What’s it like competing against your brother? Peyton and Eli Manning have good insight into that, as their teams met three times during their NFL playing careers.
Ahead of Week 12’s Monday Night Football game the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers, the Manning were interviewed by Monday Night Countdown host Scott Van Pelt. They shed some light on what it might be Ravens coach John Harbaugh and his brother, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, to compete against each other.
Peyton did most of the talking.
“We really didn’t enjoy it that much,” Peyton said. “Nobody’s pulling harder for Eli than me. Of course, you want to win for your team. I was glad it was just in the regular season. What the Harbaughs had to do in 2012 with that Super Bowl, what Travis and Jason (Kelce) had to do, nobody realizes how tough that is. Because I’ve won that game, I’ve lost that game — it’s as disappointing as you think it would be. Both of ’em handled it with class. Obviously, we won all three times, Scott. That probably helped out a little bit as well. But tough on the families, tough on the siblings. They’re saying it’s just another game. It’s not. It’s more than that. Both of them want to win this game very badly.”
It was then Eli’s turn to talk.
“I hated it, basically,” Eli said.
Peyton Manning: Obviously, we won all three times, Scott. That probably helped out a little bit, as well. But tough on the families. Tough on the siblings.
Eli Manning: I hated it, basically.
– The Mannings talk about what it was like face each other with Scott Van Pelt. pic.twitter.com/Z4KcTjXwbX
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 26, 2024
Eli didn’t get a chance to say anything else, as the interview ended there. But while he didn’t use nearly as many words as his older brother, there was no doubt where he stood.
Fortunately for the Mannings, they were in opposite conferences for their entire careers. With that, their head-on-head matchups were limited to a pair of games between Peyton’s Indianapolis Colts and Eli’s New York Giants in 2006 and 2010 — and Peyton’s Denver Broncos against the Giants in 2013. Being in opposite conferences, Jason and Travis Kelce were similarly able to avoid playing each other too much in the regular season, though, as Peyton noted, they were on opposing teams in a Super Bowl. The Harbaughs both being in the AFC now means that they will oppose each other at least once every three years, with more matchups possible in the intervening seasons.
