Peyton Manning (Part 1): The Gift

Peyton Manning is probably going to break every single career passing record out there. Marino did it. Then Favre did it. And Manning looks to be next in line. For the past decade of NFL football, he has constantly been regarded by experts, analysts, and talking heads everywhere, as the best quarterback in the game. When those experts, analysts and talking heads start to talk about his all-time standing among QB's, they often rush to point to where his stats will likely end up, and often come to the conclusion that he is one of, if not THE best to ever play. They love him so much they've voted him the NFL MVP 3 times already. They voted him Super Bowl MVP in a game in which he threw for 247 yards 1 TD and 1 INT with a QB rating of 81.8, leading an offense that scored all of 2 total touchdowns. Meanwhile his starting RB in the game ran for 113 yards and a TD on 21 carries and his other RB had 77 yards on 19 carries with 10 catches for another 66 yards. Did I mention his defense caused 5 turnovers, the last of which was an INT returned for a TD when it was only a 5 point game?

Okay, so I probably just got ahead of myself and gave away where this blog is headed. But, the question remains, what do we make of Peyton Manning's career?

The Gift:

Gotta start with the stats. They're unbelievable. If you're not a fan of numbers you might want to skip down a few paragraphs, because this guy has more numbers than Texas Instruments. If you are a fellow number cruncher, buckle up!

Manning is currently 5th all time in career yardage and is expected to move up to 3rd (behind 1. Favre, 2. Marino) before the midway point of next season. He is 3rd all time in passing touchdowns (1. Favre, 2. Marino), 4th in completions and 8th in attempts for a career .647 completion percentage, which is the highest completion % among anyone in the top 30 in all-time completions. He does all this while staying all the way down at 40th in career interceptions, which explains why he boasts the 2nd highest QB rating in history (1. Young).

He is the only QB to average over 4,000 yards per season. He's broken the 4,000 yard mark a record 9 times in his 11 year career and his streak of 6 consecutive season at 4,000 is also a record. With the first 9 games of his 12th season in the books, he is once again on pace to break the 4,000 mark. In fact, forget 4,000, he's on pace for 5,105 this year, which would break Dan Marino's single season record of 5,084. He's led the league in touchdowns 3 times and QB rating 3 times as well.

All those current standing don't seem to matter much either since if he continues to play at anything close to the pace he's been at since he came into the league, he should hold the top spot in every statistical category in the next 5-6 seasons.

His stats haven't all been for naught either. He already has the 4th most regular season wins by a QB (1. Favre, 2. Elway, 3. Marino), and his career .681 win percentage is also good for 4th best in history (1. Brady, 2. Staubach, 3. Montana). If you throw out his rookie year, (3-13), his teams have only won less than 12 games twice, (6-10 and 10-6).

Of course none of this has been lost on the voting media. I already mentioned the 3 MVP's, and 1 Super Bowl MVP. In addition he's been a 4 time all-pro and a 9 time pro-bowler.

Beyond the measurables, there's the eye test. Every week it feels like Peyton is at the top of every highlight show, throwing for another 300-400 yards and 2-5 touchdowns. In early season night games, his high powered offenses never seem to fail to put on an explosive show. Of course ask any fantasy football head out there and they'll surely be quick to inform you that no other QB has held down a top draft spot among QB's year in and year out like Peyton Manning has over the past 11 years.

So what does it all mean? I don't know about you, but when I add up all the available information, I'm left with only one conclusion. Peyton Manning is, quite simply, the greatest regular season quarterback the NFL has ever seen.

He is the ultimate student of the game. He works as hard as anyone ever. When you listen to a post game conference, the guy sounds like the biggest football nerd ever! He can, and does, recite every play, every down and distance, every player involved. He can tell you the time on the clock, the players on the field, the defensive package the other team was in. Heck, it feels like he can tell you the defensive package HIS team was in half the time! The guy is a machine. A love-able, big lug of a machine.

Did I mention he makes some pretty hilarious commercials? LOTS of hilarious commercials as a matter of fact.

So the ladies think he's adorable. Mothers love him. Fathers want their sons to approach the game like him. Ad execs want him to endorse their product. Journalists can't find any dirt on the guy. Players want to play with him, and coaches want to coach him.

There's no denying it. From January to the end of December, the guy has absolutely everything you can ask for in a franchise quarterback. And more so than anyone who's ever played the position.

In summary, he gets my vote for greatest Regular Season Quarterback in NFL history. He has truly been a gift to the game of football and to fans across the nation.

Part 2, The Curse, coming soon.

4th and 2

So this has probably been a long time coming. But after the online frenzy of explaining myself and my feelings about the Pats game last night, I decided it was time. The reality is I have so much to say. Why is Brady the Greatest QB of all time? Why is Moss the Greatest WR of all time? Why is Peyton Manning overrated? Why am I not a biased Boston fan? No really, I'm not! Did I mention I THINK I think Bobby Orr is the greatest hockey player ever? Or that I'm sure that Big Pappi was robbed of an MVP by ARod a couple years ago??

So without further ado, here are my thoughts about the NFL's annual November ratings baby, Pats vs. Colts, 2009. One of the better versions of this regular classic:



I live in Massachusetts. I can't turn anywhere today without hearing the same question. "What do you think of the call?"

My answer?

Which call?

I loved the call to go for it and was adamant that that was our only option at the time. I hated the call to not escort the Colts into the end zone on the very next play after we didn't get the 1st down (even though we actually did, as those of us with DVR know, oh well).

It's very simple. I said before the game that I would bet my life on Peyton to win a game if it's in his hands with the game on the line now. The choking Peyton is dead since he got that SB handed to him. It's inexplicable how winning a SB when playing like pure deuce could've had that kind of psychological effect on him, but he is an absolutely different player the last 2 years than he was the rest of his life. (I could elaborate more, of course, but I won't)

So here's the information I have to look at when making that decision:

1. I would bet my life on him scoring there. (subjective)

2. My starting CBs are Leigh Bodden and Jonathan Wilhite (objective... and horrifying)

3. 2 of the Colts 3 4th qtr drives went like this; 79 yards, ended in a TD, averaged 2 minutes. This is one of the fastest striking offenses we've seen since us in '07. The one they didn't score was a miscommunication on 1st down between Wayne and Peyton that resulted in a gift wrapped INT. Our D DID NOT stop them, we got lucky. Those two are always on the same page, there's no way that's happening again.

Clearly, if I punt him the ball with 2 mins on the clock AND a timeout, they would have to go about 60-70 yards BEST case scenario, worst is they have less to go with a good return. To me, punting means that I'm rolling the dice on what I feel is about a 20-30% chance of stopping Peyton, at best. Basically I'm probably putting my team in position to lose, but it's the fundamental play so the media won't kill me for it.

Keep in mind I've said all season that if my life was on the line, I would go with Peyton in that situation every time. I'm normally all about the fundamentals, as everyone who knows me knows. And it's fundamental to punt it there. But for Peyton and Tom, I make an exception. Last night, Peyton was on the other side.

My other option, (the only option in my opinion, as I said aloud at the time so I'm not just being a monday morning QB), was to go for it. Tom converts that 63.4% of the time, (awesome stat job by ESPN). If we get it, we win. Simple. If we DON'T get it, (and this is where Bill BLEW the game), you obviously let them score on the very first play and then Tom gets the ball back with about 1:56 (1:50 after kickoff) to get us about 50 yards into FG range. Again, worst case scenario. Less yards with a good kick return.

I even had the defense picked out in my head that I would run, although I didn't assume this from Bill. I was anxious to see what his "Ole!" defense looked like, (yes that is the name of a defensive package that would be in my playbook if I was a coach.. let's go to the film)

4 man rush, (this prevents the QB from scrambling and killing time or picking up yards that don't end in the end zone), man coverage on all eligible recievers, all leftover defenders (safeties or LBs) are cheating into the flats and preparing to cheat and take away all underneath patterns. ZERO over the top help. Everyone is instructed to do something that every DB will love to hear, cheat up and jump every move and go all out for the INT and UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES make a tackle. Get a pick, or get smoked for a TD. Simple.

So since they came out throwing on first down, (a curl pattern to Reggie Wayne), one of two things would've happened;

1. Peyton reads the D properly, which would've been impressive, and throws a TD. Which is wide open

2. Peyton doesn't read it, sticks with the "safe" play and throws the curl which 2 defenders are cheating on harder than Bill Clinton on a stranded island with the freakin Pussycat Dolls.

Worst case scenario the Colts score to take a 1 point lead with 1:56 left on the clock. Brady gets on the field with about 1:50 and no more than 50 yards to go to get in FG range.

If I asked you on sunday afternoon, would you rather:

A. Be down 1 with the ball in Tom's hands and 1:50 on the clock.

or

B. Be up 4 with the ball in Peyton's hands with 2 mins on the clock and Colts have a timeout and we have none?

Which one do you choose? Basically whatever you choose answers how you feel that situation should've been handled. If you choose A, then you go for it on fourth down (which it should be pointed out gives you BETTER odds than option A itself because we also had a chance to convert the 4th!!! Nevermind that 1:50 scenario!)

If you choose B then you punt.

I sure as hell wouldn't have chosen B before the game, and I didn't choose B after we didn't get the 3rd down.

As a coach I want the ball in the hands of MY guy, (the best QB ever), with the game on the line instead of the hands of THEIR guy, (also a top 10 all time QB playing at top 3 level right now).

So I loved the 4th down call.

Hated the fact that he made that call for all the wrong reasons. Easily the worst botch of Bill's career.