It’s Manning vs Manning in NFL season opener
The Indianapolis Colts have applied a hammerlock on the AFC South, winning three straight division titles. The 2006 NFL regular-season schedule offers an opportunity to mount a fourpeat. This time though, it will be a brotherl quarterback feud – Manning vs Manning.
For the seventh straight season, the Colts open on the road. Their Sept. 10 matchup with the New York Giants includes a subplot pitting Colts quarterback Peyton Manning against younger brother Eli, the Giants’ QB, and will unfold on NBC’s prime-time stage.
No matter how much the Mannings try to downplay this game, the comparisons will be inevitable.
Both were No. 1 draft picks, played college football in the Southeastern Conference, led their teams to the playoffs in their second NFL season and grew up in a football family that included another pro quarterback, their father, Archie.
The noticeable difference is that Peyton has had six more seasons to build a resume that includes three consecutive AFC South titles, back-to-back MVP trophies from 2004 and 2005 and records that records that he is breaking almost annually.
Meanwhile, Eli, 25, has made only 23 pro starts but has shown that he’s still improving, still learning and still trying to outdo his older brother.
The last time Eli beat him, Peyton said, was in a pickup basketball game when Eli was in high school. The next step will come on a national stage. It will be NBC’s first Sunday night telecast.
The Indianapolis Colts play host to the Super Bowl runner-up Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, August 20. The Colts are out to prove their offense hasn’t lost a step, while the Seahawks are looking to break the dreaded “Curse of the Super Bowl Loser”. Bet on NFL preseason games now.
NFL Preseason Picks: Eli has the upperhand this time. The Giants will play at home so expect the hostile Bronx crowd to help the Giants beat the Colts in NFL Week 1.
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