Sure, that whole Super Bowl win over the then-undefeated New England Patriots was big. As magical that ending was, there was something lacking as far as the referendum on Manning's career. That improbable catch by David Tyree that kept the crucial drive alive made it feel a little too lucky.

The NFC Championship game that year also relied on Brett Favre- having an unbelievable year- throwing an at-the-time unlikely interception to ice the game for the Giants.

So Eli has a little something to prove.

And in an almost storybook setting the New York Giants travel back to the scene of that NFC Championship Game- Lambeau Field to face the now-defending champion Green Bay Packers.

The Packers, who ran off 13 consecutive wins to start the season, have already sent the first blow having defeated the Giants earlier this year at home. The Giants could have easily won that game, but failure to execute in the closing moments gave the Packers the win.

And now the Giants and their unappreciated-outside-New-York quarterback attempt to prove that instance of inequity was just that- an instance. A blip on the radar that makes you look twice but never appears again.

The perception of Eli is that he's not very consistent and that as Eli goes, so goes the Giants. I've been one of the biggest proponents of that theory, and the numbers back me up in one major category: turnovers.

Here's how Manning's stats break down:

9 Wins: Average of 22-for-36, 61% complete, 289 yards, 17 TD, and 5 INT

7 Losses: 24-for-39, 60%, 328 yards, 12 TD, and 12 INT

Manning's stats are nearly identical in wins or losses. The only stat category that fluctuates is his interceptions.

Once again- as Eli goes, so go the Giants.

Except at this time in his career, he's running out of time to prove himself elite. He's thrown for 4,000 yards the last three years, nearly eclipsing the 5,000-yard barrier this year. Sure, it's a passing game these days but that's still not nothing. In his seven full seasons, he's averaged 25.5 touchdowns. However, he's also averaged a little over 17 interceptions over that same time frame.

So with Manning there is risk/ reward and when he's on, there are few who are better. The question here is Manning's legacy as he heads toward the wrong side of thirty years old.

The stage is set, the players are in place. It's on you, Eli. How do you want to be remembered?