[The Huddle]

Well, well, what do you know? Manning has taken his first step toward making all those big stats actually mean something in this debate. I’ve got to give credit where credit is due- I have stated that I believe pressure adversely affects Manning. Clearly that was not the case yesterday. Even after costing his team seven points, he pulled himself together and engineered the biggest comeback in conference championship game history. He was outstanding. Hu-rah.

Now, he’s one big game, one big win, from filling in that aching hole in his heart and on his resume. The Colts are a pretty solid favorite and, given the way their defense is playing, it would appear this isn’t asking too much. We shall see.

As for Brady, he remains the league’s best big game quarterback- and thus the best quarterback, period. No, he didn’t get it done yesterday. Yes, he failed in the clutch yesterday when attempting to lead his team downfield to a touchdown in the closing seconds. However, it is a tribute to just how accomplished Brady has become in these situations that despite the odds, most folks probably half-expected him to pull another one out anyway. He’s still not yet 30. In six seasons as a starter, he's led his team to three titles and to the brink of a fourth. He’ll be back.

But back to Manning. As great as he was yesterday, he isn’t there yet. One game can’t make up for all of his past failings, or erase Brady’s success in the same situations over the past 6 years. Again, he’s taken a solid step toward proving his supporters right, toward making the case that he, not Brady, is the game’s best QB- I can't deny that and won't attempt to for ego's sake. He can take another step against the Bears, and then this debate will get a lot more interesting.