Peyton Manning has not bothered to explain what happened on this February night when he and his Broncos teammates were outclassed and out-physicaled by the Seahawks in the Broncos’ 43-8 Super Bowl loss. He knows it’s useless to dwell on it.
Manning is about moving forward, but that’s easier said than done. It’s hard to forget a beating like that after everyone had the Broncos winning the Super Bowl. This is the type of loss that reflects on everyone on the team, especially last year’s MVP.
For the future Hall of Fame quarterback, this was a lost opportunity of winning his second championship. He had such a great season last year that it seemed like he was destined to win a championship. Reality set in when Manny Ramirez airmailed a snap that resulted to a safety for the Seahawks and when Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor gave a Legion of Boom hit to Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. The Seahawks scored touchdowns often in the second and third quarter.
Manning received criticism for his Super Bowl performance. That’s the way it goes for stars when they don’t get it done. Let’s remember something. As bad as the Broncos quarterback was, no one on the Broncos played great, either.
This hurts for Manning. He knows he won’t get opportunities like this. It’s hard to get to the Super Bowl every year. He is 38 years old, and he does not have much time left as a quarterback.
The Broncos should be back to the Super Bowl this season. They are the best team in the AFC for the second straight year. Will they be Super Bowl champions? That’s a great question. No one knows. The NFC has couple of teams that play physical defense in the Seahawks and 49ers. It’s likely the Broncos will face either of them, and it remains to be seen if this Broncos offense can handle a physical defense.
Manning will have to deal with questions whether or not he can get it done until he gets it done. He has had hideous playoff losses in his career, and that’s a reflection on him. He knows this, too. This is why this Super Bowl loss against the Seahawks has to be on his mind.
This year is likely the future Hall of Fame quarterback’s last chance to win it all. Other teams in the AFC such as the Colts eventually get better. He knows nothing last forever.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady can relate to Manning. After winning three Super Bowls to start off his career, he hasn’t won a title since 2004. He had many chances to get two more championships in recent years, but the Giants denied him couple of times. He keeps waiting for this next opportunity, and he is still at it, but there’s a good chance he may be finishing his career with three championships.
It’s hard to believe the Patriots will beat the Seahawks or 49ers. It’s hard to believe they will beat the Broncos this year with their lack of defense. Not even newcomer Darrelle Revis can change that. So Brady will likely be stuck with three.
At least, Brady can retire and go to the Pro Football Hall of Fame with three championships. Everyone knows it’s hard to win more than two championships in football, so no one would get on him if he didn’t win more than three.
For Manning, it’s a different story. He is regarded as the best quarterback in football. For some football evaluators, he could be the best of all-time. When he gets a label like that, there are going to be people who are going to hold him to a high standard. The standard is winning three to five championships before heading to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Right now, Manning has fallen short of it.
One championship is nice, but for a player like Manning, it’s unacceptable. He should have won at least two by now. He had that blown opportunity against the Saints in his second Super Bowl appearance, which was he was good, but not great like Saints quarterback Drew Brees in that game.
Question remains whether or not he can win his second Super Bowl before he retires. It’s hard to think he is getting three championships at his age.
Manning has to get his second championship to legitimize a great career. A great player has to win at least more than one championship. He knows this as much as anyone. That’s where there is pressure for him to win it all this year. That’s why there was disappointment when he did not win it all last year after such a great season that resulted to him playing in the Super Bowl.
Manning has to wonder if last season was his last chance. That’s why this hurts. That’s why this will be hard to get over ever.
Last year was as good as it gets for Manning. He was a game away until the physical Seahawks beat him and the Broncos up.
So close yet so far for him in his pursuit of a second championship. This is why he will never get over it no matter what he publicly thinks.
He can only hope he does not let this season get away from his ultimate goal.
Contact or follow Leslie Monteiro: @LightRodWriter
Leslie Monteiro
Leslie is a contributor for Lightning Rod Sports. He covered high school sports in Bergen County out in North Jersey, and has written op-ed columns on sports such as Bleacher Report and NY Sports Digest.
