The last time he was in the Super Bowl, the question surrounding Peyton Manning was: Can he win the big game?. If he loses this time, the question, says CBS analyst Shannon Sharpe, will be: Why couldn’t he do it again?
“I think Peyton stands to lose more than gain,” said Sharpe, who won three Super Bowls during his career with the Broncos and Ravens.
“He’s supposed to win, he’s a four-time league MVP, he’s Peyton Manning. But if he doesn’t, can you imagine what will be written and discussed over the next two months.”
Manning won in his first trip to the Super Bowl, leading the Colts over the Bears 29-17 three years ago. He will go for his second ring when Indianapolis plays the Saints in Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday. For someone who is considered one of the most talented to play his position, Manning may need more than one title to join the ranks of the top quarterbacks to play the game.
“I don’t want to say New Orleans is playing with house money because once you get to the Super Bowl that’s not the case,” Sharpe said. “But if the Colts lose, it’s all Peyton’s fault. He’s in a no-win situation.”
If an undefeated season were on the line, that would not be the case. Manning would have had a chance to be the quarterback for the second undefeated Super Bowl champion and the first 19-0 team in NFL history. But the Colts rested their starters for the final quarter and a half against the Jets in Week 16 and for most of the season finale in Buffalo. Those decisions turned 14-0 to 14-2 and their rabid fan base temporarily against them.
And despite those precautions, the Colts could not avoid a serious injury against the Jets with standout defensive end Dwight Freeney tearing a ligament in his ankle during their AFC Championship win over Gang Green. And while Freeney says he still hopes to play, he won’t be nearly as dangerous as he would be on two good legs. The loss could be the difference in the game.
“I thought it was a foregone conclusion the Colts would win; now it’s 55-45 that Indy will win, more like a toss up,” Sharpe said.
Sharpe said he believes Manning needs two more Super Bowl titles and two more MVPs to be considered the greatest quarterback ever. For now, he still stands behind Sharpe’s former quarterback, John Elway, among others.
“If you look at some of John’s teams that he got to the Super Bowl and you look at Peyton Manning’s — where would they be?” Sharpe said. “Anyone could get what they get out of Dallas Clark, Reggie Wayne or Marvin Harrison. Can another quarterback get Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon to play like they did? I don’t know. You look at some of the teams Elway got to the Super Bowl, they just weren’t up to the Colts’ level.”
justin.terranova@nypost.com