Peyton Manning hosted the ESPYs on Wednesday night. Like he did in the NFL on a weekly basis, he killed it. Need proof? See his joke about Kevin Durant, which left Durant stone-faced and created an awkward moment with Russell Westbrook.
So, Patriots receiver Julian Edelman decided he couldn't let Manning win the night.
While onstage to accept the award for the Best Game -- the Patriots' epic Super Bowl comeback over the Falcons won the award -- he complimented Manning for his performance. Then he hit Manning with a brutal burn.
You can watch the video here, but here's a transcript:
Edelman: "You know, I never thought I'd say this, but Peyton Manning's kinda killing it."
*pause*
Edelman: "We are indoors, though."
Burn.
And so, the Patriots' rivalry with Manning will apparently never end. Here's where I'll point out that Manning posted a 95-41 record outdoors in his Hall of Fame career and generated a 94.0 passer rating. Those totals are a bit lower than his numbers inside the comfort of domes, where he went 63-29 and registered a 99.1 rating, but those are hardly bad numbers. Also, the last time Manning faced the Patriots, he beat them on a frigid Denver day en route to his second Super Bowl. Just saying ...
Regardless, kudos to Manning on a great night as the ESPYs host, props to Edelman on getting the last laugh, and of course, congratulations to the Patriots for winning Best Game. Though in fairness to the Falcons, they probably deserve a share of the award. It takes two teams to turn a 28-3 ballgame into an all-time classic.
