Infographic: How Peyton Manning has performed in the Super Bowl
When Peyton Manning faced off with Cam Newton and the Panthers on Feb. 7 in Super Bowl 50, it was Manning's fourth time starting the Super Bowl during his 18–year career.
Manning is now 2–2 in his four appearances. He brought Indianapolis its first NFL championship in Super Bowl XLI against Rex Grossman and the Chicago Bears, a team that featured one of the league's best defenses. The Colts then lost to Drew Brees and the high–powered Saints offense in Super Bowl XLIV. In 2014, his Broncos were dominated by a vaunted Seahawks defense in Super Bowl XLVIII. On Sunday, Manning beat the Carolina Panthers, led by NFL MVP quarterback Cam Newton.
SI.com broke down Manning's performances on football's biggest stage.
Takeaways
Before Super Bowl 50, Manning's completion percentage paled in comparison to that of his opponents (76.09 percent compared to 68.18 percent). But after Newton's 18-for-41 performance, Manning now has a very slight edge in the completion percentage category. In touchdowns and turnovers, Manning, on average, has been outplayed by opposing quarterbacks in Super Bowls.
Manning has thrown at least one interception in all four of his Super Bowl appearances, and he has thrown for fewer touchdowns than his competitors. He has also lost a fumble in each of his last two Super Bowls.
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It's worth noting that Super Bowl XLVIII may be skewing some of the statistics, as the Seahawks took a 29-0 lead after Percy Harvin returned the second-half kickoff for a touchdown. After that, the Broncos had to largely abandon the running game and throw on almost every play.
Another interesting fact: There have been seven non–offensive scores in these four games. There have been three pick-sixes, two kick-return touchdowns (Devin Hester in Super Bowl XLI and Harvin in Super Bowl XLVIII), one fumble returned for a touchdown and one safety. Excluding one interception and fumble touchdown, all of these non–offensive scores have gone against Manning's teams.