Manning irony not lost on Indy fans

INDIANAPOLIS -- The people of Indianapolis will likely never see a Manning do great things wearing their colours again, but they can take solace that they were able to watch one win a Super Bowl on their field.

Little brother Eli Manning took his brother's town for a ride Sunday night, driving his New York Giants to a 21-17 win over the New England Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium. Peyton Manning sat high up away from the field and watched his brother pull off another fourth-quarter world championship win.

The older Manning has been reduced to watching his brother win of late, and while once it could be said that Peyton was a Hall of Famer and Eli had some growing up to do, there is a new conversation to be had.

Archie Manning's sons have now won three Super Bowls between them and both are headed to the Hall. Peyton has the big numbers but his one Super Bowl win now looks a touch tiny compared to Eli's pair.

Just 31 and playing for a Giants organization that knows how to spend and is led by an elite coach in Tom Coughlin, no one will be surprised if Manning soon adds a third title.

The unassuming Eli has proven to be one of the deadliest late-game players we've ever seen. Both his championship wins have come against the Patriots and the duo of quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick. No easy feat.

Brady has three Super Bowl wins and now, two losses. He's become Roger Staubach to Eli's Terry Bradshaw.

Manning started the game a perfect 9-for-9 and he finished 30-for-40 with 296 yards and one touchdown. No interceptions and no fumbles. He made big plays and no big mistakes. He outgunned Brady on the biggest one-day stage in all of sport. He was brilliant and clutch. Sure, football is a team game but it can be said that without Manning the Giants would not have won. That can't be said about any of his teammates.

"I don't need to say anything about Eli. I shouldn't say anything about Eli. Two hundred and twenty-eight countries just saw Eli. I don't have to say anything," said Giants running back Brandon Jacobs.

Manning's fourth-quarter heroics have been building all season. He took a 7-7 club on the cusp of missing the post-season and pushed them to six straight wins including the Super Bowl. The Giants spent the whole season on the ropes with Manning often the only one swinging. Fifteen fourth-quarter touchdowns by Manning as he led the first 9-7 team to a Super Bowl win.

Manning also made the Giants the first team to ever defeat four teams with better regular-season records in one post-season. Named MVP after the game, Manning is just the fifth player to win the award twice and the 11th quarterback to start and win multiple Super Bowls.

All but Ben Roethlisberger (still active) and Jim Plunkett are in the Hall of Fame. So too will Eli. Bet on it.

Brady was betrayed by his receivers late in the game. They made several key drops on a drive that would have allowed him to put away the game and leave Manning with nothing left but to meet his big brother for a late-night snack before slipping out of town.

Instead the Patriots handed the ball over to the Giants with 3:46 left on the clock and just two points separating the clubs. A 38-yard pass to Mario Manningham to open the drive gave the Giants the ball on the 50 and Manning was in business.

Eight plays later and New York running back Ahmad Bradshaw was able to literally walk into the end zone and give the Giants a 21-17 lead with just under a minute left to play.

Manning was the best fourth-quarter player all season and with one more chance, this one for a world championship, he again got it done.

The focus this week bounced back and forth from stories about Brady needing a win to be the greatest quarterback of all-time to where Peyton Manning would play next year.

That was a mistake. A mistake few will make again. Eli Manning is now worthy of being the centre of attention in any game he's in.

No matter who it is against or whose town it is in, Eli is the Manning.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @garylawless

Gary Lawless, Winnipeg Free Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 6, 2012 C1