by Cody Hodge

Created on: July 23, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Oh yes, Eli Manning is out of his brothers shadow after his appearance in the Super Bowl. It wasn't so much that he made the Super Bowl, as many lesser quarterbacks have played in the game, it was the way in which he played. Nobody will ever forget how he ripped himself away from a swarming Patriots defense to throw that pass to Tyree. That is a Super Bowl moment that will be forever in the lore of the history of the NFL. Not to mention that pass to Burress with mere seconds left in the game to put the Giants in the lead for good, responding to a Brady to Moss pass just moments earlier.

The way that Eli finished his season showed a lot about the man behind center in New York. His list of accomplishments in just the final games of the season and playoffs say a lot about the progress that Eli has made. The Giants won 11 straight on the road, and Eli was able to make his best plays after his own GM said that he played "skittish", after a four interception game vs the Minnesota Vikings. He led them to wins in the sweltering heat of Tampa Bay, and the frigid weather of Green Bay. He beat proven playoff veterans in Jeff Garcia and Brett Favre, and a hot QB in Tony Romo of the Cowboys.

In the Super Bowl, he stares down one the supposed greatest quarterbacks of all time in Tom Brady, and led his team to a victory over New England. As if beating New England in the Super Bowl wasn't incredible enough, it was the first time New England had lost since a defeat to the Colts in the AFC title game, and only the second in 25 games overall. Manning in his first Super Bowl accomplished something that Tom Brady has yet to do, and that is to actually throw a game winning touchdown pass in the Super Bowl. Not only that, but he almost made Bill Belecheck cry. That alone puts him outside of his brothers shadow. I don't think Peyton ever made Belecheck run off the field before the end of any Colts victory over the Pats.

Is Eli as good as Peyton? Well that is a question for another article, and I think that Eli has to put in several more seasons of accomplishments before we can begin that debate, but it is fair to say that his Super Bowl win was more spectatular. While it is hard to argue against a championship ring, Peyton was held in check by the Bears, while Eli seemed to raise his game against the Pats. Not only that, but all the camera views of Peyton cheering on his brother nailed home the point that Eli had arrived, and that there was another Manning in the NFL.

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