Super Bowl not Peyton's Place

I hate to say I told you so. Wait a minute -- no I don't. \nBack in a November article, I warned, "If Peyton Manning's defensive counterparts don't figure something out, Colts fans will once again be disappointed come playoff time." I can't help it if I'm a genius. That's just who I am. Sunday, as I watched the Patriots dismantle the Colts 20-3, I couldn't help but laugh at what I had seen during the past week.\nEvery newscast had something about the Colts stopping in Foxboro on their way to the championship. The local media had all but anointed the Colts as the next Super Bowl champions, not to mention the national sportscasters obviously drinking from the same Colts Kool-Aid. Had they simply forgotten that the Patriots had won six straight against the Colts? That Peyton was 0-6 at Foxboro? Or that Tom Brady was 6-0 all time in the postseason? \nAlso at fault are Colts fans. This week I heard one fan refer to their opponent as the "Gaytriots" and another talk about how this game wouldn't even be close because Peyton had finally become the best player in the NFL. Interesting logic, but wasn't he the MVP last year, too? I also heard endless stories about how the Colts had heart, how great a team they are and how badly they wanted this one. Yeah, and I want a quiet night alone with Jessica Alba, but that doesn't mean it's going to happen.\nSo now, after the Patriots have shown the Colts what a real team is, the tone must change. No more talk about how the Patriots were being unfair by leaving the field uncovered all week, thus making it hard to run on. It's called home-field advantage for a reason -- that's why they play the season, they earned that right. I mean, what did you expect them to do, roll out Astroturf so the Colts could feel at home? \nThe Patriots are the best team in football -- period. They find a way to win, no matter what. Missing three of their best defenders this weekend, they made Manning look like a lost little boy, not the stalwart two-time MVP we have seen all season. The look on his face has become all too familiar; I call it the "Peyton Manning face." It resembles what I would imagine a person looks like a split second before they get hit by a bus. His QB rating of 69.3 and his failure to throw a touchdown pass for the first time this year prove one thing: He can't beat the Patriots. \nTom Brady and his gigantic chin have some kind of mysterious hold on him. I kept waiting for someone to run out on the field and give Manning the Heimlich maneuver because he was choking so badly. \nSo now starts the inevitable debate, Tom Brady or Peyton Manning? Manning is the best quarterback in the NFL, no doubt about it, but I would take Brady any day of the week. Why? Because he wins. Peyton has not proven he can win big games. He can throw all over every team in the regular season but simply can't win when it matters. If Peyton really cared about winning the big one, he would restructure his mammoth contract so the Colts could add something resembling a defense to their team. I mean, it's great that Peyton now has two single-season records after this year, but that and $4.50 will get you a value meal at McDonald's. \nSo until the Colts realize what it takes to win the big one, Peyton will go on being the new Dan Marino. OK wait, that's not fair: Marino actually went to a Super Bowl.