Sunday night features two young brothas with championship dreams dueling one another in the Northwest corridor, but the two veteran brothers who met in Sunday afternoon's premier battle once shared a hallway and have already made the NFL's championship climb. The third Manning Bowl may be the last because the Broncos and Giants likely won’t play each other again until 2017. One thing is clear though. If there’s going to be a Manning playing in a New York/Jersey Super Bowl, it’ll be Peyton deebowing Eli’s digs for two weeks in early 2014. There are as many differences between Eli and Peyton as there similarities.
Eli has one of the greatest postseason reputations in NFL history. You can poll 100 people and a vast majority may agree that Peyton is the greatest regular season quarterback in league history. His postseason resume is disproportionate to his regular season production.
The problem for Eli’s Giants has always been reaching the playoffs. He’s reached the playoffs in only half of his 10 seasons. Peyton hasn’t missed the playoffs since 2001.
Eli and Peyton are heading in opposite directions. Eli has been Peyton's man in the mirror. While Eli's been bad. Peyton has been Michael Jackson Bad. Like looking in a mirror, everything is in reverse for the Manning bros this season. Whenever, Peyton throws touchdowns, Eli throws a pick. Peyton is 2-0. Eli is 0-2. Through the first two weeks of 2013, Eli has thrown three more touchdowns than interceptions. Conversely, big bro, Peyton has more thrown for more touchdowns in the first two weekends of the season that any player in NFL history. Nine touchdowns to zero interceptions has him atop his perch as one of the most valuable players in the league. That’s not surprising though.
A shock to the system has been watching Eli frivolously lobbing balls into coverage. His fourth interception against the Cowboys last week, halted their comeback bid. Who knew that was as good as it would get? Eli’s four touchdowns and seven interceptions is Sanchez-like. They never even had a chance in the fourth quarter against Denver’s porous defense.
The Giants are investing plenty of coin in their wide receiving corps, but Eli has become a detriment to their playoff cause. Hurricane Eli’s become a walking disaster under center. Moving forward, Giants fans have to hope they’ve escaped the eye of the storm with a 0-2 record.
It’s unlikely. At least not until the Giants start churning out yards on the ground. Until then, secondaries are going to be waiting for Eli to dropback and to make ill-advised throws to force the offense. The Giants brought 31-year-old Brandon Jacobs into the fold after David Wilson dribbled it like A.I. on the AT&T Stadium artificial turf in week one.
Throwback Jacobs reached the end zone in the second half and “Coughdrop Wilson” went an entire four quarters without vomiting the football all over the field. Unfortunately, the newest reincarnation of thunder and lightning couldn’t get a charge, gaining only 21 yards on 14 carries.
Mirroring the continued boondoggle in the Giants backfield on Sunday was the Broncos breakthrough performance by Knowshon Moreno.
Peyton is letting things come to him. Moreno buoyed the Broncos rushing attack on Sunday with 93 yards on 13 carries and two touchdown runs. Peyton tacked on another 307 yards and two passing scores.
After Sunday’s Bronco stampede over the Giants defense, Eli is 0-3 against his brother Peyton. Peyton may never win more rings than his little brother, but he’ll always have bragging rights.
