Manning did a pretty good job yesterday up until the end when he felt forced to make something happen and went all Favre on us.

But, as usual, Manning “lost.” Even though, in regulation, he played well enough to win. In fact, he had the game won when, with less than 40 seconds left, with Baltimore backed up on their own 20 yard line or so, somehow, they allowed the WR to get behind them and tie the game on a 70+ yard reception.

Manning wasn’t on the field at the time. He had done enough to win. He had no control over the defensive (and absolutely inexplicable) breakdown with less than a minute left. No time outs. 80 yards to go. You can’t EVER EVER EVER let the receiver get behind you. But, they did, so overtime and Manning’s interception.

So, Manning “lost” even though, had his defense not given up the game in regulation, he wouldn’t have been in that situation to begin with.

Sigh. Team game.

But, wait. There’s more.

Manning DIDN’T play well enough to win. In fact, if he hadn’t had TWO defensive/special teams touch downs over which he had absolutely no control, he would have lost in regulation.

But, all we’ll hear is how Manning “lost” again and how Flaco proved that he can “win” the big game (or, perhaps, how Ray Lewis (the “Manning” of defense) rallied his defense to “win” – such a good story line…).

I kind of like Denver losing. (Not a fan…) Lets people say what you did in your last line.

Here’s my take on that play. The safety played back but was too far to the middle of the field. He wasn’t too worried because he figured the play would be in front of him. Remember, the ball was in the air for probably almost four seconds.

The thing is, Joe Flacco really heaved that ball. If I recall, he was on about his own 20 when he threw it, and the receiver caught it on about the Bronco 20. That’s sixty yards in the air. Believe it or not that’s a long throw for even an NFL QB. It looked to me like the safety was playing the ball the whole way, and thought he was far enough back. When the ball went over his head, he looked totally shocked.

Frankly I think Flacco just threw the ball farther than the safety thought he could.

Foobarista: Lots of people are asking that question. Was Manning hurt? Did he (and/or Fox) not trust him not to screw it up? He sure wasn’t slinging it around with any authority that game – mostly little “dinks and dunks” a la Brady. He might have had one pass over 20 yards, but I can’t remember it if he did. We did see what happened in overtime when he was pressured to make something happen as he would have been in the last 30 seconds of regulation driving to make a field goal.

But, that’s what they pay him for, I thought. Dunno why. Maybe they haven’t watched his film in post-season since he joined the league. He’s “one and done” I think 9 times in the course of his career and the one ring he “won” was won despite his poor play.