First of all, I don't hate Peyton Manning - anyone who can poke fun at himself the way he did on SNL with the United Way parody is ok in my book.
United Way | Video | Saturday Night Live | NBC
That being said this is a HUGE legacy game for Manning, even more so than for Brady (and I'm not sure Manning's the greatest at handling that type of pressure)
It is MUST WIN for him. If Brady doesn't win, frankly, that's the expectation. The Broncos , despite their losses to injury, don't come close in comparing to the losses/injuries suffered by the Patriots.
If Brady wins and wins the Super Bowl - his legacy is firmly entrenched in the stratosphere - he and Montana become the debate - which is a great incentive for Brady, though I don't think that brings anywhere near the pressure that Manning must be feeling.
And if Manning wins the Super Bowl then he becomes part of a legitimate discussion as to who is better - Manning or Brady (that's not even currently a question, let alone a debate, in my eyes, though I consider both Brady and Manning remarkable players)
But if Manning loses. Damn. Brady beats him and he's definitely second tier to Brady.
Now you KNOW that Manning in particular has given this thought. I gotta wonder if that pressure is going to impact him. I think it's somewhat accepted that he doesn't do well under such pressure.
(In fact, back in 2008 or whatever, I think that's part of the reason the Colts pulled their starters against the Jets in the 2nd to last week of what had been a perfect season - i.e. I don't think the organization felt that he could handle the pressure of the Perfect Season and they preferred having a better chance at the Super Bowl without that pressure.)
So yes, the national media is taking note of distinctions between Brady and Manning's career at this time - and while Tom has a huge incentive, Manning has all the pressure - and it will be interesting to see how he responds.
If I were a betting man I would not put a lot of money on "Manning not choking."
