Thursday, March 18, 2010

The Best Quarterback in History is Awful


Every time I think of it, I laugh. Out loud. The complete lunacy of the national media never ceases to amaze me as it relates to their treatment of Peyton Manning. It has become obvious to me that no matter what he does, he'll never be good enough. Oh, he'll be a first-ballot hall of famer. He'll hold every passing record there is to hold. And he'll make a ton of friends and money just being his jovial, available self. But to the media? He won't win enough Super Bowls, and I don't care if he wins 5 more. They'll tell you "he should have won more." They'll say he wasn't a good "big game" quarterback," and they'll tell you how they'd rather have Ben Roethlisberger or even Peyton's brother Eli. Know how I know? Because I listen.

First, the positive. Tony Dungy has openly praised Manning for the better part of a decade, and I doubt anyone knows him better. Dungy has said “He’s probably the hardest-working guy I’ve been around who has great ability. Overachievers work hard because they have to. Peyton has rare talent, but chooses to push himself like he doesn’t.” And “I’ve never seen a guy with so much ability and the dedication to match.” Or consider this from former team mate Brandon Stokely "He's the best that's ever played this game as far as quarterbacks are concerned. When he's retired, they'll compare everybody to Peyton Manning, without a doubt." Or finally, this from current Colts coach, Jim Caldwell "He's been such a highly accomplished performer year in and year out. Just when you think you've seen his best, he improves upon it." You'd think a guy with 4 MVP awards, a Super Bowl title, the most 300 and 400-yard passing games in NFL playoff history, only 1 of 4 quarterbacks ever to post a perfect 158.3 rating in a playoff game, and someone who's won 68% of the games he's ever played in a league built for parity would be able to escape the "he can't win the big game" label, but Manning never has. At Tennessee, his teams never beat their archrival Florida Gators. Much of that was due to the lack of a solid running game or effective defense (sound familiar, Colts fans), but it was always Manning who shouldered the blame and carried the burden. It didn't help that Manning's backup Tee Martin led the Vols to a win against Florida the following season. But even into the NFL, Manning has dealt with naysayers who still believe he hasn't done enough to be in the conversation of "best ever," even though the eyeball test provides pretty clear evidence.

The nonsense starts with this gem from former Rams coach Scott Linehan : "I guarantee you, if Peyton Manning was on the Pats, he would have won a minimum of three Super Bowls." Lang Whitaker of Sports Illustrated called Manning "the Dominique (Wilkins) of the NFL. Bob Cook of NBCSports.com was quoted as saying "Manning lacks intensity," and "Perhaps that lack of intensity explains why Manning fails against a defense with some level of talent.' Really Bob? Is that why he's 131-61 in his career? Is that why he has the most seasons with 4000+ passing yards, the highest ever single season passer rating, and is widely considered the best prime time quarterback in football. Tom Brady? Please. The Pats haven't beaten the Colts since 2004. Some even criticize the way he looks; like Bob plain with this bit of brilliance "Manning has two slits for eyes that are dark, cold, and somewhat menacing. While Manning is known for his charity work, you don't exactly get a warm and fuzzy feeling hearing him speak. I don't think I've ever seen him crack a legitimate smile once." Or Dieon Sanders following Super Bowl XLIV "I'm sure he was prepared, I'm sure he was ready, I'm sure he was focused, but when I see things like that as a player, Michael, I'm thinking, 'I don't know'." The guy's been playing football since he was a toddler, performing at an elite level for a decade, but now he's scared to play in the Super Bowl? A game he's already won once? Deion and Michael Irvin agreed that Manning "choked" in the Super Bowl last month. Not because he played poorly, but because he had a throw returned for a touchdown.

Now, let's be honest. That was a bad play all the way around for the Colts and a great play by Saints conerback Tracy Porter. No quarterback who's ever played the game hasn't had a route jumped by a corner who made a great play, and for the national loons to even think the word "choke" in that situation is lunacy driven by a really warped agenda. Looking at that play, Reggie Wayne slipped a little bit and didn't finish his route. Tracy Porter made a terrific play, and it ended up as a Saints touchdown. Simple as that. Choke? Hardly. Manning threw for 333 yards and a TD in the Super Bowl. He didn't drop a sure-fire 1st down as Pierre Garcon did in the first half. No big deal you say? The Colts had a 10-point lead and the ball. That first down prolongs another drive likely to end in a score that could have made the score 17-0. Manning didn't muff the onside kick just after halftime. That would be Hank Baskett whose sole contribution to Indianapolis was bringing his fabulously beautiful wife (Playmate Kendra Wilkinson) to town once in a while. (I would be remiss not to mention the absolutely gutty job Sean Payton did in coaching the Super Bowl. He played the game to win it, and unlike his counterpart Jim Caldwell of the Colts, seemed to bask in the glow of the moment. Seizing the chance to be great en lieu of a conservative approach taken by most on football's grandest stage.)

Bottom line, Peyton Manning IS the greatest quarterback ever, and it's not close. Boil down the numbers. Make the excuses. Then, use your eyes. Watch how he manages a game, and then watch a replay of the Colts-Jets AFC Title game from January. The Jets came in boasting the NFL's best defense. Nearing halftime, Manning figured it out, and the shredding that insued rivaled that of Reagan v Mondale.

Manning's stats are already better than any QB in history save Brett Favre, and Favre has over 120 more career interceptions. Montana? Ordinary numbers and a terrific running game and defenses. Played his best on the big stage, but with numbers not equalling Manning's, I'm not giving him the title. Brady, the arch nemesis? Lifetime passer rating is 5 points lower than Manning's and 1 MVP the year Bill Belechick decided to throw the ball even when his Patriots had leads of 49-10, 38-3, and 41-6. Manning's list of accomplishments dwarfs that of Brady, but all the media wants to talk about are Super Bowls. Mike Golic likes to call Football "the ultimate team game," but he's quick to criticize Manning as not yet in the greatest ever conversation because he hasn't won enough Super Bowls. Elway? Didn't win much until he had a dominating running game. Bradshaw? His highest full-season QB rating was 88.0. Manning has had just 2 seasons worse than that, and one was his rookie season. Never mind that Manning didn't have the Steel curtain and has already thrown for 23,000 more yards than Bradshaw. No player has ever mastered the position like Manning. Ever taken such complete control of an offense or manipulated defenses the way Manning does. No player has caused defenses to change what they do or how they do it more than Manning. And no player will be his peer when it's all said and done. Peyton Manning has carried the Indianapolis Colts for the past decade plus. He led the Colts to the winningest decade the NFL has ever seen. He's won 2 AFC title games and a Super Bowl. He's won his division 6 of the last 7 years. And who can name me a better prime time quarterback? But....He can't win the big game, right? Kill the king, tear him down. Kill the king, got to take his crown.

RT Brightman -- Sportswriter

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I'm a Bears fan but an honest one. Not only is Peyton Manning the best QB ever he is one of the greatest individual players in a team sport ever. He and MJ if you ask me....