I have to wonder what Peyton Manning is really thinking a couple of days removed from his Super Bowl loss to the New Orleans Saints. Is he still in disbelief? Or is he wondering if he and his teammates have what it takes to win another Super Bowl? I know he is a extremely confident quarterback but some doubt has to had creeped in his mind on what more he can do to win the big game.
How sure of himself is Peyton Manning?
Manning does have one Super Bowl win. The win was primarily sparked by the return of Bob Sanders. Sanders took a strugglingdefensive squad and breathed life into them like I have never seen before. Sanders was the biggest defensive impact player there ever has been to a playoff run. Without Sanders, Manning is still without a ring.
With all the regular season winning, Manning should have more rings. He has played sub par in his playoff chances and has had some of the worse games of his playoff career against his rival the New England Patriots. He seemed to lose poise and get out of rhythm on offense that resulted in poor passes and decisions. This type of play came to attrition Sunday night. The Colts jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead but failed to go for the kill. They played way too conservative and let the underdog Saints get confidence and back in the game. Manning seemed unsure of himself and did not want to throw the ball down field. This played into the Saints hands. He had a chance to tie the game late but threw a interception that resulted in a Saints touchdown and sealed the Colts fate. He seemed to have happy feet and was not sure of himself in the final drive. A great quarterback gets the job done at crunch time. One of the most proficient passers the game has ever seen was dumping the ball within a 10-12 yard range. It is the Super Bowl. Let it all hang out.
Manning is a very cerebral man so he will put this loss in perspective. But it is human to doubt yourself. Manning will have a very long season to think about it. Will he ever get back to the promise land and did he do everything in his power to get the Colts a Super bowl title. In his mind, how will he be rated in the annals of the greatest quarterbacks?
