Storyline: Peyton Manning's Quest for Immortality
Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Had Peyton Manning never played another snap after losing the entire 2011 season to a neck injury, he'd have been a mortal-lock first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Even the baseball voters couldn't screw that one up.
Well, it turns out Manning wasn't
quite done.
In his 16th NFL season, Manning re-wrote the single-season record book at the quarterback position. His 5,477 passing yards and 55 touchdown passes are both NFL records.
On February 1, Manning will win his fifth NFL MVP record. It's as certain as death and taxes.
Now Manning sits one win away from his second Super Bowl win, a victory that would place him among the top of the list of the best to ever play the game.
Manning is also quite literally the only player on either team who has tasted victory in the Super Bowl.
Of course, he's also tasted defeat. Teammate Eric Decker told Arnie Stapleton of The Associated Press (via ABC News) that Manning cautioned the Broncos to keep their eyes firmly on the prize:
Quote:
|
I think the biggest thing he's said is eliminate distractions, making sure you're taking care of the little details, doing extra, watching film, working out, getting your body right. And then I think the biggest thing is he says he's won one, he's lost one. And it's a complete high; it's a complete low. So, really understand to give everything you've got because this is the last game of the year.
|
With the game looking to be a chilly affair, the cold weather narrative that dogged Manning earlier in the year has also resurfaced.
However, with the weather in Denver on Friday even colder than New Jersey is expected to be, the Broncos took advantage of the frosty weather and practiced outdoors,
Manning told Newsday (via Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com) it's something they've been working on for some time:
Quote:
|
We've practiced in this and had to play in these types of conditions at different points in the year. So any time you can have a similar situation you can simulate during practice which it might be during a game, it always is a good thing.
|
Prediction: Manning Mans Up...Sort of
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Manning's stat line in last week's AFC Championship Game win over the New England Patriots is a pretty good microcosm of his 2013.
Nearly 75 percent complete. 400 yards. A passer rating of almost 120. No turnovers.
Manning threw only two touchdown passes in the game but it's that last number that's really important.
Manning has thrown only 11 interceptions this season, counting the playoffs and it's immensely important he take care of the football against an opportunistic Seattle defense.
It won't be easy. The Seahawks possess the NFL's stingiest pass defense. During the regular season they gave up only 16 touchdown passes, while snaring 28 interceptions.
To this point in his career. It's been something of a mixed bag for Manning in the Super Bowl. He's completed nearly 70 percent of his passes and averaged 290 yards a game, but he's also been picked off twice and posted a so-so 85.4 passer rating.
To be frank, given the possibility of bad weather and a rock-solid Seattle defense, those averages sound about right.
As has been the case in many of the biggest games of his career, Manning will play well enough in Super Bowl XLVIII to be named MVP if the Broncos win.
And he'll make just enough mistakes to be the goat if they don't.
Prediction: 29 of 41, 303 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
continued......