Manning spoils his fans again, walks off with a second title

Over two decades of watching Peyton Manning play on the biggest stages, fans became numb to all he could do — the way he dissected defenses with clinical precision, the way he rewrote the record book, even the way he came back from a neck injury that was supposed to be career-ending.

[...] because of the Super Bowl title he brought back to Denver — the second of his storied career and the one that proved every last thing he needed to.

All the passing yards (71,940), all those MVP awards (a record five), all those wins (Sunday's marked No. 200) should've translated into more rings.

[...] he has two, and is one of only 12 quarterbacks who can claim multiple Super Bowl titles.

[...] the Broncos weren't a complete team, and the best proof came Feb. 2, 2014 against the Seattle Seahawks, who humiliated them from beginning to end, 43-8.

The bolstering of the defense began immediately, but not until halfway through this season did the magnitude of the transformation — of the Broncos and of Manning himself — really sink in.

The stat line, 13 for 23 with an interception and a 56.6 passer rating, is bottom-10 material.

[...] there was still a very good football brain at work — one that knew the perfect time to shout "Omaha, Omaha," to move out of one play and into another, to get out of harm's way and let the defense take care of the rest.

Everything points to this being, as Manning told Patriots coach Bill Belichick, the "last rodeo."

[...] it will be remembered as one of his best.