Eli Manning has faced Mike Vrabel before, most notably in Super Bowl XLII. On Sunday, the quarterback will face the former Patriots linebacker again.
Just not actually on the field.
Vrabel is the head coach of the Titans. It will be the first time in his career that Manning will go up against a head coach who has actually hit him in a game.
While neither Manning nor Vrabel seemed that impressed by the reconnection of their careers some 11 years after their most notable conflict (“I guess I haven’t thought about that,” Manning said, “I don’t think it’s too weird”), it certainly will bring back memories for those who have every detail of that Super Bowl tattooed on their brains.