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 As a glittering shower of golden confetti fell on Levi's Stadium,
Manning appeared to have penned the fairytale ending to a Hall of
Fame career ready to ride off into the sunset holding the Vince
Lombardi trophy, the oldest quarterback to win a Super Bowl and the
first to win championships for two franchises.
But a coy Manning refused to reveal his hand leaving open the
possibility that the 39-year-old could remain part of the NFL next
season even as the Super Bowl turns the corner and steams toward its
centennial and a new era that includes a team back in Los Angeles.
"It's certainly been an emotional week for everybody," said Manning,
amid the post-game celebrations. "I got some good advice from
(former Indianapolis Colts coach) Tony Dungy. He said don't make an
emotional decision.
"I think that was good advice to kind of let this sink in.
"This has been a very emotional week, an emotional night and it is
just beginning, I look forward to celebrating with my friends and
family and I think I will take some time after that."
The golden Super Bowl was much hyped as a passing of the baton with
Manning the aging super star giving way to Panthers' flashy
quarterback Cam Newton, who did not live up to his Superman nickname
against a top ranked Denver defense that proved to be his
kryptonite.
Having claimed NFL most valuable player honors on Saturday and his
17-1 Panthers favored by nearly a touchdown, Newton's coronation
seemed almost certain.
But Manning was not quite ready to drop the torch, adding a couple
of more lines to the quarterbacking record book including becoming
the first to win 200 games (regular season and playoffs).
"They just played better than us," grumbled Newton. "I don't know
what you want me to say.
"They made more plays than us and that's what it came down to.
"We turned the ball over, gave up sacks, threw errant passes. That's
it."
A five-time league most valuable player, Manning's performance will
not be remembered as one of his best as the Denver offense managed
just 194 yards, the fewest for a winning team in the Super Bowl.
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Instead it was a relentless Denver defense that can claim credit for
the victory holding the Panthers' number one ranked offence -- that
averaged over 31 points a game during the regular season -- to a
single touchdown and field goal.
The Denver defense, which recorded seven sacks, was led by a
rampaging Von Miller who forced Newton into two fumbles that were
both converted into touchdowns earning the linebacker Super Bowl
most valuable player honors.
"What our guys did, the way they played, they will be in the
conversation," said Broncos general manager John Elway, when asked
if Denver's defense is one of the best of all-time.
"He (Miller) has just gotten better and better. He has been
unbelievable these playoffs.
"He has got something with Cam. He likes to get after Cam."
That something can be traced back to the two players' college
careers.
Miller was the number two overall choice in the 2011 NFL draft out
of Texas A&M, while Newton was taken first overall after winning a
national college championship with Auburn.
"I thought at that time I could be number one, but (Carolina) didn't
see it that way. They took Cam Newton," Miller said in the run-up to
the National Football League's title game.
Now Miller has something Newton does not -- a Super Bowl
championship.
(Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)
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reserved.]
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