It was a down year for MVP candidates, if his name wasn't Peyton Manning he wouldn't have won. He had a really good year but he also has one of the most talented teams in the league and leading them to a WC game isn't MVP worthy.
There were a ton of injuries on the team to the talent on the team including the one he had. This was his most impressive season when you factor that in. Once Manning got healthy he carried them into the playoffs. He totally deserves the MVP. You are right the field was weak this year, but he didn't win becuase of his name.
^Although, I am watching NFL Network and they do make a good point about Demarcus Ware. Also Adrian Peterson would have been an okay pick. I still think that once Manning got healthy he was the best player in the league this year, but Ware did bring it for all 16 games.
He didn't carry them, the D was better than the O. he even won a game at Cle 10-7 where their D not only held Cle to 6 pts but they scored 7 and scored the game winning TD late in the 4th. He had a really good season but if his name wasn't Peyton Manning he wouldn't have won the award.
Of course the D is going to be better than the O. They Offense was without Jeff Saturday, Joseph Addai for parts of the season and that Manning himself was injured and coming off of surgery to start the season. The Cleveland game was played in a steady rain...which is not good for scoring. Also, Romeo Crennel has a long history of shutting down Peyton Manning. Case in point New England was 7-1 against Manning and the Colts when he was in New England (2000-2004) with their only loss coming in 2000 when they were 5-11 and are only 1-4 against him since Crennel left. Against Crennel in 2005 when the Colts started the season 14-0 they defeated the Browns by a score of only 13-6 at home. So, it's not a big surprise to me that Manning had one bad game after he got healthy and it was against Crennel and the Browns.
I wouldn't credit Crennel w/ beating Indy. I think that was more coincidental, Crennel has always been an overrated coach. Belichick was the brains behind his good years as a DC. -The D scored the game winning TD against Jax -The D gave up a total of 9 points in weeks 13 & 14 In the 1st matchup w/ tennessee whioch turned out to determine the AFC South Champ and #1 seed Manning threw 2 INTs and only led them to 14 pys during the competitive portion of that game.
Belichick has only beaten Manning once since Crennel left and that was in their undefeated season. Crennel has shut down Manning in two games since he joined Cleveland. I really don't think this is all coincidence. Manning threw 3 TDs and passed for 360 yards in that game as well. Against Cleveland and Cincinnati. Big deal. :wink: One of the INTs he threw bounced off of Dallas Clark and was a catchable pass. The Titans defense was impressive so scoring 14 points early meant something. They had a 14-3 lead in the third quarter. BTW - The Colts haven't lost a game since that Titans game.
Just makes you sick to your stomach http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/sports/1997/01/30/1997-01-30_peyton_on_alert__archie_fill.html and makes you want to cry http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9500E6DA143FF935A25757C0A961958260
I'm just not buying the Crennel stuff as he has never done anything away from Bill Belichick. In '00 w/ Crennel in Cleveland as DC the Pats held Manning and the Colts to 16 pts in one of their 5 wins. Threw 3 TDs but it was the D that scored the GW TD just as they did at Cleveland. Even Brett Favre led us to more pts at Tennessee(20 more after taking away that garbage time TD).:grin:
Wow, I thought Crennel went right to NE after he left the Jets. Updated records against Manning. With Crennel NE was 6-0. w/o Crennel NE was 2-5 against Manning. Was the 3 TD passes and 360 yards passing insignificant to the victory?
I have no idea how Kurt Warner got only 1 vote. He had 4,500+ yards and 30 TD, leading a team with no defense to the playoffs.
The 2 losses in '99 when he was w/ the Jets and 3 of 4 losses from '98-'99 when he was w/ the Jets do not count? It is purely coincidental that NE won more w/ Crennel against Indy than w/o.
