Before Peyton Manning and Tom Brady can rewrite history in a matchup of two 10-0 teams – bettering their own mark from 2007 – Manning has some records of his own that he needs to get out of the way. And he has a chance to break two big ones on Sunday in his old backyard, Indianapolis. Joe Williams of The Irv and Joe Show isn’t so sure that the immensity of that task won’t be overwhelming for Manning.
Rewind to 2013 and Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos were steamrolling their way to a Super Bowl berth, flying high at 6-0 and awaiting a date with Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts at The House that Peyton Built, Lucas Oil Stadium. In his first return trip to Indy after a difficult divorce, Manning was emotionally overwhelmed and the Broncos were physically overwhelmed, falling 39-33. Manning was intercepted once and Ronnie Hillman and Trindon Holliday both lost fumbles. The pressure of the moment got to everyone.
Williams wonders if the same won’t hold true when Denver travels to Indy Sunday with a chance to deliver two all-time quarterbacking records for Manning. Brett Favre leads Manning by just 283 in career passing yards and the two legendary quarterbacks are currently tied with 186 wins. How badly does Manning want to break both of those records in the place he called home for 14 years? Williams thinks the answer is incomprehensible.
The real question is whether or not Manning can keep the emotions in check enough to deliver on both of those records. As the 3-5 Colts try and remain atop the pitiful AFC South, a signature win against the undefeated Broncos could be the boost they need to propel a season turnaround. The Colts started the year with Super Bowl aspirations. This may be their Super Bowl.
On the other side sits the New England Patriots, who haven’t just won every game they’ve played this year, they’ve dominated. Their 7-0 record looks markedly different than the Broncos, who have had to scratch and claw their way to perfection. The woeful Redskins pose little threat against the Pats, but a longtime nemesis meet them in two weeks in the form of Eli Manning and the New York Giants, who get home field when they face the unbeaten Patriots. Eli has made a habit of beating Brady, winning in their last three meetings, including two Super Bowls and the infamous Super Bowl XLII that derailed a Pats’ perfect season.
Eli and Peyton are kin, Williams reminds us, and little brother would love nothing more than to hand big brother’s nemesis a loss just two weeks before the two square off in a potentially historic game. In addition to his Brady-beating penchant, Eli’s also built a reputation for stealing the spotlight from Peyton (2:1 ring ratio). Williams says he wouldn’t be totally surprised if a struggling Giants team digs deep and scratches out a win to make the showdown of two 10-0 teams only a figment of our imagination.
