"Eli Manning wouldn't say anything if he had a mouthful of Candlestick Park turf. So, of course, that was the idea behind baiting him to talk about himself.

In August, ESPN Radio's Michael Kay seemed to have about as much chance of getting an answer to "Do you consider yourself in a class with Tom Brady" as Manning had going in against Brady four years ago in Glendale, Ariz.

But Archie Manning's youngest was set up in life neither to fail nor to fail to stand up for himself, as the San Francisco 49ers repeatedly learned Sunday while sacking him six times.

"I consider myself in that class," Manning said to Kay."