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Mike Reiss offers this Super Bowl thought: Peyton is no Brady.
Peyton Manning is a great quarterback, but what we learned tonight in Super Bowl XLIV is this: He’s no Tom Brady in the pressure moment on the game’s biggest stage.
Looking to lead the Colts back from a 24-17 fourth-quarter deficit against the Saints, Manning threw an interception that cornerback Tracy Porter returned 74 yards for a touchdown, a key play in New Orleans' 31-17 upset victory.
It was a costly mistake, the kind of miscue that Brady, in his four Super Bowl appearances, never made in the critical fourth-quarter situation.
Even in the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss to the Giants, Brady had led a fourth-quarter drive for a touchdown before the defense couldn’t hold.
For all the stories that were written over the last week about which quarterback was the best of the decade – Brady or Manning – one aspect was overlooked: How Manning would lead the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.
If you measure a quarterback by how he responds in the pressure moments on the game’s biggest stage, the debate ended with authority tonight.
Dan Shaughnessy jumps back on the Brady bandwagon. Don't hurt yourself Dan.
This game was supposed to be the coronation of Peyton Manning (hard to believe some nitwits were actually saying he’s better than Tom Brady) and the justification for Bill Polian’s decision to tank the final two games of the Colts’ regular season. We were going to tell you that the Colts won every game they tried to win and could have surpassed the 1972 Miami Dolphins.
TEAM TALK
- Erik Scalavino and Andy Hart debate: Would Tim Tebow, the former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, fit with the Patriots?
- Erik Scalavino reports the Patriots coaching staff is undergoing changes, with Belichick taking on an increased role in the defense.
LOCAL LINKS
- Tom E. Curran points to Peyton Manning's lost legacy, saying Joe Montana and Tom Brady never threw up on their shirts in the final three minutes of a Super Bowl.
- Karen Guregian notes Saints coach Sean Payton gambled, and his aggressive style won them the game.
- Adam Kilgore reports that when Peyton Manning walked off the field without shaking hands, he thought he was being deferential. Interesting.
- Ron Borges elaborates on Tracy Porter's pick-six of Manning that sealed the deal and put Peyton in place - Best regular season QB in the NFL. Playoffs belong to Brady.
- Ian Rapoport details Tracy Porter's fateful pick-six of Peyton Manning, the result of great film study.
- Karen Guregian points out that the sins of Indy remain unforgiven. The Patriots did it the right way, trying to win every time they took the field.
- Jim Donaldson asks if you had to take one QB to play a championship game, would you really take Manning over Brady?
- Christopher Price lists his ten things we learned from Sunday: Saints are more than just a symbol of hope, they are a really good football team.
- Tom E. Curran offers five thoughts from Super Bowl XLIV.
- Dan Duggan offers the best and worst of the Super Bowl game.
- Mike Reiss shares Gino Cappelletti's thoughts on the Super Bowl.
- Kirk Minihane offers one man's diary from a somewhat confusing Super Bowl.
- Mike Reiss compares the Saints offseason vs. the Patriots offseason with both teams needing to sign a number of their free agents.
- Mike Reiss breaks down the Patriots coaching staff.
- AP Roger Goodell: Ban on 3-point stance possible, as league keeps looking for ways to make the game safer.
NATIONAL NEWS
- NFL Game Center: New Orleans Saints 31 - Indianapolis Colts 17.
- Michael Silver (Yahoo! Sports) In the rush to crown Peyton Manning as the best QB all time, Tom Brady is being ridiculously disregarded. And this was written before the SB.
- Tim Graham (ESPN) Brady still ahead of Manning in QB debate.
- Paul Kuharski (ESPN) Pick, loss hurt Manning's legacy.
- Alex Marvez (Fox Sports) Quarterback sneak: Manning beats an unhappy, hasty retreat without shaking hands.
- Phil Richards (Indy Star) Colts' glorious decade ends on bitter note as Brees, Porter lead New Orleans Saints.
- Bob Kravitz (Indy Star) Football gods get their revenge on the Colts.
- Tim Graham (ESPN) Saints make Colts look unprepared.
- Vic Carucci (NFL.com) Super Bowl loss reveals uncomfortable truth about Colts.
- Peter King (SI) MMQB: Who Dat, indeed: Two nobodies play vital roles in Saints' Super win.
- Mike Sando (ESPN) Manning, Montana and Super Bowl legacies.
- Tedy Bruschi (ESPN) Bruschi recalls the moment the Patriots came out as a team in Super Bowl XXXVI.