Peyton's Legacy

When everyone realized the weather wasn't going to be as much of an issue as previously believed talks around  Super bowl 48 switched from Peyton Manning's ability to perform in cold weather to what will Peyton's legacy be after the clock hit triple zero's Sunday night.

Unfortunately For Peyton after last nights debacle his list of disappointing playoff losses got longer.  At the age of 37 this has to be the most disappointing loss in a career of marvelous regular seasons followed by heart breaking losses in the playoffs.  If Peyton were 10 years younger the initial thought process would be  "lets get em next year guys".  At 37 you would have to say this was Peyton's last opportunity to win the big game.

After Sundays 43-8 blow out loss to the Seattle Seahawk's I truly don't believe Peyton Manning's legacy took a real hit.  What actually happened is Peyton simply lost out on a huge opportunity to further supplant his legacy as one of the greatest quarter backs in NFL history.  With a win Peyton would have pushed himself right to the top of the list of multiple championship quarter backs.  He now boasts a disappointing 11-12 career postseason record and worst is now 1-2 on Super bowl Sunday.  Peyton should send a thank you card to his younger brother because the only reason his resume still stacks up to the great Tom Brady is due to the two upset victories Brady suffered to the younger Manning.

Despite the embarrassing loss you cannot hang this loss solely on Peyton.  For Denver to have any shot at winning this game they needed to get off to a fast start and failed to do so.  In fact Denver got off to the worst start possible allowing the vaunted Seattle defense to score the first two points of the game with a safety.  Following the game Peyton was quoted  saying that he would not call the 43-8 loss embarrassing.  Well ill do it for you big guy.  At times it looked as if Seattle had 12 men on the field.  They were faster, hit harder and dominated wire to wire.  Peyton Manning and  the Denver Broncos were in over their heads from the start.

You cannot judge a players career based on one game.  I recently heard the great Joe Montana saying that Dan Marino who was great in his own right deserves more recognition as one of the best.  Marino like Peyton boasts gaudy regular season statistics along with a lack of postseason success.  Perhaps Montana was hinting that he may get too much credit.  Montana played on some of the greatest teams in NFL history.  In 1984 Montana's 49ers walked into the  Super bowl with a number one ranked defense.  In 1989 he won another Super bowl with a number one ranked offense.  Some guys are blessed to play with immense talent.  Not making any excuses for Peyton but these are facts.

Peyton manning will undergo mandatory neck procedures early this spring.  These tests are said to determine much of Peyton's playing future.  With a positive test result Peyton should be able to play as long as he wants barring injury. A negative test result could force Peyton to retire as early as this summer.  Lets just hope that this is not the last we have seen of the great Peyton Manning.