Peyton victorious in "Manning Bowl"

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- A little bit older, a little more experienced, Peyton Manning was also a little bit better than Eli in the Manning Bowl.\nThe Indianapolis Colts also made fewer mistakes than the New York Giants on Sunday night in the first NFL game to feature two brothers starting at quarterback. Big brother Peyton was 25-of-41 for 276 yards and a touchdown and the Colts scored on five of their first seven possessions to defeat Eli and the Giants 26-21.\n"It was a great ballgame tonight," Peyton Manning said. "I am glad it's over -- looking forward to some 'regular'-season games. This wasn't a regular game."\nIf the much-hyped nationally televised matchup made Archie Manning and his wife, Olivia, proud, they hardly showed it: The parents displayed little emotion from the luxury box where they sat, the father often slumping uncomfortably into his chair and the mother sitting stiffly, staring straight ahead.\nAfter it was over, the siblings came to midfield, surrounded by photographers, big brother patting little brother on the back of his head.\n"I told him I loved him, I'm proud of him," Peyton Manning said. "He played his butt off out there, made some huge plays, kept our defense off-balance and put a lot of pressure on our offense to score.\n"I was impressed. He is poised, very cool back there, polished, he is going to be a heck of a player for a long time."\nAdam Vinatieri, the hero of two Super Bowl wins by the New England Patriots, kicked four field goals in his first game for the defending AFC South champions, including a 32-yarder with 1:12 to play to push the lead to five points.\nDominic Rhodes also scored on a 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter for a 23-14 lead.\nEli Manning threw a late interception that followed a questionable offensive pass interference call against Tim Carter, which would have given the Giants a first down at their own 37. Manning then moved Indianapolis 19 yards for an insurance field goal.\nThe two mistakes were just the big ones by Eli. Giants defenders dropped two potential first-half interceptions that could have stopped scoring drives. Jay Feely missed a 40-yard field goals and the Giants had a plethora of penalties that slowed or ended drives, including an illegal snap by center Shaun O'Hara with 17 seconds to play that forced officials to take 10 seconds off the clock.\nThat allowed Eli Manning to throw one more pass and it fell incomplete.\nThe Giants, who also got a 110-yard rushing effort from Tiki Barber, had closed to within 23-21 on a 1-yard touchdown run by Brandon Jacobs with 8:01 to play.\nIt marked the second time that the Giants, who had trailed 13-0 late in the first half, had rallied to close the gap to two points.\nPeyton Manning was nearly unstoppable in the first half. The Colts had the ball four times and scored on every one of them. Big brother hit 17-of-27 passes for 196 yards, converted 9-of-11 third-down chances and helped Indianapolis control the ball for 17:37 in taking a 16-7 halftime edge.\nVinatieri capped the first two drives, which included a game opening 17-play, nearly nine minute march, with field goals of 26 and 32 yards for a 6-0 lead early in the second quarter.\nSeconds before the first field goal, Giants backup safety James Butler had a chance to end the first drive -- but dropped what should have been an interception of a Peyton Manning pass that was right in his hands.\nAnother mistake kept New York off the scoreboard following Vinatieri's second field goal.\nPlaxico Burress, who got called for two illegal blocks in the first half, made a one-handed catch for a 37-yard gain to the Colts 26. However, Feely missed a 40-yard field goal four plays later.\nPeyton Manning made the Giants pay on the next possession, moving the Colts 70 yards in 10 plays and finishing it with a 2 yards strike to tight end Dallas Clark. Peyton outran blitzing safety Gibril Wilson on a rollout to the right and put a deft touch on a pass over the outstretched hands of Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan, who was in zone coverage.\nThe touchdown gave Indianapolis a 13-0 lead, and for a moment the so-called Manning Bowl looked like it would be very one sided.\nBut Eli countered with a beautiful drive, moving the Giants 86-yards in eight plays. Barber got it going with 17 reception and two 11-yard runs, and Manning capped it with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Burress, who won a jump ball with Harper near the goal line.\nThe score got New York within 13-7 with 32 seconds left in the half, but that was enough time for Peyton to do some more damage.\nTaking over at his own 38 with 25 seconds to go, Manning hit Marvin Harrison on three straight passes for 30 yards, setting up a 48-yard field goal by Vinatieri, who was signed in the offseason as a free agent to replace Mike Vanderjagt.