Peyton’s definitely gotten his shots in too. ‘05, ’06 x2, ’09, ’10. But I think it comes down to the how much talent was in the secondary. No question, this is the Pats best secondary since 2004, which is impressive.
But this game was a lot about the elements and how the game unfolded. Manning and the passing offense never got warmed up and when they fell behind and had to start throwing the ball, they were still cold.
However, in the big picture, I think you have to wonder if Manning should even want homefield advantage. His ball just didn’t have the same zip that Brady’s did and while a rematch is very possible, I feel pretty confident Brady is the better quarterback if elements come into play.