The indelible moment of Super Bowl XLIV was Peyton Manning getting thrown to the turf as Porter raced towards the end zone and football immortality. 

Peyton Manning still has many years ahead to establish himself as the greatest quarterback of all time.  If he stays healthy and plays into his 40s, he could hold every major quarterback record.  But for now, in terms of Super Bowl wins, he’s still tied with his little brother.