Until Manning learns how to win in the cold or they put a roof over Mile High Stadium it will still mean an early exit in the playoffs.
Plotalot, you would be absolutely correct. In fact, I do not believe he will win a single playoff game in Denver, and they will be 13-3, 14-2, 15-1 or thereabouts in the regular season. Won't matter.
Heck, Peyton has gone one and done in 8 of the 12 playoffs he's been to...and of those 8 one and dones...6 of them had zero do with cold weather (4 were in his home Dome in Indianapolis, the other 2 were @ Miami and @ San Diego) However, in the 4 playoffs he didn't go one-and-done in, he ended up going 9-3 (with 1 loss in Miami to the Saints, and the other 2 losses @New England)
In the one year he won the Super Bowl, he was underwhelming the entirety of the playoffs. This was the year the Colts were left for dead because they were dead last against the run and somehow turned it around and played as if they had the best run defense in the NFL come playoff time. Some of the worst QB play for a Super Bowl winning team that playoffs.
While I agree with some of the criticism that y'all are making about Peyton and think he needs to have a defining moment or another Lombardi (before he retires) to get into the debate of greatest QB of all-time, I'll play devil's advocate: He had three TDs and what should have been the game-winning TD last year (cold weather) against the SB champs. The Ravens should have never won that game and almost seemed "meant to be". In the playoff run when the Colts lost to the Saints, Peyton put up some huge numbers in every game (think Ravens and Jets were two of the opponents - obviously great defenses). His only big mistake was the INT to Porter and that also seemed meant to be. When the Colts won their only championship, they had to go through the Ravens and Patriots. Peyton may not have played great but I guarantee they don't win those games without his leadership and intangibles. The Super Bowl was a monsoon but he played decent against a very good Bears defense. His TD pass was probably the difference in the game. I also don't think most of the Colts teams had a defense good enough to win championships. In summary, Peyton may not be the GOAT but he's in the top 10 (maybe top 5) and is not a complete choke artist.
He sucks in cold weather. Which sucks for him because the big dogs in the AFC are cold weather teams, and play outdoors with the exception of the Colts.
Then maybe they'll win less games in regular season, and be a road playoff team where they will likely play in stadiums.
During the Broncos Ravens playoff game, one of the commentators was saying the week before that game, manning was dipping his throwing hand in a bucket of ice water and holding it in there then would throw the ball to simulate numb hands. Didn't seem to work.
In all fairness to him (and I'm not a fan of either Manning), it's hard to blame that loss on him. He wasn't playing DB when Flacco connected on a 75 yd TD pass with only seconds left in the game. Also, he went 5-0 in Nov. and Dec. in cold weather games. I guess his playoff failures have led to the perception that he can't win in the cold.
Manning wouldn't have had a lead had it not been for the 2 Trindon Holliday return TDs. The dude is just a stats king, will go down as a top 5 QB when it's all said and done but the guy can't lead his tea in the playoffs when it matters. Like istlsl said, he played very poorly in their only SB run (the defense was reason they won) and he rode Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes to the SB win...
