Not Much Brotherly Love in Final Manning Bowl

Peyton Manning, quarterback for the Denver Broncos, and younger brother Eli, the quarterback for the New York Giants, went head to head Sunday night for what has become known as the third Manning Bowl. It was Peyton’s third and final win against his brother, solidifying comparisons made for years by players and reporters.

Unless they meet again in postseason, scheduling only allows for the brothers to duel it out on the field about every four years. “I don’t think I’ll make it to the next regular season [meeting, in four years]. I think this’ll be the end of it,” Peyton stated hinting toward his end in the NFL.

Peyton is five years Eli’s senior and has seemed to have more focus on the game. “We chatted for 10 minutes, nothing specific, just brotherly talk. After that, there wasn’t a whole lot of brotherly interaction,” Eli stated on the brothers discussion pre-game. The two shared just a short handshake after the game ended.

The final score of 41-23 came as a result of Eli throwing four interceptions; now leading the NFL with seven in just two weeks of play. “For me, it’s a strange feeling,” Peyton said. “It’s not quite as enjoyable as if you beat somebody else.”

Eli finished with 28 of 39 completed passes and a total of 362 passing yards. Combine this with the amount of interceptions; Peyton’s numbers look slightly better with 30 of 43 competed passes for 307 yards and no interceptions.

“Somehow, someway you’ve got to stop the interceptions,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said after the game.

The Broncos landed a heavy fist on the Giants defense with the help of Knowshon Moreno. Moreno had two carries for 20-plus yards which both resulted in touchdowns. Though he was considered a backup during training camp, the New Jersey native was the player to thank for the entire running game for the Broncos.

Eli outweighs his veteran brother with two Superbowl rings, though Peyton proves to be the far more skilled quarterback after walking away as the three-time Manning Bowl champion.

Peyton beat Eli twice before in previous Manning Bowls when he was with the Indianapolis Colts, once in 2006 with a score of 26-21 and again in 2010 with a score of 38-14.

“I think both of us are glad that it’s over with,” Peyton said after the game.

The Manning Bowl has continuously been the highest-priced ticket on the secondary market for any NFL game, due to the prospect of watching a little family competition.

Though the teams started off in two completely different fashions, the Broncos having a record of 2-0 and the Giants with 0-2, the season holds a promising future with elite quarterbacks at the head of each team.

The Giants play Sunday, September 22th at 10:00am against the Panthers. The next game for the Broncos is Monday, September 23rd at 5:40 against the Raiders.