Peyton Manning’s Legacy is in the People’s Hands; That’s the Problem

I must have heard it a thousand times, but it never quite sunk in until someone whom I respected a great deal said something logical about the situation.

The issue being the popular belief that players such as Peyton Manning will always take a back seat to less qualified individuals who have accomplished more while contributing less.

That is my opinion, and it’s not meant to single anyone out either.

While the speculation might run rampant, the above made statement could apply to a great many quarterbacks in comparison to a great many others.

One of the responses I’ve heard most often is that I need to understand that until Peyton Manning wins multiple Super Bowl and manages to “get the job done” in the playoffs, he’s always going to take a back seat to the “proven winners” of the National Football League.

Never mind that Peyton Manning’s Colts (noticed I’m talking about the entire team) have won more games in a single decade than any team led by any single quarterback in NFL history.

It doesn’t amount to much because he has only one ring to show for it, I’m told.

Am I just falling behind the eight-ball as society progresses forward?

Or is my point of view simply the minority that hasn’t been accepted by the rest of society?

11 seasons, 124 total victories, six division titles, but the only number that really matters is the lone Super Bowl ring, right?

Using that logic, wouldn’t the Baltimore Colts of the 1970’s be considered a greater than the Vikings teams that went to four Super Bowls and lost every one of them during that time?

If true winners are the gauge by which we truly measure greatness…

 

Why isn’t Terry Bradshaw considered to be greater than Tom Brady?

Why isn’t Troy Aikman considered to be greater than John Elway?

Why isn’t Jim Plunkett considered to be greater than Brett Favre?

Why isn’t Trent Dilfer considered to be greater than Dan Marino?

 

As often as I hear the value of the league’s “proven winners”, I also hear about the undefinable value of the “intangibles” a quarterback possesses.

When I was younger, intangibles seemed to be a word people would apply to players less productive to somehow fill the gap between where they stood and how well greater individuals produced.

The most ironic part is, people use the term intangibles to somehow insinuate that it is the intangibles that Manning lacks and others possess that prevents him from being the true winner that the others are.

The term “willing your team to victory” is something that people often apply to less productive players to explain why their team may have achieved greater success than the more productive players who have less to show for it.

I suppose that if a quarterback has a lower completion percentage, throws for less yards, fewer touchdowns, and more interceptions, you have to come up with something to explain why their teams won in spite of such performance and succeed to a greater degree than players such as Peyton Manning.

But the ironic thing is, Peyton Manning has arguably more “intangibles” than any of the quarterbacks he’s been compared to.

That is, if your accounting for the things we know he does do that isn’t reflected on the stat sheet, beyond the fact that he’s become the most productive player in NFL history.

He’s helped incorporate a signal system that enables him to make on-spot adjustments quicker and even call plays directly from the line of scrimmage if necessary.

Quarterbacks used to call their own plays but that was during an era when the playbooks did not possess the same depth as they do today.

If Manning is not as talented, exceptional, intelligent, or driven as the quarterbacks who are said to possess more intangibles, than why is he the only quarterback in the NFL doing these things?

I’ve heard that he’s fortunate to have a coaching staff who trusts him enough to allow him that courtesy and that other quarterbacks could do the same if given the opportunity.

If that is so, don’t you think that at least one of the other 31 one teams at some point during the entirety of Manning’s career would enable the other quarterbacks to do the same and reap the benefits of what those who possess more intangibles could do with more control at their discretion?

For every quarterback who is said to possess these intangibles, tell me how many of them have won Super Bowls without defenses ranked in the top-ten?

Honestly, please list them.

But I’m told that it is these other quarterback who “will” these otherwise average to poor defensive squads into formidable top-ten forces that are better equipped to shut their opponents down.

I respectfully disagree with that assumption.

But that’s okay, even if it isn’t the popular or accepted opinion.

After all, it’s not I or the minority I represent that have total control over Peyton Manning’s legacy.

If he retired today, he’s be judged by the majority and have his fate decided by popular opinion.

Unless his team manages to accomplish what society dictates is required for him as an individual to become the greatest in their eyes, Peyton Manning will always take a back seat to more successful quarterbacks, often times regardless of the circumstances they played under.

But just because society has dictated a certain criteria, does that make it accurate?

Is it possible that the popular belief that has been adopted by so many might possess some inherent flaws that leads to better players being underrated while others become overrated?

Surly you can’t say that there have never been instances in which the public perception and terms of judging people have been incorrect?

But then again, it wouldn’t really matter if it was because the reality rarely comes to light until people are willing to accept it.

Dear Steeler Nation: I’m Not Out to “Bash” Ben Roethlisberger

There have been a number of things said about me over the past few days regarding my treatment of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. While many understand the premise of the latest articles I’ve written, others have misinterpreted the intent and believe that I’m out to get Ben Roethlisberger.

Now I’m not exactly a big fan of Ben Roethlisberger, nor do I care for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But as far as their fans go, I have nothing against them because they are a passionate group of people.

One has to expect that if something unfavorable is said about their quarterback, they’re likely to come out in droves to defend him and I respect that.

Never the less, I encourage anyone who once thought that I have “bashed” Ben Roethlisberger to re-read my articles and think about the message I was trying to send.

I assure you that messege wasn’t that I think Ben isn’t a good quarterback.

Ben Roethlisberger is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. I’ve thought very highly of Ben since he came to the NFL in 2004 and became an immediate success. You don’t have to care for the team to respect their players.

I’ve discussed the concept of “clutch” and used Roethlisberger as an example because it’s the one that was likely to be the most fresh in everyone’s minds. I went into greater detail to express my opinion that Kurt Warner played a better Super Bowl than Ben Roethlisberger.

Keep in mind that I never said Ben played a bad game.

Roethlisberger played a very good game and led one of the more impressive last-minute drives that I’ve seen in recent memory. I’ve never tried to take that away from him.

I examined the value of clutch because I feel it is an concept that many people have a tendency of over-glorifying.

The best example I could give would be using my own quarterback to put under the microscope.

One of the greatest memories for Colts fans was the 18-point comeback against the New England Patriots in the 2006 AFC Championship game. Never before or since has any quarterback in league history come back from such a deficit in any championship game or Super Bowl.

After Peyton Manning helped lead that comeback, people were quick to point out that he “got over the hump” and that his later Super Bowl victory solidified his place in history.

Winning the Super Bowl and beating the Patriots to get there were some of the greatest moments I’ve enjoyed since becoming a fan of professional football.

What I give Peyton credit for is winning two important games against the number-two and number-one ranked defenses respectively that year. But with that being said, I wouldn’t view Peyton much different had the Patriots held onto their lead and knocked Manning out of the playoffs.

Winning the Super Bowl was a great acheivement for the Colts as a “team” and an organization as a whole.

I value Manning’s career and appreciate his body of work because of how well he has managed to perform over a long period of time.

I’m beginning to get off track, back to my treatment of Ben Roethlisberger.

There is a very big difference between “bashing” a certain player and explaining why another player (I used Kurt Warner as an example) performed at a higher level despite the fact that the game didn’t result in his favor.

The main purpose being to put a greater emphasis on “team” sports and try to bring a greater understanding to the contexts that effect the end results of NFL games.

What Ben Roethlisberger did as an individual in 2007 was amazing.

He had a great season that year that no one could take away from him. Unfortunately, the rest of his team didn’t play quite at the level that he did so despite them having an impressive season, they had no Lombardi Trophy to show for it.

Last year, the team dominated their opponents (especially the defense) while facing the league’s most difficult schedule.

Ben as an individual didn’t play as well as he did in 2007 but since the rest of the team played better than they did the previous year, they were good enough to win it all.

That’s not a knock on Ben, that’s just the reality of the situation.

I’m not trying to take anything away from him on account of the fact that he played with the league’s top defense, you just have to understand the impact an entire half of the team can have on your chances of winning when they play at the level that the Steelers defense did last year.

How many playoff games has Ben won without playing with a top-ten defense?

Zero by my count.

So why is it that people view a statement like this as a knock on Ben instead of being a huge compliment to half of the entire team?

Ben hasn’t even made it to the playoffs when the Steelers didn’t have a top-ten defense but he has won two Super Bowls when they have.

There isn’t a defense that I respect or fear more than the Steelers, that’s why it meant so much to see my Colts be able to play so well against them last season.

So to reiterate my point, I don’t hate Ben Roethlisberger or the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Do I think that there are a number of quarterbacks better than Ben? Sure, but I also feel that there are a number of defensive squads better than my Colts.

I call it like I see it and I apologize to anyone if my opinions manage to insult or offend anyone along the way because that is never my intent.

Ben Roethlisberger and the Misunderstood Value of “Clutch”

In professional football, you often hear people talk about a player’s ability to perform in the “clutch.” This concept is often applied to quarterbacks who have the ability to lead their teams downfield and put points on the board when the game is on the line.

When you think of some of the greatest clutch quarterbacks, names like Joe Montana and Tom Brady immediately come to mind. The two quarterbacks  have displayed a flair for playing under pressure and performing at the level necessary to become successful winners.

This article is not to debate which quarterbacks are clutch and which aren’t. Rather, I’d like to take a look at the concept of “clutch” and exactly why we value it to the degree we do.

Few people would dare say that the term “clutch” is overrated.

I don’t know if I’d be noble enough to say that, but I will admit that it has come to mind.

While most people understand what being clutch means, I don’t think as many people understand why we value it so much.

The best example I could give that all of you could relate to, would be Super Bowl XLIII.

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals as Ben Roethlisberger regained his spot as one of the game’s premiere, clutch quarterbacks. He led a game-winning Super Bowl drive that will be remembered for years to come.

How many people do you think will look back and remember the performance of Kurt Warner as one of the greatest in Super Bowl history?

After all, he didn’t win the game.

People often say that statistics can be very misleading. One could argue that not every aspect of the game of football can be captured on a stat sheet, therefore the glorification of the more productive players is often unwarranted.

This at least, appears to be the strong opinion voiced by many fans I have spoken with recently.

So let’s analyze Super Bowl XLIII and take a direct look at the performance of both quarterbacks.

 

Ben Roethlisberger: 21 of 30 (70 percent) for 256 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Quarterback Rating: 93.1

Kurt Warner: 31 of 43 (72 percent) for 377 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Quarterback Rating: 112.2

 

On paper, you’ll notice that Kurt Warner performed better in every single category. Yet, most people wouldn’t think that Kurt Warner played the better game.

Statistics can be misleading, that’s why I always use the combination of both statistics and context to get a more accurate perception of reality.

You have to consider supporting cast, coaching staff, and quality of competition among other things.

In the interest of fairness, let’s look at the context of Super Bowl XLIII.

I would argue that Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are a better combination than Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes. This would obviously aid Kurt Warner’s ability to be more productive.

However, I would also argue that the Steelers defense that was ranked first in terms of points per game allowed and were are substantially better than the Cardinals defense which ranked 28th in the NFL in terms of points per game allowed.

Ben Roethlisberger faced a different caliber defense which would obviously enhance his chances of being productive.

There are other factors to consider (like the Cardinals only producing 33 rushing yards) but the two above seem to be the most important in terms of substantial differential.

So one has to ask: Is there a greater margin of difference between the combination of Fitzgerald/Boldin and Ward/Holmes, or is their a greater differential between the Steelers first ranked defense and the Cardinals 28th ranked defense?

I can’t help but think that Ben Roethlisberger was in a much better position than Kurt Warner in terms of opportunity to be successful.

Kurt Warner had more passing attempts than Ben Roethlisberger (which obviously impacts his amount of yards and touchdowns) but also managed to be more accurate.

Warner attempted 13 more passes than Roethlisberger, so I think the best question would be: Would Roethlisberger have thrown for 121 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions on 13 additional passing attempts?

Given that he only threw one touchdown on 30 passing attempts, I would imagine that it would be logical to assume he wouldn’t double his touchdown production on half as many additional throws.

The “what if’s” I just posed however are not the point I’m trying to make, the important question to ask yourself was: Which quarterback performed better?

If Warner produced at a substantially higher level while facing a much tougher defense, was it Roethlisberger “clutch” performance on the final drive that shifts the judgement in his favor?

That is what I’ve heard from most people but I imagine that everyone will formulate their own conclusions.

Which brings me back to my original concept of “clutch”.

The belief among many is that quality clutch performances contribute more to the team’s chances of winning than highly-productive performances due to the sheer fact that the quarterback “came through when it mattered most”.

The thought here is that all the impressive numbers in the world don’t mean squat if you can’t get the job done.

After looking back at Super Bowl XLIII, I recall seeing Warner throw what was once thought to be a game-winning touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald with only minutes left on the clock.

Are you to tell me that if the Cardinals defense prevented the Steelers from putting any points on the board in those finals minutes, we’d credit Kurt Warner for his “clutch” performance?

Because if that did happen, I would imagine that giving Warner that credit would have been exactly what would have happened.

So I pose a more important question, why should the performance of Warner’s defense impact whether or not we label his performance in the Super Bowl as clutch?

As a matter of fact, since the Cardinals didn’t end up winning that game, people point to Warner’s lone interception as the difference-maker that cost his team the Super Bowl.

If the Cardinals defense stops the Steelers, we remember Warner as clutch. But because it didn’t, we remember him as the guy who threw the Super Bowl’s longest interception return for a touchdown.

The later performance of Roethlisberger’s offense and Warner’s defense should have no impact on how we should evaluate Warner’s performance.

Why?

Because regardless of what happened, Warner performed exactly the same.

He wouldn’t have been more clutch if his defense stopped the Steelers and he isn’t less clutch because Ben Roethlisberger threw a game-winning touchdown pass.

We all love to remember “clutch” moments but the reality is a touchdown counts as a touchdown, whether it’s in the first quarter or the fourth quarter.

Warner threw for more yards, more touchdowns, and had a higher completion percentage. The fact that the Cardinals put less points on the board is reflective of how the rest of the team performed.

The fact is that Warner had a higher completion percentage, moved the ball further and put more points on the board than Ben Roethlisberger.

However you want to slice it, Ben Roethlisberger didn’t play a better game.

He was a member of a team that was better than the opposing team they faced but that doesn’t make him better than the player of the same position on the losing side.

But how many people would say that Kurt Warner had the better game?

The point I’m trying to make here is that we need to evaluate the concept of clutch and understand exactly why we value it so much.

It’s easy to remember magical moments like Roethlisberger’s game-winning “clutch” touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes, but as magical as they were, they don’t change how well a certain player played over the course of the entire game.

Warner also threw a game-winning touchdown pass in the final minutes of Super Bowl XLIII, the only difference between Warner and Roethlisberger is that Warner didn’t get a ring for doing so.

The Abundance of Bias Creates a Line in the Manning vs. Brady Debates

Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have been compared in numerous ways over the years.

The generalization has led many people to believe that it is the most pure form of the “Rings vs. Stats” debate, which has existed far before we even compared the likes of Joe Montana and Dan Marino.

If you remove Tom Brady from the equation for a moment, there is a more direct issue with the treatment of Peyton Manning.

It’s not so much that Manning needs to be defended, it’s more an issue of being exposed to an abundance of bias that creates such a clear separation between fact and adopted fiction that it needs to be brought to light.

Since his days at Tennessee, Peyton Manning has been a long favorite punching bag for the media to deal it’s most intensive blows.

Ironic, seeing as some have accused me of doing the same thing to Tom Brady…but that accusation is easy enough to disprove.

There is a clear difference of course between insulting someone, questioning their lack of ability, and pointing out that they have simply done less than someone else.

The latter has been my stance on the Manning vs. Brady debate, but results that don’t favor the NFL’s Golden Child tend to not be greeted with open arms.

It’s a bit strange the way we’ve learned to treat Tom Brady.

As great as he is, you rarely hear much (if anything) said about him in a negative light.

With Peyton, I’ve heard that he’s a “choke artist,” can’t win in the playoffs, has posted inflated numbers due to surrounding talent, run’s a finesse style offense, is responsible for an unproductive ground game because he calls his own plays, puts his defense in bad positions which leads to them giving up points, etc.

Just about anything you can think of that isn’t idiotically outlandish has been dished out in Peyton’s direction.

Some of the criticism is warranted; Peyton’s not a perfect player after all.

But how often do you hear anything negative said about Tom Brady?

With as much as I love NFL Network, I think the most negative thing I’ve heard over the past two years is that Brady might be a little rusty coming off a serious knee injury (which is understandable).

It’s easy for people to point out Peyton Manning’s 7-8 playoff record, but wouldn’t it be just as easy to hear people talk about Brady’s lack of exceptional productivity prior to 2007?

But right here, someone might accuse me of “bashing” Tom Brady without understanding the context first.

Saying that someone was impressive but less impressive than another is not the same as attacking them.

But is it an “attack” to point out that Brady has been less productive than Manning while pointing out that Peyton Manning has a less impressive postseason record than Tom Brady isn’t?

It’s a clear double standard that has reached an alarming rate.

For instance, while everyone is quick to praise Brady for winning three Super Bowls, how often do you hear someone say that “He played well winning three Super Bowls, but it must have really helped to have played with the top-tier defensive squads he did?”

If people are saying it, (especially within the most respected media outlets) I’m not hearing it.

But it has become perfectly acceptable to point out that Peyton Manning has had the benefit of playing with multiple players drafted in the first round at the skills positions.

It’s not that pointing that out is unreasonable, it’s the double standard that has led it to become socially acceptable to treat one side differently than the other.

Meaning, you often hear that Peyton Manning has been very productive due to being surrounded by quality talent, but you rarely hear that Tom Brady won three Super Bowls due to playing with quality talent on defense.

People have asked how productive Peyton Manning would have been if he was throwing to Deion Branch and David Givens, and that’s not an unreasonable question in my opinion.

But how often do people ask how many Super Bowls Tom Brady would have won with the Colts’ defense?

Again, the clear double standard.

People said that Peyton Manning choked in the divisional round of the playoffs against the Steelers in 2005.

But how often did you hear that he was sacked five times?

People say that Tom Brady’s offensive line let him down in Super Bowl XLII (which they did) and are quick to point out the fact that Brady was sacked five times.

But how many people would say that Tom Brady “choked” in Super Bowl XLII (outside of the blind haters)?

So, what I’m essentially saying is something that should be no secret at this point in time.

I’m not saying that Peyton Manning is victimized by the media or that they’re out to get him, I’m just pointing out that it has become abundantly clear that what is acceptable for Tom Brady is likely not acceptable for Peyton Manning.

And so long as this double standard is embraced, we will continue to get a more biased presentation of reality.

If it keeps happening, why would I want to point it out?

Faliure to Accept the Reality of Certain Super Bowl Winning Quarterbacks

Not every team that wins the Super Bowl is the best team of the season. By the same token (but to a stronger degree), the quarterback who wins the Super Bowl is very rarely the best at his position.

Yet often times we’d like to tend to think that way.

If we’re not willing to proclaim a guy like Ben Roethlisberger as “the greatest” in the NFL, we are certainly more than willing to put him right up there.

After all, winning two Super Bowls in his first five season is a heck of an accomplishment.

But before you get your guns ready to fire, first understand that the following article is not intended to “bash” or “insult” Ben Roethlisberger or any other quarterback discussed in the article.

The issue however is the perception we’ve created for these Super Bowl winning quarterbacks and how exactly that has come to pass.

Ben Roethlisberger is the perfect example and I want to apologize to the Steeler Nation in advance because I’m not looking to land a low blow on your hero.

Last season, Big Ben played at a level that could easily be considered average, if not mediocre. His production tells the following…

Ben Roethlisberger (2008): 281 of 469 (59.9 percent) for 3,301 yards, 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. 80.1 quarterback rating.

That is what Ben Roethlisberger contributed to the Steelers’ chances of winning in 2008.

People talk about poor offensive line protection due to the fact that Roethlisberger was sacked 46 times.

That is not to say that his protection was perfect, but if you watch the games you’ll notice that many of those sacks accrued from Roethlisberger holding onto the ball too long which is very different from not having time to throw in the pocket.

Being sacked 46 times is a lot for one season, but people tend to forget that Roethlisberger was sacked 47 times the season before but still managed to perform at a much higher level.

Ben Roethlisberger (2007): 264 of 404 (65.3 percent) for 3,154 yards, 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. 104.1 quarterback rating.

Now that is the performance of a quarterback the caliber of what many are proclaiming Roethlisberger to be last season.

Why, because he won the Super Bowl in 2008 but didn’t win a playoff game in 2007?

Bottom line is that Ben played magnificently in 2007 and got too little credit for it, but played far worse in 2008 and got too much credit for it.

The main reason of course being team success.

We love to shower our Super Bowl winning quarterbacks (especially multiple-time champions) with a plethora of praise and glory. Sometimes it’s warranted and other times it’s blinded glorification.

How so you might wonder?

Teams don’t win multiple championships without being dominant.

Which is true, but that doesn’t mean that the leader of the team (the quarterback) was as dominant as the rest of his team. After all, entire teams are what win championships.

It is usually the most well rounded team that wins the Super Bowl (2003 Patriots) or the team that gets hot at the right time (2007 Giants).

There have often been players who have been the best at their position who haven’t been fortunate enough to receive the backup necessary to attain football’s greatest prize (Dan Marino and Barry Sanders come to mind).

Yet while we glorify Super Bowl winning quarterbacks, I don’t see other positions getting the same treatment.

The reason for that being the value we place upon the quarterback position.

It is the most important position in football and because of that, people expect absolute greats like Dan Marino to be able to overcome playing with poor defenses and no running game.

How often do you hear people say that it really must have helped Joe Montana and Tom Brady to have played with top-tier defenses?

Keep in mind that those top-tier defenses accounted for 50% of those quarterbacks’ chances of success but you rarely hear their contributions mentioned in perspective with the backup they received from the rest of the team.

But if you were talking about a guy like Dan Marino, how many people have you heard say that “if he was so great, why didn’t he win the big one?”.

How on earth could you throw away the impact that playing with the defensive squads the Dolphins built must have had?

It might be discussed from time to time but a great many people view such logic as excuses. If you were to say that Dan Marino would have won multiple Super Bowls with the 1980’s 49ers defense, people dismiss that logic as worthless “what if” speculation.

While I’m fully aware of why guys like Dan Marino and Peyton Manning have taken heat for their lack of bringing Super Bowl rings home, it is just as important to focus on why quarterbacks like Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady have been glorified.

We’d all like to believe that the team who wins the Super Bowl was the best team in the league that year, but how often is that true?

Are you to tell me that the 2001 Patriots were better than the 2001 Rams (keeping in mind the Rams beat them at home earlier in the season) or that the 2007 Giants are better than the 2007 Patriots (keeping in mind that the Pats beat them at home earlier in the season as well)?

Hell no.

But the date on the calender takes on a greater value than the overall body of work.

A better example would be the 2008 Arizona Cardinals (whom I personally loved by the way).

Everyone remembers them as being NFC Champions and they are probably the NFC team you think about the most when you re-visit 2008.

But where they better than the 12-4 New York Giants team who beat both them and the Steelers?

Hell no.

But the Giants lost to the Eagles (whom they beat earlier in the season) and their impressive season will be remembered as little more than a great disappointment.

Meanwhile the Cardinals who won only nine games during the regular season and were circumcised by a team that didn’t even qualify for the playoffs are remembered for a great season.

And I know why we glorify our Super Bowl winning quarterbacks and the answer is obvious.

When a team wins a championship, you would all like to think of them as the best the NFL has to offer. Besides, if we didn’t than wouldn’t we be undermining the value of the Super Bowl? And nobody would want to do that.

So with the over-emphasis we put on the value of the quarterback position, people want to believe that the leader of the team who won the Super Bowl has to also be among the best if not the very best himself.

If we didn’t feel that way, wouldn’t we be undermining the value of the quarterback position?

Nobody wants to believe that a very well-rounded team with a “good” quarterback is all it might take to win a championship. After all, that’s not very exciting or dramatic.

People love heroics plain and simple.

Flashback to Super Bowl XXXVI and we all remember the excitement of seeing Tom Brady work in the clutch. We saw this young underdog lead his team into game winning field goal range and make his team’s Cinderella story come true.

If you asked the average football fan how well Tom Brady performed in Super Bowl XXXVI, they’d probably say that the game’s MVP performed at the high level needed to topple a heavy favorite like the Rams.

Yet…

Tom Brady: 16 of 27 for 145 yards and one touchdown.

Really? That’s all it took to conquer the “Greatest Show on Turf”?

Exactly, but the perception remains very different in the eyes of many people.

Tom Brady despite horrible pass protection played a better game against the Giants in Super Bowl XLII but all people remember is him getting sacked and not getting the job done when it mattered the most.

Heck, Tom Brady circa 2005-07 has performed at a higher level than Tom Brady circa 2001-04. Yet the latest version of Tom Brady has nothing to show for it and the older version couldn’t stop winning.

People’s inability to separate individual talent from team accomplishment is an issue that has plagued public opinion for a very long time. We are so swayed with the eventual outcome of a season that we tend to underrate greater performers and overrated less talented performers in the process.

It’s not an issue that appears to be on the brink of being resolved because I don’t think people want it that way. Better to leave things as they are because things are just far more simple that way.

Explanation for Peyton Manning’s Frustrations: You’ve Got to Understand No. 18

As many of you are aware, Peyton Manning has recently voiced his frustrations regarding the Colts’ coaching situation. In the wake of the departures of former offensive coordinator Tom Moore and former offensive-line coach Howard Mudd, Manning doesn’t appear too pleased with how the Colts’ coaching staff is growing into their new roles.

“They’re not offering a lot of coaching out there, I can assure you of that.”

That is the line I hear repeated over and over again and it was those words that have shaken the faith of many Colts fans. While his displeasure can never be a good sign, I don’t feel that the world is about to crumble in Indianapolis.

To understand the situation, you first have to understand Peyton Manning.

As much as the media blows things out of proportion when star players do not participate in OTAs (Official Team Practices), the most important aspect to note is the fact that these activities are voluntary.

Many people are aware of that but even while knowing that is the case, media sources have a way of blasting certain players for not being there, which in turn creates a greater aura of importance over these activities.

Even Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne hasn’t attended these activities, and Reggie is far from a player who lacks character or passion. Those who do decide to attend should be entitled to proper recognition.

Any time you sacrifice your own personal time (and what really is an NFL player’s only vacation) to better hone your skills, you are showing a solid degree of dedication. I could tell you that these OTAs are not as important as you might think, but I guarantee you that Peyton Manning would disagree with me.

That’s the point.

No. 18 is No. 18.

Peyton Manning is not your normal football player. He’s not even remotely similar to your abnormally obsessive football player. Peyton Manning was born, hatched out of a Wilson football, and knows of nothing else in life.

His dedication to the sport of football boarders on the insane and it is that level of dedication that has separated him from ever other player at the position.

With the exception of the physical tools required (which we know he has), what else do you think it takes to become the most productive player in NFL history?

So, while I’m certain that Peyton is correct in his negative coaching observations, it’s obviously bound to disturb more than it would other players at the position.

While there are players who run through OTA drills as if they’re playing in the backyard, I assure you that No. 18 trains as if he’s preparing for the Super Bowl.

You haven’t heard any other Colts players voice their displeasure, have you?

The rest of the team might not think the situations is as big a deal as Peyton Manning obviously does. Then again, I don’t know how many players have reached a status where it can become acceptable to publicly criticize your coaching staff in the fashion that Manning has.

Not to justify his actions, but Manning knows better than anyone how to handle the media.

I’m sure that this voice of displeasure didn’t come out to the media before it was vocalized elsewhere. If the rest of the team hasn’t taken the issue as seriously as Manning, perhaps he had to resort to something I’m sure wasn’t his first option.

I’m not trying to justify actions which many might consider to be unprofessional, I just trust Manning’s judgement and feel that his personality better be understood before over-analyzing the situation to a degree that creates panic.

Fear not Indianapolis faithful, the situation is in the hands of someone more than capable of handling it.

Exclusive B/R Interview with Indianapolis Colts Wide Receiver Roy Hall

For many aspiring sports writers, your dream is to one day actually get the privilege to speak one on one with the athletes whom you most admire.

While often times that dream might appear to be a bit far away from reality, sometimes life has a way of surprising you.

A few days ago, that dream came true for me.

After spending the last few months reaching out to current and former NFL players in the hopes of conducting an interview with them, Indianapolis Colts Wide Receiver Roy Hall became the first NFL player to return the interest.

Without any hesitation, Roy was kind enough to agree to do an exclusive interview with me for Bleacher Report.

For myself as a fan, I couldn’t have been more excited because Roy is a player whom I have been following with great anticipation. So to have the honor and privilege of speaking to him directly was a dream come true for me.

I prepared myself thoroughly and made the call to Roy. He was friendly from the moment he picked up the phone and was immediately ready to do the interview right then and there.

Roy and I had a great interview which lasted a little longer than 15 minutes. After I hung up the phone, I began the process of uploading the audio recording to my computer so I could transcribe all of the dialog.

Then it happened.

My recording devise bit the dust without a moment’s notice. So I sat there just having completed a fantastic interview with one of my favorite players and within minutes, it was all gone.

I thought to myself, what am I to do?

I did everything imaginable to try to retrieve the audio data but to no avail, it wasn’t coming back. I wasn’t about to call Roy and ask him to do the interview all over again, especially considering that NFL players are busy in the heat of OTA’s right now and even despite that, he was kind enough to spare his time to do the interview with me in the first place.

I thought an email would be a bit more appropriate because I wasn’t about to disturb him during his personal time. I told him everything that happened and within an hour, he wrote back to me.

He told me to just call him at 7:00.

I couldn’t believe it, he just got done taking some of his own free time to do an interview that had since been lost to the ravages of malfunctioning electronic equipment and without any hesitation, he was willing to do it all over again to make sure the interview happened.

That ladies and gentlemen is character.

I set up two new recording devices and the second interview went off without a hitch.

Before I present the interview in its entirety, I would first like to give you all a little bit of background on the man who was so kind as to make this interview happen.

Roy Hall was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft out of “The” Ohio State University. While he was fortunate enough to be drafted along with fellow Buckeye teammate Anthony Gonzalez, he suffered a devastating shoulder injury after a serious special teams collision put Hall on the Injured Reserve for the remainder of 2007 season.

While a season-ending injury would put most NFL players on the shelf, Hall instead chose to make an impact off the field while he took the time to recover from his injury.

People have referred to Roy Hall as “The Librarian” due to his efforts to help promote literacy by traveling to schools across America and encouraging children to enjoy and appreciate the values of reading.

Roy is also know for the “Roy Hall Football Skills Camp”  which was established to help teach High School students the fundamentals of football while also placing a strong emphasis on the development of positive character.

In 2008, Hall continued to remain active on special teams and even recorded his first career reception during the Colts’ 23-0 victory over the Tennessee Titans in Week 17.

With the departure of future Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison, Hall has an opportunity to make a name for himself in 2009.

After speaking with Roy, I found his enthusiasm to be quite contagious and I know that if the optimism he shared while speaking with me is any indication of things to come, Colts fans are going to have a lot to be excited about this season.

So without further adieu, let’s take a look at what Roy had to say about his football career, the people he’s worked with, and what we can expect to see from the Indianapolis Colts in 2009…

How does it feel to be in the National Football League and wake up every day knowing that you play for one of the greatest teams in professional football?

Playing in the NFL is really a dream come true.

You set fourth goals and have aspirations as a young kid. For myself, it was to either get to the NBA or the NFL. I stopped growing once I got to 6’2(1/2) in about my junior year of High School. Once I realized that I wasn’t going to be any taller and once I started getting scholarships from these big–time Universities, I knew I was going to be a football player. I knew that was my destiny and I knew that was one of the things I wanted to accomplish to make it to the next level. So, it’s really just living a dream come true.

As far as playing football for an organization like the Indianapolis Colts, it’s just a true blessing to come into the league and play for such a well regarded organization. Coach Dungy was a Christian man, a man of faith, a man of god and he used those principles and those teachings on us. He used them to guide our team and that’s why we’ve had such a great team for the last seven years, because our faith has been our backbone.

It’s truly a blessing to come into an organization that’s successful and not have to deal with a team that is struggling or anything of that nature.

 

I’m sure the Colts are lucky to have somebody with the character that you have so, I think it kind of goes both ways.

Now, when you were drafted by the Colts following their 2006 Championship season, were you more relieved to have been drafted by the best team in football or did you feel an added pressure being drafted by a team that was so competitive?

That’s a real good question.

To be drafted by a successful team means that they feel that you can contribute to the organization and to the team. Usually, good organizations and good teams have a lot of good character guys on their team. So for them to select me was kind of humbling in the sense that all my hard work was paying off.

They recognize good men of character and good football players. So when you get drafted by a team such as the Indianapolis Colts, you understand what you’re getting into and you understand what they expect from you but by the same token, your used to those type of expectations because that’s the way you live your life.

It’s just a perfect fit really.

 

Now my next question is, everyone knows that you have a lot of passion for Ohio State Football. What did it mean to you to be drafted alongside Ohio State teammate, Anthony Gonzalez and do you secretly pull for Buckeye’s to get drafted to Indianapolis every year?

Every year you want to add a couple of your former teammates. That Ohio State blood-line, you want to add those guys to the team.

This year we happened to be in a situation where I thought we were going to draft running-back Beanie Wells but we decided to draft the running-back out of Connecticut (Donald Brown).

So I was like, we were almost gaining up and almost had a couple more numbers. It’s always a good thing when you have people that you know around you, people that you grew up with. From the age of 18 to 22, you’re really finding yourself and you’re really growing into manhood.

Just having that familiar face around makes the transition that much easier and it always helps to have a friend in the locker-room.

 

Now you were talking about Coach Dungy earlier, and we know that he has always been a man of great faith like you said.

It seems to me like the teams that he has coached over the years reflect the example that he set forth. Do you think that the same tradition will be carried over in his absence and how has the adjustment been for you in the wake of so many coaching departures?

I think that it will definitely carry over because Coach Dungy hired people and had people on his staff that practice the same types of faith, values and beliefs. So whenever you have a guy like Coach Dungy step down or retire, when you keep it within the organization like with Coach Caldwell becoming the Head Coach, he had been with Coach Dungy for at least eight years.

So, he had been with him through the thick and through the thin and he knows what works and what doesn’t work. He understands that your faith and your belief in god has to be the backbone or you won’t be successful.

I think he will be able to continue to use those principles and those values as the foundation for his team.

To answer your second question, all these coaching changes really does nothing for us because offensively nothing changes. As long as Peyton Manning is the quarterback, for the most part everything will be the same. Coach Caldwell is just going to have a few little wrinkles that he’ll implement within the whole system. For the most part, the coaching changes really don’t affect me as long as I know my assignments and I catch the ball.

I can’t really complain.

From someone who’s actually worked with Peyton Manning, you often hear receivers talk about how great it would be if “so and so” were throwing them the football. How would you describe your experiences working with Peyton and how is he different from other quarterbacks you have played with during your career?

Man you know what Ryan, I answered that question perfectly last time.

You absolutely did, I’m really sorry about that because you had it down-pat.

Peyton is the best of the best and whenever you have the best in front of you, you want to take as many notes as possible. People try to mimic the behaviors and the actions of that person to be successful. Whether it’s in football or business, people want to figure out how he got to that level of success.

So if you have the opportunity to work with him, you’re going to be picking his brain and asking questions, doing everything possible to try to at least get to half his level.

Considering everything that Peyton has done and accomplished, if I could only reach half of that I would become an extremely successful receiver in the NFL. So working with Peyton has been a lot of fun but you learn how to be a professional, you learn how to study, and you learn how to become the best. You try to just implement those strategies and those techniques, everything on the field and off the field.

 

Earlier today you talked to me about wanting to create a sense of change for yourself this season. So, can you tell us the story about changing your jersey number and how that change might reflect your level of determination this year?

Well, nothing against the number 83 per-se but the last couple years I’ve worn 83 and I’ve had a couple of injuries and a little surgery. 81 to me is just a way for me to get a fresh start, just kind of shed that old number and to start over fresh, brand new, to come to a situation where I can make a name for the number 81.

Brandon Stokley was number 83 and you see a lot of those 83 jerseys in the crowd. So hopefully one day there will be a lot of 81 jerseys because of my accomplishments and great play.

It’s just a time for me to start over fresh. I was number eight in high school and in college. Number 80 wasn’t available so I took 81. Eight times one is eight so however you want to look at it, it’s going to work out pretty good for me.

 

Last question Roy. What can we expect from the Indianapolis Colts in 2009?

You’re going to have a high-flying, explosive offense as always but I think you’re going to see a different focus. Last year we got off to a slow start but I don’t think the veterans or the guys on this team who will be working out this whole summer are going to let that happen this year.

We’re going to come out, we’re going to come out fast and we’re going to finish strong. Hopefully if the chips fall right we will be playing for another Super Bowl this year. The fans should expect great things from this team.

A lot of young guys are going to step up. There are going to be a lot of faces that people may or may not know but you can have faith in the fact that everybody that’s on the field is going to be able to get the job done.

 

Absolutely and I want to wish you the best of luck this year Roy. I can’t begin to thank you enough for doing this a second time.

No problem Ryan.

So speaking for myself as a fan, the Bleacher Report community, and the Indianapolis Colts community, thank you very much for taking the time to speak to us.

No problem man.

Well I wish you the best of luck this year Roy

Alright, take care.

 

And so brought a close to my interview with Indianapolis Colts’ wide receiver Roy Hall.

After having had the opportunity to speak to Roy one on one, his character was the first things that impressed me. This is a man who was willing to take some of his personal time so myself and fellow Colts fans could have an idea of what has been going on in his life.

In a day and age when many professional athletes are caught up in the excitement of just having made it to the NFL,  I found it refreshing to speak to a man like Roy who was more than willing to share his enthusiasm with the Colts community and keep us up to date in regarding what’s to come in 2009.

The Indianapolis Colts organization are often applauded for drafting men of great character and Roy Hall is a perfect example of what makes the Indianapolis Colts such a special football team.

On behalf of myself, the Colts community, and the Bleacher Report Community, I would like to again thank Roy Hall for having taken the time to do this interview.

Let’s hope that fellow sports writers and athletes alike continue to have a mutual interest in being able to do these kinds of interviews because the possibilities are endless when you combine aspiring sports writing with the enthusiasm that these sports figures bring to the table.

Thank you all for having taken the time to read this article. 

Note to the editor: Please do not edit any part of this article. Since this was an interview, it is absolutely essential that no words are changed or taken out of context. Please leave the article as it is but feel free to drop a note on my bulletin board if you have any comments or suggestions. Thank You.

Does the Praise of an Individual Mean That You Appreciate the Team Less?

As a fan, when you show appreciation for any one individual player, there can be a tendency for fans of other teams to bash your level of team appreciation. After all, the politically correct concept usually tends to focus on the appreciation of an entire team as opposed to an individual’s contributions alone.

As many of you already know, I’m about as big a fan of Peyton Manning as most fans would be of any one player. I’ve written countless articles about him, bought more No. 18 jerseys than I’d care to admit, and have always been the first person to jump to my quarterback’s defense in the event that someone where to throw some unfounded criticism in his direction.

Now, does that mean that I don’t appreciate the rest of the Indianapolis Colts as much as other fans value their teams?

In short, no.

You see, depending on what team you happen to be a fan of, there is bound to be a different way in which you appreciate the organization as a whole.

For instance, if you were a fan of the St. Louis Rams, are you to appreciate and value your receiving corps as much as I would value the likes of Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez, and Dallas Clark?

Of course not, but does that makes you less of a devoted fan?

Not by that criteria alone.

What I mean is this: Depending on the coaching staff, roster, and past performance, fans of each team are going to value their parts in different ways.

In my case, our quarterback happens to be the most productive player in the history of the sport. Naturally, it would become quite obvious that I might value and appreciate Peyton Manning (as well as everything he has done for the Colts organization) more than most fans would value their quarterbacks.

A key component beyond the astronomical production is the other things Peyton brings to the table.

The extent in which he practices, prepares, and manages our offense put him above any other quarterback in the league in my view because to us, he’s not just the guy throwing the ball.

Peyton is the guy who spends the extra time in practice, Peyton is the guy spending the additional hours studying film, Peyton is the guy calling his own plays (and/or selecting from various options on the fly), and it is Peyton who studies longer to be able to instruct to our other players through signal, what their route is or what their blocking assignment is.

When you combine the production with the extra responsibilities he has held and performed effectively, what you have is something far beyond your typical NFL quarterback.

So wouldn’t it be reasonable to expect that the level of appreciation he receives might be greater than what other quarterbacks might receive?

The bottom line is, I’m proud to give that to Peyton because he’s earned it.

Yet what many people fail to realize is that despite the fact that I’ve written a plethora of “Peyton Manning articles,” I have also written more non-Peyton Colts articles than most writers devote to other members of their team.

What I do is write more than most B/R writers.

So for instance, if the average B/R writer wrote 30 articles, 10 of them being about their favorite player and the remaining 20 being about the rest of their team, I am the guy who might write 70 articles about Peyton but also write 30 about the rest of my team.

Don’t let the many Colts articles for which I’ve tagged with “Peyton Manning” lead you to believe that all of them are about Peyton specifically.

This is not something that needs to be defended but is certainly a point worthy of being made because the way I see it, take away the many Manning articles I’ve written and you still have a guy who write more about the rest of his team than most B/R writers do for their teams.

While I can certainly relate to the topic of this article, it’s not intended for myself alone.

There has been a great misconception that has been adopted by some and that is the belief that continuous praise or appreciation directed toward an individual member of a team somehow means that there is less appreciation for the rest of the team.

It’s only natural to be inclined to appreciate a certain sports figure whom you most admire; however, if you’re dedicating enough time as a whole, the rest of your team does not receive any less appreciation.

If the Minnesota Vikings Don’t Sign Brett Favre, They Owe Their Fans an Apology

The Minnesota Vikings had better be working hard on signing Brett Favre, and they better do so sooner rather than later. Signing Brett Favre is a move that has been long overdue. The Vikings are lucky their fans have tolerated their nonsense this long.

They have a team that includes one of the best, if not the best, running backs in the league in Adrian Peterson. They drafted a first-round playmaker in Percy Harvin of Florida. Their defense is about as solid as you could hope (something I’m sure long-time Vikings fans appreciate more than others).

So what do the Vikings need?

How about a quarterback!

This time, Vikings, be smart. Don’t place false hope on an unproven quarterback you think might be good enough, only to have him spoil everything for the team.

You can’t run Adrian Peterson into the ground, and Percy Harvin is going to need someone to throw him the ball.

Enter Brett Favre.

This much is clear, Brett Favre wants to come back.

I honestly don’t see the door opening up just for Favre to say, “I’m too hurt and would rather mow my lawn.”

Something tells me Brett would love to stick it to the Packers one more time and do so on a team at least capable of letting him go out on a high note.

But all this pressure should not be on the shoulders of Brett Favre, it should be on the shoulders of the Minnesota Vikings.

They have spent three too many years neglecting the quarterback position. If I were a Vikings fan, I’d be insulted by the insinuation that Tarvaris Jackson is the man of the future.

If you can’t draft a solid quarterback, how about picking up a guy still capable of playing at a high level? Wait another year and then make a move at a promising quarterback for the future.

Sorry, Sage Rosenfels is not your answer.

The Vikings have a lot of potential this season, but they are in a division in which every other team is getting better. If they desire to remain competitive, they need to take care of the team’s most important position.

If a trade to acquire a quality quarterback is not an option, get the deal done with No. 4 and show your fans you are serious about making the Vikings a competitive team in 2009.

The Myth of Peyton Manning Always Being Surrounded by Exceptional Talent

You’ve heard it many times before.

Peyton Manning has ALWAYS been surrounded by talent.

Peyton Manning has ALWAYS had dangerous weapons to throw to.

Peyton Manning has played with the best offensive line of this generation.

Peyton Manning’s defenses are not really that bad.

Now are these generalizations, or incorrect perceptions that have now become accepted as factual?

While I have actually taken the time to watch the Colts play over the years, I know the reality of the situation…

It has become abundantly clear that a great percentage of the population has adopted the aforementioned beliefs and have passed the following information around as if it was actually factual.

What I now seek to do is to take a closer look into the career of Peyton Manning in an effort to provide a more accurate account of the support he has had along the way.

For the purpose of this discussion, I looked at a few different categories of various criteria that should help shed some light on the situation.

We will be taking a look at the annual defensive ranking (in terms of points per game allowed), number of 1,000 yard receivers, receivers who caught ten touchdowns or more, and offensive linemen who were selected to the Pro Bowl.

The defense is being taken into account for the sheer fact that it comprises 50 percent of the game. The greater support the quarterback has on defense, the much greater chance he has of winning while also being productive without the pressure of having to win games on his arm alone.

The number of receivers who eclipsed 1,000 yards and ten or more touchdowns in a single season are being tracked in an effort to provide us with a realistic concept of just how many dangerous weapons Manning had to throw to.

The number of offensive linemen selected to the Pro Bowl are being tracked in an effort to establish just how great the blocking support has been for Peyton Manning over the course of his career.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the timeline of Peyton Manning’s career…

 

1998: Indianapolis Colts (3-13)

Defensive Ranking: 29th

1,000 yard + receivers: zero

Receiving yards leader: Marshall Faulk w/908 yards.

Ten touchdown + receivers: zero

Touchdown receptions leader: Marvin Harrison w/seven.

Pro Bowl Offensive Linemen: zero

Conclusion: Peyton Manning did not play with any true receiving threat during his rookie season. Marvin Harrison missed a quarter of the entire season with injuries and there was no other credible receiving target outside of his running back, Marshall Faulk.

Manning also did not play with a single offensive linemen who made it to the Pro Bowl.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Colts were atrocious and gave little to no support in that department.

 

1999: Indianapolis Colts (13-3)

Defensive Ranking: 17th

1,000 yard + receivers: Marvin Harrison w/1,663 yards.

Next most productive: Edgerrin James w/586 yards.

Ten touchdown + receivers: Marvin Harrison w/12.

Next most productive: Terrence Wilkins w/four.

Pro Bowl Offensive Linemen: zero

Conclusion: 1999 was the year that many people remember as the birth of “The Triplets” (Manning, Harrison, & James). Yet while Marvin Harrison went on to set then franchise records, there was not another receiver of any quality caliber.

Edgerrin James was their second leading receiver and while his 586 yards were productive for a running back, the numbers are not very impressive considering he was Manning’s second most productive target. Nobody besides Harrison caught any substantial amount of touchdowns as Terrence Wilkins finished second with only four.

For the second year in a row, Manning did not have a single offensive linemen blocking for him. While the defense did improve, it remained poor which became something of a trend early in Manning’s career.

 

2000: Indianapolis Colts (10-6)

Defensive Ranking: 15th

1,000 yard + receivers: Marvin Harrison w/1,413 yards.

Next most productive: Jerome Pathon w/646 yards.

Ten touchdown + receivers: Marvin Harrison w/14.

Next most productive: Edgerrin James w/five.

Pro Bowl Offensive Linemen: zero

Conclusion: Marvin Harrison posted his usual productive numbers while the second most productive receiver, Jerome Pathon, gained only 646 yards. Harrison caught an impressive 14 touchdowns while Manning’s running back Edgerrin James came in second with only five touchdown receptions.

For the third year in a row, Manning played without any Pro Bowl offensive linemen. This year, the defense ranked 15th which was high by the Colts standards during that era.

 

2001: Indianapolis Colts (6-10)

Defensive Ranking: 31st

1,000 yard + receivers: Marvin Harrison w/1,524 yards.

Next most productive: Marcus Pollard w/739 yards.

Ten touchdown + receivers: Marvin Harrison w/15.

Next most productive: Marcus Pollard w/eight.

Pro Bowl Offensive Linemen: zero

Conclusion: Marvin Harrison went on to have a very productive year while Marcus Pollard finished second with a pedestrian 739 yards. That total was impressive for a tight end, but not impressive for the team’s second leading receiver. Same can be said for his eight touchdown receptions which ranked below the team leader Marvin Harrison who nabbed 15.

Again, no Pro Bowl offensive linemen were to be found. The defense sunk to a new low as they ranked 31st which was dead last in the NFL during 2001.

2002: Indianapolis Colts (10-6)

Defensive Ranking: seventh

1,000 yard + receivers: Marvin Harrison w/1,722 yards.

Next most productive: Reggie Wayne w/716 yards.

Ten touchdown + receivers: Marvin Harrison w/11.

Next most productive: Marcus Pollard w/six.

Pro Bowl Offensive Linemen: zero

Conclusion: Marvin Harrison set an NFL record with a mind blowing 143 receptions for 1,722 yards. Reggie Wayne also showed some signs of improvement by recording a then career high of 716 yards. Harrison led the team with 11 touchdown receptions which was followed by an unimpressive six that were caught by Marcus Pollard.

While Manning again did not have the benefit of playing with a single offensive linemen, the defense did improve drastically to rank seventh in the league.

 

2003: Indianapolis Colts (12-4)

Defensive Ranking: 20th

1,000 yard + receivers: Marvin Harrison w/1,272 yards.

Next most productive: Reggie Wayne w/838 yards.

Ten touchdown + receivers: Marvin Harrison w/10.

Next most productive: Reggie Wayne w/seven.

Pro Bowl Offensive Linemen: zero

Conclusion: Manning’s first MVP season was aided by some improvement in the support department. Marvin Harrison’s numbers sunk to 1,272 yards (which was only low by his standards) while Reggie Wayne improved to gain 838 yards. Harrison led the team with ten touchdowns while Reggie came in second with seven.

Manning still did not play with any Pro Bowl protection. The defense sunk 13 spots to rank 20th in 2003.

 

2004: Indianapolis Colts (12-4)

Defensive Ranking: 19th

1,000 yard + receivers: Reggie Wayne w/1,272 yards, Marvin Harrison w/1,113 yards, and Brandon Stokley w/1,077 yards.

Next most productive: Edgerrin James w/483 yards.

Ten touchdown + receivers: Marvin Harrison w/15, Reggie Wayne w/12, and Brandon Stokley w/10.

Next most productive: Marcus Pollard w/six.

Pro Bowl Offensive Linemen: Tarik Glenn

Conclusion: Manning’s second MVP season was the first in which he benefited from the support that many feel he received on a regular basis. Three receivers eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark and all three caught ten touchdowns or more.

At the same time, Tarik Glenn became the first Pro Bowl offensive linemen to ever block for Peyton Manning.

Unfortunately, the defense remained towards the lower end of the league as they ranked 19th overall.

 

2005: Indianapolis Colts (14-2)

Defensive Ranking: second

1,000 yard + receivers: Marvin Harrison w/1,146 yards and Reggie Wayne w/1,055 yards.

Next most productive: Brandon Stokley w/543 yards.

Ten touchdown + receivers: Marvin Harrison w/12.

Next most productive: Reggie Wayne w/five.

Pro Bowl offensive linemen: Tarik Glenn and Jeff Saturday.

Conclusion: For only the second time in Manning’s career, he benefited from playing with two 1,000 yard receivers. While Reggie Wayne may have eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the second time in his career, he finished second on the team with only five touchdown receptions.

2005 was the first season in which Manning benefited from having two Pro Bowl blockers and a top tier defense which ranked second in the NFL.

2006: Indianapolis Colts (12-4)

Defensive ranking: 23rd

1,000 yard + receivers: Marvin Harrison w/1,366 yards and Reggie Wayne w/1,310 yards.

Next most productive: Ben Utecht w/377 yards.

Ten touchdown + receivers: Marvin Harrison w/12.

Next most productive: Reggie Wayne w/nine.

Pro Bowl Offensive Linemen: Tarik Glenn and Jeff Saturday.

Conclusion: Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne both dominated in 2006 with both of them eclipsing over 1,300 yards receiving. Both were also effective in nabbing touchdown receptions with Harrison catching 12 and Wayne catching nine.

However, Harrison and Wayne were the exceptions in the Colts receiving corps with Ben Utecht coming in third with only 377 yards receiving.

Glenn and Saturday both returned to the Pro Bowl and provided Manning with excellent protection during 2006. The defense, however, fell to the bottom of the league once again and ranked 23rd.

 

2007: Indianapolis Colts (13-3)

Defensive Ranking: first

1,000 yard + receivers: Reggie Wayne w/1,510 yards.

Next most productive: Dallas Clark w/616 yards.

Ten touchdown + receivers: Dallas Clark w/11 and Reggie Wayne w/ten.

Next most productive: Anthony Gonzalez w/three.

Pro Bowl offensive linemen: Jeff Saturday.

Conclusion: Reggie Wayne led the entire league with 1,510 receiving yards in 2007. Yet, the rest of the team provided little in the way of exceptional productive support.

Dallas Clark finished second on the team with only 616 yards receiving while Anthony Gonzalez grabbed the second most touchdown receptions (only three).

Jeff Saturday was the lone Pro Bowl offensive linemen while the defense ranked first in the league for the first and only time in Manning’s career.

 

2008: Indianapolis Colts (12-4)

Defensive Ranking: seventh

1,000 yard + receivers: Reggie Wayne w/1,145 yards.

Next most productive: Dallas Clark w/848 yards.

Ten touchdown + receivers: zero

Touchdown receptions leader: Reggie Wayne w/six.

Next most productive: Dallas Clark also w/six.

Pro Bowl offensive linemen: zero

Conclusion: In the year in which Peyton Manning earned his third MVP award, he had exceptionally little in terms of offensive support. Reggie Wayne led the team with 1,145 yards receiving, but himself and Dallas Clark led the team with only six touchdown receptions a piece.

The Colts rushing attack ranked 31st in the entire league while no offensive linemen made the Pro Bowl. The defense remained effective, however, by ranking seventh in the league.

So what does all of this tell us?

While it might be a lot of information to process, let’s take a closer look into what these numbers indicate.

Peyton Manning played with at least one 1,000 yard receiver during every year of his career besides his rookie season. Marvin Harrison was responsible for eight such 1,000-yard seasons.

Without question, Marvin Harrison is a future Hall of Famer, but was his production more a product of his superior ability or the fact that he played with Peyton Manning?

This was an issue that is certainly worthy of close inspection.

Marvin Harrison played two complete seasons prior to Manning’s arrival in Indianapolis.

His average annual production during that two year span looked like this:

 

Marvin Harrison (1996-97): 68 receptions for 851 yards and seven touchdowns.

Harrison has only had injury issues during three of his eleven seasons with Manning.

He missed a quarter of the season in 1998, two thirds of the season in 2007, and played the majority of the 2008 season after coming off of two knee surgeries. Harrison also experienced his least productive seasons when missing the most time.

So, in the interest of fairness, I decided to take a look at Marvin Harrison’s production with Manning when he remained as healthy as he did in 1996-97.

So, let’s now take a look at Marvin Harrison’s production from 1999-2006.

Marvin Harrison (1999-2006): 103 receptions for 1,402 yards and 13 touchdowns.

 

Now, one can make the argument that many receivers take a few years to develop, which is certainly true. None the less, there was a massive difference between the production Harrison produced with and without Manning.

As a matter of fact, he averaged 35 more receptions, 551 more yards, and five more touchdowns per season while playing with Peyton Manning.

In the interest of fairness, I do acknowledge that development can take some time.

Still, there was a shocking rise of production that happened almost immediately after Manning’s arrival.

As stated before, Harrison missed a lot of Manning’s rookie season with injury. With that being said, lets take a look at Harrison’s 1997 season compared to his first healthy full season with Manning in 1999.

 

Marvin Harrison (1997): 73 receptions for 866 yards and six touchdowns.

Marvin Harrison (1999): 115 receptions for 1,663 yards and 12 touchdowns. 

 

There appears to be a massive mark of improvement following Manning’s arrival.

Yet one thing many people fail to realize is the fact that Peyton Manning has played the majority of his career throwing to a singular exceptional target on a yearly basis.

In eight of Manning’s eleven seasons, he played with only one receiver to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark. That means he spent 73 percent of his career with only one moderately productive target.

Still, I never said that eclipsing 1,000 yards is the only way one can be dangerous.

It’s simply a generic mark of productivity that, to me, indicates that the individual player who surpassed that mark performed at a relatively productive level.

Players who do not even eclipse 1,000 yards are only contributing so much to Manning’s productivity.

With that being said, how much support did Peyton get from his secondary targets?

Since that title tends to vary from season to season, I took a closer look at the average seasonal production of the players who finished second on the team in terms of receiving production.

 

Average of Colts’ second leading receiver (1998-2008): 840 yards and seven touchdowns.

Even these totals might prove to be a bit deceptive.

The reason being that Manning only played with an exceptionally productive second target in three of his 11 seasons. Both Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark during the same season from 2004 to 2006.

But what about the other seasons in which Manning didn’t play with a productive second target?

How much support was he getting then?

Average of Colts’ second leading receiver (1998-2003, 2007-08): 555 yards and six touchdowns.

 

To put that number in perspective, for 73 percent of Peyton Manning’s career, his second most productive target put up numbers lower than Visanthe Shiacoe put up in 2008 as he accumulated 596 yards and seven touchdowns.

This brings forth a very different revelation than what has become popular opinion.

I will agree that during three of Manning’s 11 seasons, he played with multiple productive targets.

No one could argue that from 2004-2006, Peyton Manning played with exceptional talent.

Yet as a whole, he rarely played with productive talent outside of the team’s leading receiver. For 73 percent of his career, he played with very poor receiving talent outside the team’s leading receiver.

So to say that Peyton Manning has had dangerous weapons for “his entire career” is simply not accurate.

One could even make the argument that he’s played the majority of his career with very little support outside of Marvin Harrison, but even in his case we can clearly see how much Manning impacted his production.

As far as Manning having played with the “best offensive line of our generation…”

That appears to be another claim that lacks proper foundation.

I would certainly not be ignorant enough to say that Pro Bowl selections are the only factor that determines an offensive linemen’s ability, but to have not even been selected would typically indicate that the various blockers are if nothing else, playing at a level below elite.

Peyton Manning played with a total of five starting offensive linemen for 11 seasons.

That’s a total of 55 opportunities to make the Pro Bowl squad. Yet, that only happened six times with two players.

To say that the protection Manning has received was of exceptional quality might be a bit of a stretch.

The fact that Manning typically remains one of the least sacked quarterbacks in the league has given people the false impression that the majority of that is due to exceptional blocking.

Outside of the performance of Tarik Glenn and Jeff Saturday, I’m just not seeing any substantial amount of excellent protection. Manning actually played seven of his 11 seasons without a single Pro Bowl blocker.

Of course, you can’t ignore the running game either.

Peyton Manning has played with the likes of Marshall Faulk, Edgerrin James, and Joseph Addai during his career.

Such star power would lead you to believe that Manning must have been backed by a top tier running game, correct?

The issue is, the running game consists far more than the production of your star back alone. So, while Manning has played with some very productive running backs, the other backs he’s played with have not contributed much.

Individual production from any one running back does not display the entire picture.

How well the entire Indianapolis Colts team produced when running the ball is the most accurate indication we have regarding how much backing Manning really had in this department.

This is what the Indianapolis Colts averaged rushing per season over the course of Manning’s career:

 

Colts running-game (1998-2008):428 carries for 1,684 yards (3.9 YPC) and 14 touchdowns.

To put that into perspective, the numbers were quite similar to how well the 2008 Houston Texans performed.

Texans running-game (2008):432 carries for 1,846 yards (4.3 YPC) and 16 touchdowns.

 

While you wouldn’t think that the 2008 Houston Texans running game would be as productive as the average Colts squad during Manning’s career, the Texans actually gave their quarterback more support last season than the average Colts team gave to Peyton Manning.

So why is it that many people claim that Peyton Manning has been the beneficiary of so much support?

Giving that he is the most productive quarterback in NFL history, it becomes very easy for people to assume that he must have received extensive backing to be as productive as he has.

People are very familiar with the explosive Indianapolis offense that had been on display from 2004 to 2006 and have likely reached generalizations that the quality of support he received during that time span must have been there throughout the entirety of his career.

I would agree that from 2004 to 2006, Peyton Manning played with support that many people felt he had during his entire career.

But, during eight of his 11 seasons, Manning did not benefit from any exceptional support.

Keep in mind that this period of time comprised 73 percent of his entire career.

This is a look at the average support Peyton Manning had from 1998-2003/2007-2008…

 

Number one receiver: 1,395 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Number two receiver: 555 yards and six touchdowns.

(2008 Equivalent: Visanthe Shianco 596 yards and seven touchdowns).

Rushing support: 422 carries for 1,651 yards (3.9 YPC) and 14 touchdowns.

(2008 Texans: 432 carries for 1,846 yards (4.3 YPC) and 16 touchdowns).

Pro Bowl blockers: one selection in eight seasons.

 

So next time you make the claim that “If so and so had the same support that Peyton Manning had during his entire career,” please be exactly sure of what you’re proclaiming.

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