(Sports Network) - Eli Manning may not have his older brother's place in the NFL record books, multiple MVP awards or bevy of endorsement deals. The New York Giants quarterback will have an opportunity to seize family bragging rights for the time being, however, when he leads his team into Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium this Sunday for a primetime showdown with the defending AFC champion Colts.
NFL Week 2, Colts Vs. Giants: Mannings Renew Sibling Rivalry
This marquee interconference matchup marks the second head-to-head meeting between the Mannings, with Peyton’s Colts getting the better of Eli’s Giants via a 26-21 verdict at the Meadowlands in 2006. And while the sibling rivalry is sure to draw its share of intrigue and television viewers, the game also carries plenty of importance to the home team after a subpar showing in its season opener.
Although Peyton Manning displayed his trademark excellence in last weekend's divisional clash at Houston, his team's defense was hardly in top form in a conceivably-costly 34-24 loss to the up-and-coming Texans. The Colts were gashed for 257 rushing yards by their fellow AFC South tenants, with that poor performance spoiling a 433-yard, three-touchdown afternoon out of the superstar signal-caller.
Indianapolis' defensive struggles were compounded by yet another injury to standout safety Bob Sanders, with the brittle former NFL Defensive Player of the Year lasting just 10 snaps before suffering a possible season-ending right biceps tear in the second quarter.
The Giants had a more pleasant outcome in their lid-lifter, with Big Blue getting its 2010 campaign off to a desired good start by virtue of a 31-18 victory over a mistake-prone Carolina team last Sunday. Eli Manning threw for 263 yards and delivered three touchdown strikes to talented young wideout Hakeem Nicks, while New York put up 17 straight second-half points to overcome a 16-14 deficit at intermission.
While the Colts defense floundered in Week 1, the Giants showed flashes of returning to their once-fearsome form on that side of the ball against the Panthers. The unit forced five turnovers, including three end-zone interceptions of Matt Moore that thwarted potential scoring drives, and sacked the Carolina quarterback four times while yielding a scant 237 total yards.
Subpar defensive play had led to New York’s demise a year ago, with the 2009 G-Men surrendering 40 or more points five times during a 3-8 finish that negated a five-game winning streak to begin the season.
Strong starts have been nothing new for the Giants in recent years, however. New York has now prevailed in nine consecutive September dates under head coach Tom Coughlin, a stretch that dates back to 2007.
Extending that run could be a challenge, though, against an Indianapolis squad that's been stellar on its home turf as of late. Including a pair of playoff victories in the 2009 AFC Playoffs, the Colts are 15-1 in their last 16 tests at Lucas Oil Stadium. That lone blemish took place during Week 16 of last season, a 29-15 setback to the Jets in which Indy rested a majority of its starters with the conference's No. 1 seed already sewn up.
Indianapolis has also not started out 0-2 since Peyton Manning’s rookie year of 1998.
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