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Will the Colts and Peyton Manning reach a deal? Liz Merrill weighs in.

And if they don't ... you fill in the blank.

The idea of sharing New York/New Jersey with his older brother, Peyton -- perhaps even becoming neighbors -- is an intriguing scenario to Giants quarterback Eli Manning, even if he doesn't know if it would ever happen.

"Yeah, it would be fun," Manning joked on Monday, during his his weekly spot on ESPN New York 1050 radio. "We could probably commute to work maybe. We could come home, eat dinner together, have the kids playing ..."

"Have bunk beds, just like the old days?" host Michael Kay interjected.

"Exactly. Twin beds," Manning said. "We can share notes on opponents and watch some film together."

When asked if Peyton Manning would be coming to Eli's town if such a scenario were to take place, Manning replied with a laugh, "That's right. That's right.”

On a serious note, Eli made it clear that he doesn't know if Peyton would ever end up as a New York Jet, and that he wasn't campaigning for it to happen.

"I don't know what is going to happen in that situation,” Manning said. "Would it be fun? Yeah, I think it would be interesting to have your brother in the same city playing football together.

"It would be interesting. I am not saying it is going to happen or I want it to happen, but to have your brother that close to you and playing in New York would be very unique."

Manning, who will play in the NFC Championship Game against San Francisco and hopes to extend the finest season of his career, talked about the lofty expectations set for him because he shares a last name with Peyton, a four-time MVP.

“Maybe just because Peyton had a six-year head start on me," Eli said. "All of a sudden, his second year he got into playing in a high level, playing great football, and they were going to playoffs and making it to second and third round several times.

"All of the sudden people expect, 'Well, hey, here comes little brother.' and they are expecting the same thing to happen. He is going to automatically have immediate success and he is going to be in the playoffs every year.

"My first year starting, my second year in the NFL, we did make the playoffs," he continued. "Was I playing perfect football? No. But I was competing and learning and getting reps, and it is a process. I kept working on my craft and getting better and eventually it is coming around. You never know how long it is going to take."

With all the talk about about the QB situation, and whether some in the Jets locker room think Peyton Manning wouldn’t have let this season go off the rails, KC Joyner looks at whether Manning could be a cure for this offense.

In his estimation, the real issues start at wide receiver, where the current Jets cast simply isn’t good enough. And even Manning shows signs that he’d struggle if the Jets didn’t fix that problem.

Chris Sprow of ESPN's Rumor Central talks to everybody, and he says you shouldn't dismiss those Peyton Manning rumblings just yet. What do you say?

Rex Ryan doesn't want Peyton Manning. If magically given the choice during free agency this offseason, the Jets coach will stick with Mark Sanchez.

"There's no way we're looking to replace Mark Sanchez," Ryan said.

Ryan was asked by Stephen A. Smith on ESPN New York 1050's "The Michael Kay Show" if Ryan would consider the Colts' Super Bowl-winning quarterback. The Jets could vie for the rehabilitating quarterback if the Colts lose the last game of the season and wind up with the first pick of the draft. The Colts would be foolish not to choose quarterback Andrew Luck. Many, including Manning's father, Archie Manning, have said having two starting quarterbacks on the same team isn't fair to either. And it would be expensive.

In that situation, Manning might ask for an out.

"If they were both out there and you were starting a draft, would you take Peyton Manning?" Ryan asked. "Yeah, I'd take Peyton Manning over anybody. I'm not telling that lie; of course I would take him. But right now when you look at our football team and our franchise, we feel great about our quarterback situation.

"He's young," Ryan said of Sanchez. "Is he going to get better? He absolutely is. Is he perfect? Not by any stretch of the imagination and not any of us are. We think he has the ability to be special."

Ryan also said he thought Manning was the No. 1 quarterback in the NFL, over even Tom Brady, yet he won't be a Jet.

"Do I think it's even a consideration for us? No I don't," Ryan said.

Smith also asked why the Jets don’t have a better backup quarterback in case of an injury to Sanchez, or even if he has a bad game. Ryan started by saying he had a lot of respect for Mark Brunell.

"Is he the Mark Brunell that he used to be in Jacksonville?" Ryan asked. "No. If he was, he'd be starting."

But Ryan later said he and general manager Mike Tannenbaum had decided to allocate the team's resources toward other positions.

"I think sometimes the way the money is, when you're divvying out who's making what for your team, you have to prioritize," Ryan said. "Are you better off with a starting offensive lineman than a backup quarterback? I know there are teams that have used a lot of resources in the backup quarterbacks. I think Mark [Sanchez] is durable as well. When Mike [Tannenbaum] and I look at building our team, we kind of put more emphasis in different positions other than backup quarterback."

Smith also asked Ryan about a report the Jets were having internal discussions about whether Sanchez was a good fit for the team long-term.

"I'm absolutely going to deny that, because it's just not true," Ryan said. "I've said repeatedly that this is my guy and there's no question as long as I'm here as a head coach. This is why we drafted him; he's got that great ability. He's tied an NFL record for most road victories in the playoffs. He's only played two years. This is his third season."

Recap | Box score | Photos

WHAT IT MEANS: The New York Jets conquered their Peyton Manning demons with a thrilling 17-16 win over the Indianapolis Colts in an AFC wild-card game. The Jets have pulled out last-minute wins all season, using that formula when it mattered most. They always said those experiences would serve them well down the road, and they were right.

REX-ORCIST: Rex Ryan, tormented by Manning throughout his coaching career, called this "personal." Well, Ryan finally beat Manning, and his defense was marvelous, holding the Colts to a touchdown and three field goals.

FOLK HERO: Nick Folk, who nearly lost his job in November when he hit a slump, made one of the biggest field goals in Jets history -- a game-winning, 32-yarder as time expired. If he had missed, he would've been linked with Doug Brien, the kicking goat from the 2004 playoffs, but Folk delivered after a four-play, 40-yard drive by Mark Sanchez & Co.

GROUND AND POUND: This was Rex Ryan football. The Jets dominated the Colts in the trenches, outrushing them 169-93. The Jets rushed for 64 yards in the third quarter, wearing down the Colts' undersized front seven with heavy doses of LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene. The two backs, benefiting from a week off, rushed for a combined total of 152 yards. The Colts' run defense (ranked 25th) had improved in recent weeks but was gashed between the tackles. The Jets sprinkled in some misdirection, dusting off the "swerve" play from early in the season. This was Tomlinson's best performance since October.

A TAJ GIFT: A Colts receiver named Taj Smith will live in infamy, committing a running-into-the-kicker penalty on a punt by Steve Weatherford with 3:02 remaining in the fourth quarter. It came moments after a third-down drop by Santonio Holmes, and it gave the Jets a new set of downs and a chance to milk the clock. But they went three-and-out and punted back to Manning.

OFF THE MARK: Sanchez, who played so well last season as a rookie in the postseason, didn't have his A game for 3½ quarters. But he rallied in crunch time, hitting Braylon Edwards and Holmes for big passes on the game-winning drive.

Prior to that, Sanchez (18-for-31, 189 yards and one pick) struggled with his accuracy, perhaps the result of rust. Remember, he didn't attempt any passes in last week's cameo appearance. Ryan wanted to protect his young quarterback and his ailing right shoulder, but it was a risk because he knew Sanchez's track record for struggling after extended layoffs.

Sanchez misfired on three straight passes at the end of the first half, overthrowing an open Dustin Keller at the goal line and compounding that with a horrible third-down pass that was intercepted at the goal line. The Colts dropped nine into coverage and Sanchez forced a ball across the field into traffic, breaking several Cardinal rules of quarterback. The Jets were in field goal range at the 19, and he should've just thrown it away and taken the three points.

BLOWN COVERAGE: The Jets traded for Antonio Cromartie, in part, because they felt they needed another premier cornerback to beat the likes of Manning. So what happens? Cromartie came up small, partly responsible for a 57-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon. This was a three-man breakdown by the Jets' secondary: Nickel back Drew Coleman failed to jam Garcon in the slot, Cromartie failed to pick him up in coverage and S Brodney Pool took a horrible angle on the catch-and-run. Afterward, Cromartie received an earful from Ryan on the Jets' bench. Unofficially, Cromartie surrendered five catches for 112 yards.

REVIS ISLAND: Manning was afraid of CB Darrelle Revis. Yes, the Great Manning refused to throw the ball in Revis' area code. Revis covered WR Reggie Wayne the entire game, limiting him to one catch for one yard. Wayne was targeted only once. Mind you, Wayne averaged 11 targets per game during the regular season.

BIG PAIN: All-purpose weapon Brad Smith suffered a quadriceps injury in the first quarter and didn't return until the third quarter. His prolonged absence was a significant blow to the Jets. That forced them to change part of their game plan on the fly. It meant they had to limit their Wildcat package, one of their offensive staples. The injury also cost them one of the league's top kickoff returners. For some reason, they let the hobbled Smith try a return even though Cromartie had a long return in his place.

WHAT'S AHEAD: This is the rematch the Jets wanted -- another shot at the New England Patriots, who humiliated them 45-3 in Week 13. After the game, a defiant Ryan said he was ready to get back in the ring with the Patriots. Well, now he gets a chance to back up the big talk.

There will be no shortage of storylines for next Sunday's AFC divisional game, starting with Ryan. The Jets coach took a swipe at Tom Brady the other day, suggesting he's not as smart as Manning. We can also resurrect Ryan's famous line about Bill Belichick, the one about him refusing to kiss Belichick's Super Bowl rings. The Jets' defense, shredded by Brady, gets a chance for redemption. It also gets another crack at Danny Woodhead, the Jets castoff-turned-cult hero. There's nothing better than Jets-Patriots in the playoffs.