Posted on 01/10/2005 7:57:52 AM PST by agenda_express
By BARRY WILNER AP Football Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Peyton Manning's phenomenal season earned him his second straight Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player Award. He was nearly a unanimous choice.
The Indianapolis Colts' star quarterback, who surpassed Dan Marino and Steve Young with his passing prowess in 2004, earned all but one of 48 votes from a national panel of sports writers and broadcasters who cover pro football. Manning tied with Steve McNair for the award last season, but this time only Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick drew a vote.
Manning joined the likes of Joe Montana, John Unitas, Steve Young and Kurt Warner as quarterbacks with two MVP awards. Brett Favre is the only player to win it three times.
"Individually, I accomplished a lot in a short period of time," Manning said. "But no question, we did not win a Super Bowl in the time I've been here as a quarterback."
Ever the team man, and ever championship-oriented, Manning refuses to concentrate on his statistics. He might have thrown for 49 touchdowns, surpassing Dan Marino's 20-year-old NFL record. And he may have shattered Young's passer rating record with a 121.1 mark. And he might have established other league marks and a bunch more team records.
But to Manning, unless it all culminates in a championship, it's not what he's after.
"Just because you played well in Week 2 or Week 10 doesn't mean anything for the playoffs," Manning said. "Except that you're capable of doing it."
Manning was capable of doing almost anything in leading the Colts to a 12-4 record and the AFC South title. They routed Denver 49-24 in the first round of the playoffs - the MVP voting was held before the postseason - and play at New England on Sunday.
He also turned two of his previously unaccomplished receivers, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Stokley, into threats almost on a par with Manning's favorite target, perennial Pro Bowler Marvin Harrison. All caught at least 10 touchdown passes and went over 1,000 yards in receiving - an unprecedented combination for three teammates.
"Peyton is such a competitor, he has such high expectations to go out and win," Wayne said. "You want to make a play for him and bail him out of tough situations."
Tough situations? Manning tends to make everything look easy.
Sort of like Young and Montana and Unitas and Warner and Favre did. But all of them have that championship along with their MVPs. Manning doesn't.
And it drives him to do even more.
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SS. The Colts against the Broncos was a very is pick!
no problem....
one more hop to go to get there though....
. . . and if Belechek can disguise his defense until right before the snap, and the Foxboro crowd can disrupt Manning's audibles.
I am looking forward to Manning's annual playoff collapse this year.
It's sure to be a great match up. Not the fizzle or lopsided games we sometimes get in the playoffs. 3 or 4 games ago, I would have thought the Colts could take it, but they have had their own fizzle in the past few games, yesterday being a turn around of sorts. I wasn't able to watch it and am sorry I didn't set the VCR. I grudgingly admit the Pats are great this year. (I tend to think that Brady is overrated and propped up by great teammates, but maybe that's what it's supposed to be...) I won't miss that game. It really will be Peyton's Everest, and I think he's gearing up, rising to the challenge. That would be a great Superbowl game, but it makes a great championship game, too.
Note that the voting for MVP is completed prior to the playoffs, so the folks determining rules don't agree with you that winning the "big one" is the be all and end all.
It is a regular season award.
He's the hands-down winner, but unfortunately the award won't get the Colts past the Pats and Steelers.
And the bucs won after Dungy left.
Hero status for many players could be argued. You could argue Paytons sucess was limited by the great teams at FSU and Florida.
Wrong.
Indy picked first and took Peyton.
San Diego then took Ryan Leaf.
He's not as effective outdoors. What's the line? I'd pick the Pats by 2.
With Law, I'd take the Pats by 3-1/2.
I know it's a regular season award; I never indicated otherwise. I was saying that regardless of the MVP, he probably won't be given the "respect" that others have until he can at least get his team to a SB.
Could be.
I don't know where this "Manning is not as good outdoors" stuff comes from. I would agree that Manning has not been as good outdoors in Foxboro against the Patriots but that's because the Patriots have been a great team with a great Coach and a great QB in his own right. Last year Peyton had a better record outdoors than in the dome. He won every outdoor game he played until the Colts ran up against the Pats in the AFC championship game. Two years ago the Colts played the Broncos in Denver on Sunday night in a blinding snowstorm. The Colts won that one in overtime. The Colts destroyed the Michael Vick led Falcons in Atlanta last year by over 20 points. I don't see any basis for "can't play outdoors" stuff.
what the ???
Neither has McNair...
MVP doesnt matter once you are in the playoffs....its for the regular season. There is a separate award for the playoffs....
Congratulations to Peyton...a classy player, gentleman and all round good guy!
I think McNair is the darling of the TV crowd. Good quarterback, but the NFL is full of good quarterbacks.
Football is a team sport. Ask Jim Kelly how important the ring is.
If you don't think winning the Super Bowl is important ask any player whether they would like to be the record holder to all records for his position or win the Super Bowl, they will tell you, it's the ring.
but that doesnt matter a damn about being the regular season MVP, which is what we are talking about here.....
But he still never beat Florida.
No question there. He went from 57.5% last year to 64% this year. Quite a jump.
Some of that has to do with TO but a lot of just maturity.
I am just saying the book is still open for Vick. If he ever gets injured to the point that he cant run like he used too, he has the talent at least to be accurate. Certainly he has arm strength....
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