Eli Face made a surprise appearance at the Super Bowl.
The dopey, quizzical expression that is known to take over the features of Giants quarterback Eli Manning during his worst football moments was captured by CBS cameras as he sat in a luxury suite watching Super Bowl 50 on Sunday night — oddly, right after big brother Peyton handed off for the Broncos’ final, game-sealing touchdown run.
Eli’s nonplussed expression, amid the joy and relief of the other family members in the box, quickly captured the Internet’s imagination. Why so bewildered, Eli? It’s a 14-point lead with three minutes left.
And many of the bad-brother jokes and memes centered on this idea: Eli, who made his reputation with a pair of Super Bowl upsets of the Patriots, ceded his major bit of bragging rights as Peyton tied for the family record with his second ring.
Perhaps Eli can swing the tally back in his favor next season, returning for his 13th season with the Giants as Peyton is widely expected to retire.