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Sunday night at Super Bowl 46, in a game that featured two great quarterback performances, Eli Manning was the better man. I'm beginning to think he's the better Manning too.

And that's something I never thought would happen. For one thing, up until two weeks ago, I really didn't think Eli would necessarily win another Super Bowl. And as recently as a year ago, Peyton still had the potential to be the best player on the planet.  But an awful lot has changed since then...hasn't it?

The NY Giants were 7-7 on Christmas Eve. In danger of missing the playoffs entirely, when Eli took them on a 6 game winning streak. He threw an NFL-record 154th quarter TD passes in the regular season. He also led six game-winning drives, each time bringing New York back from fourth-quarter deficits.

And the coup de grace? Eli goes into the house that Peyton built and delivers a performance for the ages. 30-40 passing, for 296 yards including 5-6 for 76 yards on the game winning drive.  The stuff legends are made of.

For those keeping score:  Eli has two Super Bowl rings. Peyton has one. And it's hard to see that balance shifting anytime soon, if ever.

At 31 years old Eli is still in his prime, whereas after a couple of surgeries, older brother is, well, getting old.

As for the inevitable comparison to Peyton, you can argue that Eli has a better defense than Peyton's ever had. If Peyton had Eli's defense he'd probably have at least one more Super Bowl ring by now too. But Peyton doesn't play for New York. Eli does.  

Peyton has a much better career record & numbers. Twice as many wins...and not too many more losses. If he does play next year he could easily pass Dan Marino & John Elway, becoming the second winningest QB in NFL history. And Peyton's presence on the field has always been commanding, whereas Eli's is often perceived to be something less.

But career numbers don't equal career accomplishments. Peyton may have been good enough to win multiple titles, but he didn't. His little brother did. And that's BIG in my book.

It's funny how much one game can change how you look at a players career. 

As of Super Bowl Sunday, there's no more denying it: Eli is Elite.