From his corner of the locker room, looking around at his New York Giants teammates, Eli Manning drew a conclusion: He is old. 'There's none of the same faces really,' Manning said. 'A little of it happens year to year, guys moving on. Next thing you know, you're looking around, you're one of the old guys.' Manning, 29, has gone from unassuming rookie to unassuming veteran, his shrug-it-off temperament unchanged by playing seven years in the NFL. Perhaps it is the reason Manning has never escaped the shadow of his older brother Peyton. But the arc of Eli's career, marked by a slow start and a chilly reception from fans, has bent to his own unique stardom. Even if he will always be viewed as Peyton's little brother, he has become the face of the Giants. 'It takes a few years to figure it out, to kind of be comfortable that you're here,' he said of playing in New York. 'But I've enjoyed it.' The Giants-Indianapolis game Sunday night has been billed the Battle of the Brothers, Eli vs. Peyton. Their only previous meeting was in 2006, when Eli faced questions about whether he was just another overpriced No.1 draft pick. It did not help when the Colts won, 26-21. Now, Eli Manning has forged his own reputation as a Super Bowl MVP who had a career year, statistically, in 2009, when he threw for 4,021 yards and 27 touchdowns. This week, Eli Manning's growth has been evident in his comments about wanting to enjoy Manning Bowl II. In fact, in a DirecTV commercial promoting the game, little brother finally got the upper hand, stuffing Peyton in a closet. 'There is a big difference between being in your second year and being in your seventh,' Peyton Manning said. 'Certainly, a lot has happened since that game four years ago.' When Eli arrived in New York, the Giants had a cast of strong leaders -- the outspoken defensive end Michael Strahan, the star running back Tiki Barber and the well-respected wide receiver Amani Toomer. Into the fray stepped a rookie with a famous last name and a quiet personality. Manning grew up in New Orleans with a taste for shrimp Po'boys. He married his college sweetheart from the University of Mississippi. New York -- a city that eschews modesty and embraces brash confidence -- did not seem to fit a quarterback known to friends as 'Easy' for his cool demeanor. Handling New York was not something that Peyton, his biggest mentor, or his father, Archie, who spent 11 seasons in New Orleans, could help Eli with. They never played under such intense scrutiny. His father suggested he seek out the former Giants quarterbacks Phil Simms and Kerry Collins for guidance. 'Peyton and I talked about it when Eli went up there,' Archie Manning said in a telephone interview. 'We could not advise him on that. I played in New Orleans; Peyton's playing in Indianapolis. Both of them are small markets.' Eli Manning said he modeled his public behavior after Derek Jeter's. Like the Yankees captain, he speaks thoughtfully and has avoided off-field distractions. Jeter called Eli Manning with congratulations when he was named the starter late in the 2004 season, and the two talked about life in New York. Speaking generally in a recent interview, Jeter said his biggest piece of advice in handling the New York fishbowl was to avoid reading the newspapers. 'You have to realize that every person, I don't care who you are, is going to be criticized,' Jeter said. 'If you let that bother you, you're in a lot of trouble. You can't be sensitive. Don't listen to it. You'll be better off.' Manning learned that lesson early. In 2005, his first full season as a starter, he was erratic (24 touchdowns, 17 interceptions, a 52.8 percent completion rate). In 2006, he did not show marked progression (24 touchdowns, 18 interceptions, a 57.7 percent completion rate). But the next season Manning led the wild-card Giants on an improbable playoff journey that culminated with a stunning Super Bowl victory over the undefeated New England Patriots. Manning and his teammates -- only the offensive linemen Rich Seubert and David Diehl and the defensive end Osi Umenyiora have been with the team longer -- seemed to have weathered the off-season criticism after the 2009 debacle, in which they lost their last five games and missed the playoffs. In the season opener, Manning threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-18 win over the Carolina Panthers. While Manning might not be a dominant figure in the locker room, it might be inauthentic if he were. In his own way, Manning, the offensive captain, has control. 'He trumps everything,' wide receiver Steve Smith said. 'When he tells you to do something, you listen.' Manning has a good collaborative relationship with the offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, who will consult with Manning on play calls. The Giants ask him to audible often -- they estimated he changed between one-third to half of the plays against Carolina. 'In this offense, the quarterback sort of controls everything; it's a huge responsibility,' said the backup Sage Rosenfels, who played for four teams since 2001 before joining the Giants on Sept. 3. 'We decide where the line is going more so than other teams I've been on. On run plays, we tell the line where we're working to, where before the center has always made that call. It puts a burden on the quarterback, but he seems to be up to that task.' Off the field, Manning has settled in. He lives in Hoboken, N.J., with his wife, Abby; they also own a home in Oxford, Miss. In the off-season, Manning plays golf on the local courses, and he frequents Italian restaurants in Manhattan. He does not pal around with the offensive linemen as often as he once did. 'I've gotten a little dinner and a play with my wife, then called it a night,' Manning said. 'I still do something fun, but try to get in bed and get a reasonable amount of sleep.' That did not make him sound old, he said. Only more grown up. 