A QB Classic

Jan. 19, 2007— -- AFC Championship game: New England at Indianapolis

Sunday, Jan. 21, 2007 6: 30 p.m. ET

Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts have waited for this moment since he was the first pick in the 1998 draft.

The minute he stepped on the field, everyone felt he was destined to take the Colts to the Super Bowl. His presence was no different from when John Elway bolted Baltimore and went to Denver. As quarterbacks, Manning and Elway were simply better than their peers.

Manning never missed a play. He executed his offense with remarkable efficiency. He completed passes to Marvin Harrison that had no margin of error. Before long, the Colts were playoff contenders awaiting their Super Bowl destiny. But like the Knicks who tried to win during the Bulls' reign or Oakland and Houston trying to be satisfied when the Steelers were winning championships, the Colts had to keep waiting and waiting and waiting.

So it's only fitting that the Patriots are standing in the way of the Colts for the Super Bowl. History is on the line Sunday when the two teams meet. The sentimentalists in sports would appreciate the feel-good story of Manning's finally getting his chance to go to the Super Bowl. Seeing Tony Dungy, who had a Super Bowl opportunity taken away from him in Tampa Bay, go to the Super Bowl also might bring a tear to the eye.

This is clearly Manning's best chance and, like so many great chances, it comes at the most unlikely time.

Few gave the Colts a chance when the playoffs began. They were giving up 173 rushing yards a game. Tackling was bad. Techniques were messed up. Confidence was low, and the number of injuries was high.

The Colts opened the playoffs against Larry Johnson and Kansas City. Some thought Johnson might roll off 200 yards against the Colts, forgetting that the Chiefs were a struggling road team and that the return of Indy safety Bob Sanders might make an impact. This past weekend, many didn't give the Colts a chance against the Ravens. They figured Jamal Lewis would run over Indy's undersized defense. He didn't, and the Colts won.