For so long, Big Brother Peyton Manning was the prototypical NFL quarterback, this big, strapping throwing machine destined for greatness. Everyone, Little Brother included, wanted to Be Like Peyton. Every coach, except for Bill Belichick, trembled when The Sheriff swaggered into town. And Little Brother beamed with pride the night Big Brother won that Super Bowl in the rain in Miami.
Little Brother had no idea, of course, that Big Brother would not win another Super Bowl. Would lose his next two. And would watch proudly as Little Brother beat Tom Brady twice in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI.
So here we are now, Big Brother is 39 years old, with an arm that is more R.A. Dickey than Roger Clemens, at the end of a season nearly sabotaged by plantar fasciitis in his left foot, and Little Brother knows all about that because he endured the same damn thing in his right foot six years ago until the pain finally subsided.
But that wasn’t anywhere near Little Brother’s Last Rodeo.
Super Bowl 50 will be Big Brother’s Last Rodeo, more probably than not, and even Little Brother acknowledges he could be watching Big Brother for the final time.
“He has not said anything to me about it,” Eli Manning said Wednesday. “I don’t know if he knows himself or he’s thought about it.
“It’d be a good way to go out. But just because of that possibility, I hope that he can win this game, and if he decides to hang it up, he’ll go out on top.”
You’d better believe Little Brother is prepared to help Big Brother go out on top. Because Little Brother had a big game (four touchdowns) against these Panthers.
“If he has any questions for whatever reason, I’ll be happy to give him my thoughts on their scheme, on their players, that I’ve observed,” Eli said.
Little Brother will lighten the load on Big Brother by managing ticket requests and family and friend distractions.
“He’s kinda got the agenda down, what he needs to do, gotta get it done as thoroughly as possible and out of the way, so he can just focus on playing the game and preparation and enjoying this experience,” Eli said.
You’d better believe Little Brother will be there, as Big Brother’s Biggest Fan. Their father, Archie, and mother, Olivia, and Bigger Brother Cooper and the whole family will be at Levi’s Stadium on Super Sunday, all of them wracked with nerves and emotion and pride. Their son, their brother, their father, their uncle, preparing to ride off into the sunset the right way, even as diminished as he is, still believing he has enough left to be SuperMann.
“He’s always been a game manager. … I think he still has the mindset he’s gonna go out there and light it up,” Eli said.
Big Brother used to tease Little Brother growing up. Little Brother swears he has never brought up his two rings as bragging rights.
“There’s no bragging rights,” Eli said. “One player can’t control the outcome of a whole season or a certain game.”
Little Brother is quick to mention Big Brother’s five league MVPs and an everlasting legacy, win or lose.
“There’s too much placed on rings and Super Bowl championships,” Eli said. “The quarterback is not the sole reason that you win a championship, it’s the team. I hope he can win, but [his] impact has already been made, and his legacy should not be affected by this one game.”
Little Brother couldn’t miss how the Broncos defense got after Tom Brady in the AFC Championship game the way his Giants defense got after Brady in Super Bowl XLII.
“If you want to slow down a quarterback, the best way to do it is get hits on him and make him throw it before he wants to and get sacks and disrupt the timing of the passing game,” Eli said.
Little Brother never doubted that Big Brother could make it back to a Super Bowl. Big Brother was still playing at a high level before his body began betraying him when he ran into the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII.
“He was playing better than anybody at the time,” Eli said. “Even last year he was playing well.”
Little Brother is proud of Big Brother for his resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity.
“I’m excited for him,” Eli said. “I know this has been an interesting year for him — new coach, the new offense, and trying to learn that, deal with an injury, having to sit out for seven weeks, never gone through that before, coming back as a backup, never done that before. … Rooting for him. Want the best for him.”