The media has hyped up Manning Bowl III all week by calling this a grudge match. Whatever gets people to watch the game I guess. Bragging rights mean nothing to the Mannings despite all of the hype surrounding this fan-fest. It’s a ball game that both quarterbacks want to win for their respective teams.
They talked about Peyton Manning being undefeated against Eli Manning by going 2-0 against his brother. They talked about Eli having two championships while his older brother has only one. They mentioned how their respective teams would like to win it for Peyton and Eli.
Let’s make this clear. Footballs fans couldn’t care less what this matchup means for the Mannings. Neither do the football teams that employ the Manning brothers. Most of all, Peyton and Eli couldn’t care less about bragging rights.
Peyton Manning is concerned about getting better each game. He is trying to get all of his receivers to be in a position to get receptions. His priority is to get the Broncos to improve to 2-0.
ElI Manning is more focused on doing all he can to prevent the Giants from being 0-2. This is a must win game for the Giants considering they don’t want to fall behind in the NFC East standings. Considering how bad the Giants are defensively, the Giants quarterback must have a great game for his team to beat the Broncos.
Both quarterbacks are more into team goals, not individual goals. That’s why they are a paragon of professionalism. It speaks well about how they were raised by their parents for them to not get caught up about beating each other. That’s the way it should be.
Peyton couldn’t care less about being 2-0 against his brother. He is worried about getting another championship before he retires. He knows his playing days are about to end soon. He is 37 years old. This could be his last opportunity of winning a championship. He doesn’t want to be known as one of the best quarterbacks that failed to win more than one championship.
Eli Manning is happy to win two championships just so he can cement his case of being in the NFL’s Hall of Fame. He wants to be known as one of the best quarterbacks to play in the NFL. Eli does not have his brother in mind when it comes to trying to achieve his goals.
It’s amazing why the media wants to use this angle about the Mannings trying to one-up each other. This is not a commercial, movie or a sitcom here. For the media to portray both quarterbacks that way, that’s wrong.
When both brothers face each other for what is likely the final time today, it’s going to be about both quarterbacks putting on a show at MetLife Stadium. That’s what the focus should be.
This is going to be memorable for the Mannings. The fact this could be the last time that both brothers face each other is appealing in itself. It’s rare brothers face each other in the most important position in sports, which is the quarterback. Odds are it will be a long time until brothers face each other again in that position.
Peyton and Eli want to make their parents proud along with their families. That’s why this game has meaning for them more than anything. This is going to be an emotional moment for their parents. This meeting is unlike the first two meetings which everyone knows the importance of what could be the final regular season matchup, and that’s why their parents are going to be emotional about this one.
This game is going to be a writer’s dream. It’s going to be fun chronicling what brother quarterbacks do in this contest. It will be interesting how they handle the moment.
This should be a good one. It’s hard to believe both quarterbacks are going to struggle today. They are too good for this to happen.
Today’s matchup should be a celebration of what the Mannings accomplished in the NFL. They want this game to be portrayed that way for good reason.
Today’s game will be about sentimentality for both quarterbacks more than anything. That should be the narrative of what this matchup is.
It would be neat if there is a rematch of both brothers in the Super Bowl this year. That’s what Peyton and Eli are hoping, but there’s no guarantee. The Giants have many deficiencies on defense , and the Broncos have to do well in the postseason.
This game could be the only one time that Mannings face each other, and they are going to use this game more for a show than bragging rights.
That’s just the way the Mannings like it.
Related Posts From Lightning Rod Sports
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.
I agree that the Manning brothers are not interested in bragging rights over each other. They were not raised that way. Archie Manning and his wife did a better job than that. You write, “this game could be the only time that the Manning brothers face each other . . .” In fact, this is the third time that the Manning brothers have played each other during the regular season. Peyton has won each meeting. Both of these talented quarterbacks has distinguished themselves differently. Their legacies are secure already. Canton awaits each of them for different reasons. I admit I have my personal bias. I am a Peyton fan! Yet, I can appreciate that both of the Manning quarterbacks have reasons to brag.
Excellent comments, Em.
if you want example of good parenting, look at the way Peyton and Eli turned out as people and how they handled success. They are easy to root for.