Peyton Manning’s last stand?
Sometimes, we have no idea when something huge is about to be the last time of that edition. For example, we could not have known that Barry Sanders was about to play his last game in Week 17 of the 1998 season. The same goes for Jim Brown, the Hall of Fame running back who walked away after winning the Most Valuable Player award in 1965.
Yet, there are other moments in sports when we are acutely aware that a generational player could be finishing up his career. In this instance, it is the legendary Peyton Manning, who at 39 years old has looked old and tired this entire season. Despite only starting in nine games, Manning tossed 17 interceptions, the most of any quarterback in the National Football League this season not named Blake Bortles.
For Manning, this year has been nothing short of a disaster. It was one many could see coming after the way he finished out the 2014 campaign. For the first time, Manning’s arm went from mediocre to brutally subpar. His passes no longer hit their targets but many times, drifted aimlessly and into the arms of defensive backs. Manning appeared to be on the way out, and this season has cemented that it is time for the old pro to go.
On Sunday, Manning will once more face off against the New England Patriots and Tom Brady, a quarterback who has tormented him throughout his career. Manning and Brady has faced off 16 times before, with this being the 17th and very possibly, the last encounter. There have been four postseason meetings, with Manning taking the last two after he was defeated back in 2003 and 2004.
Should Manning be able to defeat Brady and the Patriots at Sports Authority Field, the Broncos will be off to their seventh Super Bowl and Manning, his fourth. While he already won a Super Bowl back in 2006 with the Indianapolis Colts, this would be a tremendously sweet moment for Manning, if he could get back and win one more time. He would join elite company, as only Brady, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, Jim Plunkett, Bart Starr, Troy Aikman, Ben Roethlisberger and Bob Griese have won multiple Super Bowls as starting quarterbacks.
Should Manning fall, though, take stock of what you have seen. This is the greatest regular-season quarterback of all-time and quite possibly, the best period. Manning would be leaving behind one of the greatest careers ever witness in any sport, and we can only hope he goes down fighting should that be the outcome.
In this age of snark and faux outrage, people are always looking to be angry and flippant. For once, take the opportunity to watch greatness and soak it in. It could be the last time we ever see this edition of it.
