His Time Still Hasn’t Come

We’ve seen the impossible -- and yes, there are even billboards up the road that remind us the Boston Red Sox are the 2004 World Series champions -- but we still haven’t seen Peyton Manning lead the Indianapolis Colts past the New England Patriots in a big game.

At this rate, Charlie Brown will kick a field goal with Lucy dutifully holding the ball before Manning defeats the Patriots.

It’s not all Manning’s fault that the Patriots beat the Colts, 20-3, in an AFC divisional playoff game at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. It’s not Manning’s fault that the Patriots outrushed the Colts, 210 yards to 46, on the snowy field. It’s not Manning’s fault that the Patriots drained the clock with three drives that seemed to last longer than a cross-country flight, or that the Colts lost two fumbles.

But what everyone could see and what Manning must carry for at least another year is that he wasn’t at his best when it mattered most. That’s the truest test of greatness, the crowning block atop the Pyramid of Success.

For Manning, it’s a missing piece that looms ever larger for its absence, a notable hole in a resume to which he added 4,557 passing yards and an NFL-record 49 passing touchdowns this season.

Just as there will be an entire wing of players in the Basketball Hall of Fame who won’t have championships listed on their plaques simply because they came along at the same time as Michael Jordan, Manning’s greatest fault might be that his peak years coincided with the rise of the Patriot dynasty. He has lost six consecutive games to New England and nine of 11 in his career. New England should change its nickname to the Irsays, because they own the Colts.

“I’m running out of compliments to pay them,” Manning said.

He was clearly frustrated, and from the moment he walked into the interview room his face showed the dread of having to provide quotes for the same old story.

“Not a lot of variety of the questions this year than last year, unfortunately,” he said as it was ending.

Once again snow fell in Foxboro, and the Patriot defense confounded the Colts. Old nemesis Ty Law, who intercepted three Manning passes in last year’s playoff game here, wasn’t around. Law was one of a number of New England defenders who were sidelined because of injuries, leading some people (including me) to believe that the Colts could prevail this time. Plus, I thought the Red Sox championship had reversed the karma flow around here, like the streams crossing in “Ghostbusters.”

Nope.

The Patriots still had all the answers. Linebackers Tedy Bruschi and Willie McGinest made plays all over the field, the patchwork defensive backfield covered the Colt receiver corps, and Tom Brady and the New England offense were as efficient as ever.

Manning’s overall numbers were better than Brady’s. Manning completed 27 of 42 passes for 238 yards compared with Brady’s 18 for 27 and 144, with a touchdown.

Manning did throw an interception, but it was late and would have affected only the score, not the outcome.

Specifically, two plays required Manning to deliver, and he didn’t. Both times he seemed confused, rushed and a second behind the play instead of one step ahead the way he was throughout the season.

The first came near the end of the first half, with the Colts at the New England five-yard line and the seconds ticking away. Manning scrambled, then looked up to see Reggie Wayne in the end zone, but then New England cornerback Eugene Wilson was on the scene and he almost caught the ball himself. Instead of the halftime lead, the Colts had to settle for a field goal and trailed, 6-3.

In the fourth quarter, in what really amounted to their last shot at the game, the Colts faced third and 10 on their 40. Manning had time but missed Brandon Stokley standing open beyond the first-down marker. Manning finally saw him, but his pass was low and incomplete.

And so is the season for the Colts, who averaged 32.7 points through 16 games but produced only three in the playoffs.

“With all that we had done this year, it makes it even more disappointing,” said Manning, 28. “I finished my seventh year, and I have always played every year as if it was going to kind of be your last, and you really play with a sense of urgency because I have heard guys talking about, ‘Well, next year.’ And you just don’t know what is going to happen next week.”

This doesn’t diminish Manning’s record-breaking season one bit. It’s an entirely separate category. Dan Marino’s record still counted, even though he didn’t win the Super Bowl after he threw 48 touchdown passes in 1984.

But it does taint Manning’s career

“I can remember when [John] Elway couldn’t quite win a Super Bowl and we were all hoping that he’d win one,” Colt Coach Tony Dungy said. “Looking back on it now, he had a great career and he didn’t win his until way far down the road. So the pressure will build and people will continue to talk about it, but I think Peyton will handle it well.”

The young Elway at least had “The Drive” that got the Broncos to the Super Bowl. Right now, all Manning has is The Road Block.

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Peyton Out of Place Again

Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning is 1-7 against New England since Bill Belichick took over as the Patriots’ coach in 2000. Manning’s statistics (*playoff):

*--* Season Result Cmp Att Yards TD Int 2000 at New England 24, Indianapolis 16 31 54 334 1 3 at Indianapolis 30, New England 23 16 20 268 3 0 2001 at New England 44, Indianapolis 13 20 34 196 1 3 New England 38, at Indianapolis 17 22 34 335 1 0 2003 New England 38, at Indianapolis 34 29 48 278 4 1 at New England 24, Indianapolis 14* 23 47 237 1 4 2004 at New England 27, Indianapolis 24 16 29 256 2 1 at New England 20, Indianapolis 3* 27 42 238 0 1 TOTAL 0-5 at New England; 1-2 at 184 308 2,142 13 13 Indianapolis

*--*

J.A. Adande can be reached at j.a.adande@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Adande, go to latimes.com/adande.