Timeout

Was anyone surprised that a Manning namesake advanced in the playoffs?

Probably not. But, like much of the football-watching world, you probably thought it would be Peyton and the Indianapolis Colts moving on, not Eli and the New York Giants.

That's right. The Giants will be heading to the Super Bowl on the heels of a 23-20 overtime victory against the Green Bay Packers. The Colts went home after losing in the opening round of the playoffs to the San Diego Chargers, 28-24.

Eli has always been in the shadow of his older brother as well as football legend father Archie. His arrival in New York - after a much maligned trade from San Diego, who drafted him - has been controversial from both inside and out. You might recall former Giant Tiki Barber questioning Eli's leadership skills. After his retirement, he repeatedly said he felt the young quarterback wasn't ready to be a leader on the field.

And, the public hasn't been particularly sensitive, either. He's been scrutinized repeatedly for his mistakes on the field. During his first year, everyone figured he'd grow out of his "rookie mistakes." But, time has made fans a lot less generous. People were left wondering if he'd ever live up to the hype that follows him and his family name.

Meanwhile, Peyton and the Colts calmly knocked off most of their opponents in a successful 13-3 season. The Colts seemed the likely favorite to challenge the perfect (insert asterisk here) New England Patriots in the AFC championship on their way to another Super Bowl ring.

Apparently, the Chargers had other ideas.

Now, this isn't to say I think the Giants will beat New England. The Patriots will likely throttle them, as they would almost any other team they met in the championship. I'd even bet the walking cast that Pats QB Tom Brady has been sporting this week won't be a factor in the Super Bowl. Not enough to give the Giants the edge, anyway.

Still, it's worth noting that Eli finally gets to shine in the postseason. It's usually his big brother receiving all the accolades. Even off the field, Peyton has invaded our non-football lives with commercials and a stint on Saturday Night Live. Eli has finally silenced his critics and stolen the spotlight, even for a moment.

For now, Eli should enjoy knowing he isn't the other Manning. He's the only Manning left standing.