A little over a year ago, after the Colts lost to the Patriots in their postseason contest, Boomer Esiason said on national television, “I think maybe Peyton (Manning) is this generation’s Dan Marino.” 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’m telling you, not with that defense.”
Marino, who was on set, was offended by the reference, responding, “Oh, wait a minute. I made it to a Super Bowl.” Marino made a nice comment, but still, Esiason seemed to be on target by not blaming any of the quarterbacks for his missteps, but rather the guys on the other side of the ball: his weak defenses.
Fast forward to January 15, 2006, almost exactly one year from the date Esiason made his comments. What was different this time around for Peyton Manning and the Colts? The Colts seemed to have the complete package: great running and passing offense, a solid offensive line, and excellent defense. Everything was in line for Manning-Mania to take full effect, especially after such a spectacular regular season.
But once again, in 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 deluge 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 may generate stats, he may be unable to seal the deal and bring a championship to Indianapolis.
No matter how much you respect Peyton Manning and her incredible regular-season performances, 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 hit 15 TDs, threw 8 INTs and was sacked 13 times. There are quarterbacks, most recently Tom Brady, who usually 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, which means that when everything is copacetic, they hum but let something like blitz take their rhythm away and they break down.
Some people point out that perhaps he has too much control over offense, constantly changing and adjusting plays at scrimmage, and when things go wrong, it’s almost impossible for Manning to adapt. Others claim that he simply can’t handle the pressure of a big game situation. Some blame others on the team. After losing to the Steelers this postseason, Peyton Manning did something he’d never done before; point fingers at his companions.
Then there’s Peyton’s younger brother, Eli, who just finished his second NFL season and his first professional postseason. Against the Carolina Panthers, Eli Manning completed 10 of 18 passes, threw three interceptions, was sacked four times and lost a fumble as the Giants were humiliated by their opponents 23 to close. 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 through Giants Stadium and fans rushed out.
Coolness 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 turn the tide.
Perhaps one should ask, “What would father and former NFL QB 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 – Step aside?
