"The good, the bad, the ugly"

Championship Sunday for the NFL playoffs is this weekend. Yes, there's one Manning playing in one of the games and Eli is his name.

Peyton will be in the luxury box with his father Archie, watching his younger brother compete against the wonderful Brett Favre at frigid Lambeau Field, in Green Bay, Wis.

Throughout the season, the media and the fans have criticized Manning for his inconsistent play, mental toughness and lack of leadership skills.

On Nov. 25, Manning had one of his ugly games when the Giants lost to the Minnesota Vikings 41-17. Manning was booed out of the stadium. People were saying that the Giants needed to start to rebuild and get a new quarterback.

Manning completed only 21 passes out of 49 attempts. The worst part about the game is that he threw four interceptions. His quarterback rating was a dreadful 33.8. It looked like he could not read the defensive schemes and was just throwing the ball into the Vikings' defenders hands.

Another ugly game for Manning was on Dec. 16 against the Washington Redskins. Manning threw the ball 53 times, way too many in poor weather conditions. He completed 18 of these throws for 184 yards and one touchdown.

In both of Manning's ugly games, he averaged 50 passing attempts. This type of offensive style is not effective for Manning. He needs and needs to lower the number of pass attempts per game and a balanced offense. Look what happens when he throws too many passes.

Stats are crucial in an individual perspective, but the most important part for any football game is to come away with the win. This is what happened on Dec. 23 versus the Buffalo Bills.

In miserable weather conditions, Manning played a really bad game. However, his team did win the game. Other than that, this game should be erased and never looked at again.

When a quarterback totals 111 yards, throws two interceptions, is sacked twice, and fumbles the ball five times, he isn't going to sleep well after the game. In most situations, you are depressed because you just helped your team lose the game. This did not occur in the Bills game.

The Giants, despite Manning's awful performance, clinched a play-off spot by winning 38-21. How can a team score 38 points with those numbers from their quarterback? It's simple: a strong rushing game and a ferocious defense.

This is what might have to happen against the Packers on Sunday. With predicted temperatures in the single digits, Manning may not be the key player. The running backs and defense will need to carry the Giants to Arizona for a shot at lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

But what will happen if Manning does have another bad game? Will everyone forget what he did to get the Giants to this point in the season?

Manning has proved all the critics wrong in the 2008 post-season. He has shown that he can win in New York when it matters the most.

In two playoff games, Manning has been amazing. He does not have the monster numbers that Tom Brady is putting up, but he's been efficient. This is what the Giants need him to be.

The soft, erratic quarterback has been anything but that so far against Tampa Bay and Dallas. He has not thrown an interception in either game and has four touchdowns. He has completed 32-45 passes for 348 yards. His quarterback rating is 123.2, behind only Brady and Favre.

When Manning commits no turnovers, specifically interceptions, he's more comfortable, along with the rest of the team. His receivers know they can trust their quarterback to get them the ball. Manning has confidence that he can execute the offensive game plan and does not look jittery standing in the back field attempting a pass.

Manning may have some games where he doesn't look like the top quarterback in the 2004 draft and deserves all the criticism that he gets. But, if he continues to play the way he has this post-season, critics will talk about how good the Giants are and how they made a smart move at this draft.

What will we see in the papers and hear on television next week? Is it going to be the good, the bad, or the ugly? I can't wait to find out.