Super Bowl VI was a battle of the Mannings as Eli lead AFC winner Houston against Peyton’s Carolina the NFC winner.

Houston won the toss and deferred and Peyton Manning got off to a quick start hitting his first 4 passes and leading Carolina down to the Houston 14 but Antonio Bryant came up a yard short on 3^rd down. Carolina elected to settle for three and a Matt Bryant 41 yard field goal after a holding penalty on the first try put them ahead 3-0 with 10:45 left in the first quarter.  Houston ’s first possession was a three and out and Carolina took over on its on 35 yard line.  Carolina drove 65 yards in 8 plays highlighted by a 39 yard deep ball from Peyton to Bryant to set up a 3 yard Brandon Jacobs run and make it 10-0 with 5:00 left in the first quarter.  Houston answered with a drive of their own mainly on the legs of Thomas Jones but Carolina was able to stuff his 3^rd and 4 run and Orlando Mare hooked a 48 yard field goal with less then a minute left in the first quarter.

Carolina used that momentum to drive 62 yards in 8 plays behind 6 Brandon Jacobs runs for 39 yard setting up a Manning to Antonio Gates 11 yard hitch and a 17-0 lead with 10:34 left in the half.  After another Houston 3 and out, Carolina again drove 80 yards in 11 plays with Manning getting his second Td pass of the game this time to Jericho Cotchery and a 24-0 lead with 3:57 left in the half.  After two Houston first downs Carolina held and forced a punt pinning Carolina inside their 10 yard line with 1:30 left in the half.  Trying to pick up a first down to run out the clock Manning was intercepted on 3^rd down by Ryan Clark.  Two plays later Eddie Royal took a well designed end around 14 yards to make it 24-7.  Houston tried an onside kick with Carolina recovered on the Houston 42.  Manning completed two passes and Bryant added a 38 field goal as time expired for a 27-7 halftime lead.

The second half was highlighted by 4 Eli Manning interceptions with one of them leading to a 4 play 54 yard drive capped with the last points of the game, Peyton Manning’s third TD pass and second to Cotchery for a 34-7 lead with 11:51 left in the game. 

Carolina out gained Houston 429-198, had a 23-11 first down edge and 36:36 to 23:24 time of possession advantage.  Game MVP was Peyton Manning hitting 24-31 for 344, 3 TDs and a 131.7 QB rating.  Brandon Jacobs pitched in with 100 yards on 25 carries and a score, while Houshmandzadeh caught 7 balls for 76 yards, Cotchery 6 balls for 98 yards and 2 scores and Bryant 5 balls for 98 yards.  Houston was lead by Eddie Royal’s 6 catches for 43 yards plus a 14yard TD run, Thomas Jones had 56 yards on only 10 carries.  Eli Manning had a rough day completing only 14 of 34 passes for 114 yards, 4 interceptions and a 10.8 QB rating.

The defensive player of the game was Ray Lewis of Houston with 10 tackles and a sack.  Josh Wilson had 9 tackles and a forced fumble for Houston too, while Terrence Newman paced Carolina with 6 tackles and an interception.