Super Bowl 2012: Eli Manning May Be the Best Manning of Them All

A couple of years ago I was at an Applebee's Bar & Grill in Starkville, Mississippi for a weekly Thursday gathering with a horde of friends, engaging in our weekly heated debates over football.

Little did I know that this particular meeting would have future ramifications.

One of guys in the group made an audacious proclamation about New York Giants' quarterback Eli Manning. A friend, Scotty, said that Eli Manning was a better quarterback than his brother Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts. Everyone gathered at the bar looked in disbelieved, as jaws dropped open in utter amazement.

However, after we all came back to our senses, each one of us would have a turn at Scotty's statement. When it was my turn, I stated "are you crazy? There's no way on earth that Eli is better than Peyton!" After taking a drink, Scotty would expound; navigating his way through his carefully theorized rhetoric. Of course no one agreed to his false theory, so we moved on to another topic. But, to this day, Scotty still believes that the younger Manning is better than his brother Peyton.

With the Super Bowl another week from commencing, I could not help but go back and play Scotty's valued judgement call over-and-over in my head. And after carefully watching Eli Manning play throughout the NFL Playoffs I have come to the conclusion that Scotty is absolutely right!

No quarterback, in my opinion, has been more valuable than Eli Manning this season. Manning has transformed himself from being a marginal star quarterback to one of the NFL's elite signal callers; a class that had been reserved for only Tom Brady (New England Patriots), Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers), Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints), Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers), and Peyton Manning of course. However, after a great 2011 regular season and encore performances in the playoffs, Eli has joined them.

After throwing for 316 yards (on 32-of-58 passing) and two touchdowns in the Giants 20-17 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game, Eli Manning has led New York back to the Super Bowl. He will face a familiar opponent, the New England Patriots, in Super Bowl XLVI  in Peyton's, backyard of Indianapolis.

It will be Eli Manning's second Super Bowl game against the Patriots. The first time around, Manning led the Giants to an improbable 17-14 upset win over New England in Super Bowl XLII; throwing for 255 yards and two touchdowns, and was named the most valuable player of the game.

Matched against Brady again, Manning will look to do something his brother Peyton has not done: win two Super Bowls. The elder Manning (Peyton) led the Indianapolis Colts to a 29-17 win over the Chicago Bears, the year before in Super Bowl XLI, also claiming the most valuable player award.

The younger Manning (Eli) has spent his entire nine-year career in Peyton's shadow. A former No. 1 overall pick in 2004, Eli, even with his one Super Bowl, cannot escape being compared to Peyton. However, if Eli leads the Giants to a second title, then pundits will have to really consider the question: Is Eli really better than Peyton?

Peyton--also, a top overall pick (1998)--is one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, and with good reason. He currently ranks third all-time in three categories: touchdown passes (399), passing yards (54,828), and pass completions (4,682). Peyton Manning  also ranks fourth in completion percentage (64.9 %). The 35-year old quarterback has achieved every accolade you can think of, but his career is coming to a close. Because of off-season neck surgery and complications from it, Peyton missed the entire 2011 season. His absence was greatly felt as the Colts finished with the league's worst record (2-14).

There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding Peyton Manning. He is scheduled to receive a $28-million dollar bonus in March and many questions are swirling about whether or not the Colts will keep him. Peyton's former coach, Jim Caldwell, was let go recently, and the biggest front office move was the firing of two Polian family members; father, Bill (former vice chairman), and son, Chris (former general manager). The elder Polian assembled the talent that led the Colts from the basement to title contenders. Other moves were made as eight assistant coaches were fired. The moves means that the Colts are starting to rebuild.

The only question remaining is what happens to Peyton Manning. The Colts are scheduled to select Stanford Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck with its first pick in the draft in April. Whether or not Peyton stays to tutor Luck as his successor, is also up-in-the-air. There are many variables to consider if Peyton Manning stays: his health, money, and, most of all, loyalty. With Indianapolis looking towards the future, Peyton may opt to leave and finish out his career with another team.

While Peyton's future remains a question, his brother Eli just finished the greatest regular season in his career. Eli Manning threw for a personal-best 4,933 yards and 29 touchdowns. He was just 67 yards shy of joining Drew Brees, Tom Brady, and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) of passing the 5,000 yard mark.

Eli Manning held the Giants together after a plethora of injuries. After a quick 6-2 start, a four game losing streak followed and chances of making the playoffs were bleak. However, the Giants won three of their last four--beating the Dallas Cowboys twice--and won the NFC East. In the playoffs Eli Manning has played out of his mind.

Eli threw for 277 yards and three scores against the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC wild-card game (winning 24-2). The following week he out-dueled Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers; throwing for 330 yards and three more touchdowns, leading New York to a 37-20 win over the defending champion Packers. However, Eli Manning saved the best for last against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC title game last weekend.

San Francisco was coming off an emotional 36-32 win over the Saints in the second round and with a strong defense and a home Candlestick Park crowd behind them, San Francisco was one win away from reaching its first Super Bowl since the 1994 season. In a torrential downpour of rain, Eli Manning led the Giants to victory; throwing for 316 yards and two touchdowns, as New York defeated the 49ers in overtime 20-17. The performance by Eli was arguably one of his greatest game's ever. He was able to withstand a heavy pass rush from the Niners' front four--surviving six sacks, with no interceptions.

In the three playoff games, Eli has passed for 923 yards, eight touchdowns, and only one interception. He has more pass attempts (123) than any other playoff quarterback. Against San Francisco, Eli Manning attempted a career-high 58 passes.

Manning has come into his own as a quarterback. Earlier in his career he was plagued by turnovers; his 25 picks led the NFL in 2010, but this season he dropped that total to 16--but only one in the playoffs so far. The biggest area where he has improved is late game situations. Eli has engineered five fourth quarter comeback wins. He led all quarterbacks this season in fourth quarter touchdown passes (15), and was second in 4th quarter quarterback ratings (110.0).

None of Eli's late-game heroics would  be possible if not for his receivers. New York's trio of Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks is the best collection of wide receivers Manning has had in his career. Even though the Giants still have a vaunted running game in Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, New York's passing game is the reason behind the winning renaissance.

Now, Eli will look to best his brother Peyton in Super Bowl victories. Although Eli will never make anyone forget about Peyton, if he leads the Giants past New England for a second title the debate of the greatest Manning quarterback will heat up.

I already have had a deja vu moment of witnessing such a discussion. If the Giants win the Super Bowl, everyone else will also.