It was Eli Manning‘s third year in the league and second as a full-time starter when he first suited up against his older brother. In a game dubbed “The Manning Bowl,” Eli and the New York Giants took on Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 of the 2006 campaign.
In a primetime Sunday Night Football matchup to kick off the year, Peyton and his eventual Super Bowl-winning Colts team ousted the Giants 26-21 at Giants Stadium. It was the first of what was three meetings between the two brothers, and despite losing each one, Eli was nice enough to reflect on the inaugural matchup with Peyton and NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico.