Greatest QB Ever? Manning's Case Takes Hit

(CBS)  This story was written by CBSSports.com National Columnist Mike Freeman

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Peyton Manning quietly departed the interview room a short time after the crusted arrogance and determined cockiness was knocked off the faces of the Colts with a backhanded slap from the Saints. Manning then began a short walk to the team buses.

He was flanked by what appeared to be two plain-clothed security types, one uniformed officer, a team PR person and two journalists. Manning's gaze was low and he didn't see New Orleans safety Darren Sharper, who was entering the interview tent as Manning was leaving. The two basically bumped into one another and then awkwardly hugged.

"You guys played great," Manning told Sharper.

"Good luck to you," Sharper said.

Special Section: Super Bowl XLIV

Sharper's words were thick with sympathy and entering this game most people would've thought Manning would be the one offering condolences to the Saints, not vice versa.

But not this night, not this Super Bowl. The Colts and their supporters were a cluster of arrogance and the team succumbed to the weight of its own extreme confidence.

The Colts won't say this and Colts apologists won't admit it, but I'm convinced the Colts believed their own pregame hype; that they were gifted this game. The arrogance started at the top of the organization with president Bill Polian blowing off media day and former coach Tony Dungy saying the Colts would win easily and all of that cocky chatter and behavior filtered all the way down to the bottom.

"I can't say I saw this coming," center Jeff Saturday said of the 31-17 loss.

Then he later added: "We had the team to beat."

See what I mean. They had the team to beat? How?

Manning was caught up in such lunacy as well. Manning heard and believed too much of the talk that he would be anointed the greatest quarterback of all time if he won. At least, that's what I believe.

That talk officially ended with Super Bowl XLIV. Manning's career took a dramatic step backward with his horrible, 74-yard pick-six that changed the course of the Super Bowl and altered the trajectory of his legacy.

The greatest of all time? Nope. Not even close now. The GOAT doesn't throw that kind of awful interception. Joe Montana didn't throw those in the Super Bowl. Has Tom Brady?

Manning has one ring and a bushel of stats and records. He deserves accolades and praise, but the GOAT talk must stop now.

Now.

Manning and the Colts are the Atlanta Braves. The Colts, under Manning, have won at least 12 games seven years in a row. Yet all Manning has to show for it is one title. He's now 9-9 in the playoffs, which is about as far away from GOAT material as the Middle East is from the Colts' practice facility.

Manning has the same number of rings as Jeff Hostetler, Trent Dilfer and Brett Favre. Manning is better than Hostetler and Dilfer (of course), but he made a mistake not even Favre has committed in a Super Bowl.

Manning was respectful of the Saints and praised the team. "We're sorry to our fans," Manning said. "I'm sorry to our fans."

Then Manning said this when asked what the Saints defense did to slow the Indianapolis defense down.

"Their offense staying on the field kept us off the field," Manning said.

It was a subtle shot at the Indianapolis defense. Subtle throwage under the busage, to me. In reality Manning did at times look greatly confused.

Defensive lineman Will Smith said the Colts were anxious right from the very beginning of the game.

"They actually looked nervous to me," he said.

When did they start looking nervous?

"From the coin toss they were nervous," Smith said.

Not sure if that makes sense since Indianapolis jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but there's definitely some accuracy in that as the game went on Manning and that offense tightened up considerably. They were in a dogfight. The Saints knew it, Manning didn't.

"We knew Manning could get rattled just like any other quarterback," linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. "We could put some hits on him and make him nervous."

"We hit him a lot," linebacker Jonathan Casillas said. "Maybe more than he's been hit before."

Manning's body took a hit.

But his GOAT status took an even bigger one.

[kendziora41]

Everybody's on the band wagon about Payton Manning and Drew Brees. There's one quarter back that hardly gets any recognition and he has 2 superbowl rings. He throws more accuratly the 2 I just mentioned. In his 1st year he won 15 straight games. How many Quarter backs have done that and got 2 rings in a very short period of time?
BEN ROETHLISBERGER

[rodk47]

This is the kind of instant-analysis idiotic sports "journalism" we didn't see twenty years ago. I'm not a huge Manning fan, but NOBODY in football works harder or prepares better for EVERY game. Three days ago, the same people who now call him a second place finisher were ready to anoint him the "greatest ever." I guess this approach sells..but it is cynical and inaccurate. Was there a Reggie Wayne sighting in that game? How often did you hear Pierre Garcon's name called? Manning threw one bad pass...and suddenly he's a loser. Give me a break.

[indynative73]

I agree with Manning working harder. I think that he works so hard trying to think that he out-thinks himself in the big game.

[RoboBlogger]

Ever is too broad of a statement to make. Maybe, for the year but not ever. There are other QB's that were way better than Manning but that was years ago and in their time. That's like comparing Dish Satellite to Digital Cable.

[iirishamerican]

Manning the best qb ever? How quickly we forget. He is top ten material but far from the best.

[indynative73]

You can't compare. Consider the following:
1) Between 8 games in a Dome, and 3 additional games in climate friendly Jacksonville, Houston, and Tennessee, he has few games with bad weather. That pads the stats.
2) He consistently has 2 pro-bowl caliber receivers, a top five offensive line, and usually a great running game.
3) He plays in an era where the rules favor a passing game more than ever.

[rykatspop]

Oh man, how could we forget Kenny Stabler? That guy was crafty and cagey. Dan Fouts with the Chargers! Hmmm, need to add them, but I still go with my list. I know about Unitas, but I was just a bit too young to experience the great one. It's like loving Babe Ruth. You know he was great in baseball, but it's hard to REALLY appreciate what he did for the game if you never saw him hit one out--or pitch.

[jackp32]

Manning is among the top 6 or 7 QBs of all time but Joe Montana is #1, followed by Johnny Unitas and John Elway.

[bajajohn1]

The Colts under Manning under statitics-padders. Most of Manning's passes are of the dinky five yard type and then the offensive lineman swarm around the receiver so that he can get more yards. When the Saints began to unravel that repetitive play, the wheels began to fall off the Colts' bandwagon. For one, I am happy the Saints won the game, and they won convincingly. Dem Der WhoDat peeple fer shur gonna be a'drinkin all month long an neer gonna work.

[betterusa]

I am a serious Colts fan and I tip my cap and congratulate the Saints but I cannot believe Mike Freeman is very knowledgeable of the NFL and great quarterbacks. By calling Manning a GOAT, he is not too smart.

If you take Peyton Manning from this team I am certain at best they would be a .500 team. If Bradshaw and Montana were not with their respective teams how do you think they would have done? Young replaced Montana and the 49ers did not lose a beat - until they grew old. With the Steel Curtain and Swann and Stallworth, a mediocre qb could have led that team to Super Bowl victories.

Year after year the Colts win double-digit victories (most Ws in last decade) and although they have only been to two Super Bowls under Manning, in the last 10 years only the Patriots have been to more in the AFC (Steelers same as Colts).

The Saints won the game and deservedly so but let us remember; the Colts had basically 2 rookie receivers (no A. Gonzalez-most of the entire year), a 50 percent Dwight Freeney, no Bob Sanders (2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year- most of the entire year), no Adam Vinatieri (best kicker in recent playoff memory- most of the entire year), and no Marlin Jackson (starting DB in Super Bowl 42- most of the entire year), yet they won 14 regular season games, 2 playoff games and other than a very poor game plan by their defensive coordinator (LARRY C: YOU ARE ALLOWED TO BLITZ or RUSH 5 MEN AT TIMES), they were in the game until the final unfortunate INT.

Bill Polian is a genius and put together a class organization. One game does not change that nor does it make Peyton Manning a middle of the road qb, choker, Goat, etc. Mr. Freeman, the next time you want to talk (and learn about) football, give me a call.

[helloall34]

I really get tired of hearing how the colts organization is great and Bill Polian is a genius (from Colts Fans). The Colts win because of Manning. Polian was lucky to get him and he is smart enough to hang on to him. All the others players on the Colts are mediocre. Manning makes the people around him look great. If you doubt that,just have Manning step away for a couple quarters (the team sucks without him). He is without a doubt the best QB of all time, and because of the importance of the QB position it can be easily argued that is is the greatest player of all time. I am sooo glad the Saints won because the Colts managements are gutless and are bad for the game. You play to win every game! The got beat by a team that showed them what football is all about. The Saints going for it on 4th and goal, coming out with a onside kick to start the second half, and going for 2 when they should... those are things the Colts organization would NEVER do.

[rykatspop]

The Saints are a hard hitting team--been that way for 5 to 10 years now. I saw the toughness throughout the playoffs. If anything, they seemed flat in the first half, but showed their true colors in the second half. They finally pulled it all together with a wide open offense, committed management and coaching, and an always hard hitting D.

Colts, Manning had their day with that offensive scheme of no-huddles. Either Patriots copied them, or vice versa. But the other clubs caught up to them and adjusted. That's what happened to 49ers in the 80's. They had the "quick pass" West Coast offense that Walsh put together and killed everyone with.

Manning is great, but he isn't a legend, yet.

Greatest:

Bradshaw great teams
Montana great teams
Staubach great teams
Warner great teams (I still hate the Rams for leaving LA).
Elway good to very good teams
Tarkenton good but average teams
Brady (?) great to now average teams
Marino average to good teams (poor guy)

Who cares? It's this stuff that makes life enjoyable--gives us a break from the hassles of life. So lighten up.

[rondivoo]

ho-hum... yeah... dat's right