RADIO
The high snap soared over his head and danced into the end zone. The first play of Super Bowl 48 resulted in a safety for the Seattle Seahawks, a foreshadowing of what was to come for Peyton Manning's Denver Broncos. In what was hyped to be the league's number one offense against the number one defense, the Broncos fell behind 2-0, then 5-0, then 8-0, 15-0, 22-0, 29-0, and eventually 36-0, three quarters filled with mishaps, interceptions, fumbles, and punts; impeding any momentum Denver had come close to establishing as they continued climbing towards an unrealistic, yet hopeful comeback.
The game finished 43-8, crowning the Seahawks champions of the NFL. A record breaking season for Peyton, consisting of 55 touchdowns and 5,477 passing yards, ended with a loud, disappointing bang. Despite winning a championship with the Indianapolis Colts in 2007, Peyton's poor postseason performances put a proverbial asterisk next to his name. Peyton finished Super Bowl 48 with two interceptions, submerged in criticism amidst another season without a ring.
Week 10 two seasons later, Peyton watched from the sideline as backup quarterback Brock Osweiler was under center, missing his first regular season contest ever (besides 2011 where he missed the entire year due to injury). With 10 interceptions in nine games, a lingering foot injury forced Peyton to sit while questions of his uncertain future surfaced alongside the maturation of Osweiler.
Despite a 7-0 start to the 2015 campaign, it took the second to last game of the season for the Broncos to clinch a playoff berth. Osweiler finished the year but Denver turned to arguably the best quarterback of this generation to lead them into postseason battle. With the NFL's best defense unfolding a giant security blanket, Peyton found something resembling a groove against Pittsburgh in the AFC divisional playoff round, completing 21 passes on 37 attempts for 222 yards. Nothing insane, but the most important thing to note after a year consumed by turnovers; no interceptions. He didn't throw any touchdown passes either but it became clear that, with their defense and steady rushing attack, all Peyton needed to do was protect the ball.
Injuries and turnovers may have plagued Peyton in his final regular season, but another presence had lingered in the background of his entire career:
Heading into the AFC Championship, Brady owned an 11-5 head-to-head record against Peyton. In their first six meetings, when Peyton was with the Colts, Brady was victorious all six times. It was their 17th matchup that poured the last bit of concrete for Peyton to cement the final path of his undeniable legacy.
Maybe it was the fact that Stephen Gostkowski missed his first extra point in 524 attempts. Or that the game was played at Mile High instead of Gillette Stadium. It could be Bradley Roby picking off Brady on a two-point attempt that would have tied the game. How about that Denver held the Patriots run game to 44 total yards. Or possibly Peyton doing his best impersonation of John Elway's "helicopter" scramble in Super Bowl 32. You name it.
So much had set in motion as the Football Gods tuned in extra closely. There was something that gravitated towards Peyton, like the media and fans and entire sports world did throughout his 18 year stint in the NFL; a force that simply said it's your time, dude. Peyton did the rest. He finished the game with 176 passing yards and two touchdown throws.
We already know that Peyton won his next game against Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. His individual numbers were nothing short of unimpressive, but the final score showed a 24 next to the Broncos and a 10 next to the Panthers. Peyton, now a two-time champion. The perfect final paragraph, written just in time. An ending that defined exactly what Peyton stood for.
A team victory.
Peyton didn't need to throw four touchdowns to prove he was the best. So many years of his career consisted of him piggy backing an entire squad. So many supporting casts lacking efficiency in specific roles. Run games failing to follow the mold of Edgerrin James. Too many defenses failing to hold leads, imprisoning Peyton on the sideline; a place that only inhibited a further stamp on the legacy he has now left behind.
Sure he played alongside some tremendous athletes, but it was always Peyton who swallowed each loss whole. He who did the most, was blamed by the media the most. 400 passing yards but one crucial interception. 14 wins, but one season ending loss. So much good overshadowed by droplets of bad. And at the end of this past season, Denver's defense, the main reason why the Broncos won the Super Bowl, was seemingly ignored, and overlooked by one single thing.
Number 18 going out on top.
If anybody deserved to complete only 13 passes and still win a Super Bowl, it was Peyton Manning.
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