It is cruel to compare Eli Manning to his older brother, Peyton; but the comparisons are inevitable – that’s life for a little brother coming up in a family like the Mannings. But as Eli sits on the cusp of his second career Super Bowl victory, it is time for the comparisons to stop. Eli has the chance to stake his claim as the Manning with the most career Super Bowl victories – and it’s an opportunity he isn’t taking lightly.
Peyton, while holding all the regular season accolades, has not seen the post-season success that his younger brother has. His recent string of surgeries and subsequent complications might even signal the end of his career. Eli may live in the shadow of his brother’s statistical accomplishments, but a win in Super Bowl XLVI will shine a light so bright that his brother’s shadow might cease to exist. And that’s exactly what Eli has been waiting for his entire career.
Despite his quarterbacking success, Eli has always been chastised for his interception numbers, poor decision making, and the inability to lead the Giants to exceptional seasons. But when it comes to the playoffs, he wins. Eli’s post-season winning percentage has eclipsed that of his brother, and with many more years to play, could conceivably throw for more touchdowns in the playoffs than his older brother by career’s end.
Eli’s legacy will always be compared to that of his brother, there’s just no getting around that. But Eli has earned the right to be compared to other post-season greats besides Peyton. Very few quarterbacks can say that they started a Super Bowl, let alone won one. As the 46th Super Bowl looms, Eli has the chance to join just 10 other quarterbacks who can say that they have won multiple Super Bowls. That’s an accomplishment that his brother might never get a chance to match. Whether you think he is an elite quarterback or not, he deserves his own standing in our comparisons, far away from his brother’s shadow. That’s what Eli is playing for in Super Bowl XLVI – just some relief from the comparisons.