Fill out this form to email this article to a friend
NFL
Manning's legacy takes yet another wrong turn
By JOHN ROMANO
Published January 17, 2005
FOXBORO, Mass. - There he goes, the most acclaimed quarterback of his era. Leaving another field, and another season, somewhere short of completion.
By now, he knows the routine. The walk to midfield to shake a few hands. The slow trot beneath the bleachers and into insignificance. The lonely stroll toward another offseason.
Yup, the most abundant season a quarterback has ever known is officially over. And, for Peyton Manning, it feels no different than the rest.
The Colts lost another playoff game on Sunday. In the Manning era, that would be the fifth time in five postseasons.
The details really don't matter. The circumstances aren't important. The bottom line is the quarterback who keeps rewriting records in the regular season cannot come up with a happy ending in the postseason.
You watch him leave another disappointment in his wake, and you ponder the direction of his legacy. Is it toward Terry Bradshaw, or Fran Tarkenton?
You listen to him explain his frustration, and wonder about his reputation. Will it be that of John Elway, or Jim Kelly? You study the shortcomings on his resume, and question how he'll be remembered. As another Joe Montana, or a Dan Marino?
He's the quarterback bound for Canton but not necessarily glory. Manning has all the flattering numbers and none of the glittering rings.
You understand it is not fair. That it is not on his shoulders alone that playoff games are won or lost.
But you also recognize quarterbacks are not ultimately measured by the number of yards they accumulate or the amount of touchdowns they collect.
It is victories in big games that we recall, and that is something Manning has yet to provide.
"I don't think we can look at it and say, "Oh, Peyton has got to do this and do that," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "I know that is what is going to be said and written, but you win as a team."
Understand, the coach did not help Manning on Sunday. Dungy, who has his own suspicious history in the postseason, got inexplicably conservative when the Colts have thrived on aggression.
Indianapolis has the most potent offense in the NFL, and Dungy kept it shackled. He seemed more intent on establishing the run than winning the game. The Colts did not throw deep. They did not spread the field.
Instead, they played as if they were afraid of the snow. Afraid of their lack of success against the Patriots. Afraid, basically, of winning.
Manning did not openly question the game plan, but he dodged questions about the lack of downfield passing. He suggested the Colts had opportunities but called the wrong plays at critical moments.
They did not necessarily sound like grievances, but rather the lament of a player who should have known better. The plays do come from the sideline, but the responsibility rests with the quarterback. It is his job to read the defense. It is his job to call for audibles.
The fact remains that other quarterbacks seem to make plays when it matters and Manning comes up short when it counts.
The numbers are pretty staggering. In his three playoff victories, Manning has completed 79.7 percent of his passes and averaged 379.3 yards. In five losses, it's 51.5 percent and 206.6 yards.
He has one interception and 12 touchdowns in the victories. He has seven interceptions and two touchdowns in the losses.
The reputation of failing in big games has followed Manning for some time. He finished college with a long list of records and accolades. And Tennessee did not win a national championship until the year after Manning left.
"There are so many opinions and experts talking about me and my career that I've stopped trying to define it myself," Manning said. "This (season) was an excellent run. It was a fun run. But, obviously, when you finish with a loss in the playoffs, it's disappointing."
At 28, he has many games still to come. His career, after all, is only seven seasons old. Other quarterbacks have waited longer for validation.
Steve Young had worn three professional uniforms and spent years as an understudy before winning a Super Bowl. Elway was nearing retirement by the time he won his first.
"The pressure will build, and people will continue to talk about it," Dungy said, "but I think Peyton will handle it well."
In the measure of a career, the Super Bowl matters. Bob Griese was not a prolific quarterback. Joe Namath wasn't even a particularly good quarterback. Yet they are Hall of Famers. And the common thread is the Super Bowl.
No one disputes Manning's talents. His acumen and skills have been visible week after week, and season after season.
He already has done enough to forever be a part of our football memories.
It's just how he'll be remembered that is still to be determined.
[Last modified January 17, 2005, 05:20:45]
Share your thoughts on this story
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
|
News
Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
Print
Email story
Comment
Email editor
Falcons at Eagles, 3 p.m., Fox-13