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Peyton Manning was always going to be remembered as one of the greatest quarterback in NFL history. Sunday's Super Bowl 50 result wasn't going to affect that. Where exactly Manning ends up being ranked among the greatest to ever line up under center will always be up for debate though, and the Denver Broncos' 24-10 Super Bowl upset victory over the Carolina Panthers Sunday is going to push him further up the list.
Manning's resume is full of impressive accolades. He's a five-time MVP. He holds the record for most career passing yards and touchdowns. He's played in four Super Bowls and just won his second.
But until Sunday, Manning lost as many playoff games (13) as he'd won, which was the lone blemish on his record. After lifting the Lombardi trophy in Super Bowl 41, Manning went back to the big game just two more times, both ending in losses. The last one was particularly humbling, a 43-8 shellacking by the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 48. Now, finally, Manning gets the second ring that's been eluding him for a decade.
He didn't have to do much in Sunday's win, completing just 13 of 23 passes for 141 yards and throwing an interception. The defense did almost all of the work for Denver, sacking Cam Newton seven times and forcing four fumbles, recovering three of them. Von Miller took home the MVP award.
Still, even if Manning didn't dominate the game like years past, he gets to add yet another accomplishment to his Hall of Fame resume. He was asked about retirement in the postgame celebration, but refused to give a firm answer. Either way, if this is the end for Manning, he gets to go out on top, something that few players get to say about the end of their careers.