From 1999-2010, the Indianapolis Colts made the playoffs 11 out of 12 seasons. In the 21 season before that, the Colts managed to make the playoffs only three times.
To boil their recent success down to one man seems overly simplistic.
In the modern age of the NFL, individual players aren’t supposed to be capable of having such a massive impact.
Yet that’s exactly what Peyton Manning’s done.
Not counting his rookie year, he’s missed the playoffs only once (2001). And in that season, the Manning-led offense finished second in the league in points and yards. Not exactly his fault.
Where Tom Brady’s dominance over virtually the same period of time can be linked to his unceasing alliance to Bill Belichick, Manning has no such equivalent. Since being drafted in 1998, he’s had three very different coaches.
The Colts defense has also finished in the bottom half of the league more often than not during Manning’s tenure. That’s a little different from the way things have gone in New England.
Yet I’m not saying all this so that I can rekindle the Brady-Manning debate (I actually side with Brady for the record). I’m merely trying to illustrate Peyton Manning’s true worth to his particular team.
He’s been beyond irreplaceable for the Colts. Other quarterbacks could have achieved success in Indy during the same span, but the true difference is revealed when you take the quarterback out of the equation.
Because of his famed work ethic and the fact that he literally runs his offense, Manning leaves a far bigger hole in his absence than any other quarterback ever.
Literally, ever. Look it up (I did). Some can claim (with a measure of accuracy) that Dan Marino is at least in the discussion. Yet the first post-Marino Dolphins team went 11-5 in 2000. Other legendary signal-callers also weren’t missed as much as you would think.
Johnny Unitas’ Colts lost only one game when he was out for most of the 1968 season (famously going on to lose to Joe Namath in Super Bowl III).
Roger Staubach retired just in time to watch his replacement (Danny White) lead the Cowboys to three straight NFC title game appearences.
Even Joe Montana, considered by many to be the greatest quarterback of all time, went 10-6 after Montana missed the 1991 season due to injury and was (almost) seamlessly replaced by Steve Young.
Yet when the Colts lost Peyton this past season, they collapsed like a house of cards, going from a perennial playoff team to a 2-14 debacle (and they started 0-13).
Given that, is it not possible to say that Peyton Manning is the most valuable NFL player of all time?
With him, the Colts are contenders, without him they’re the worst team in the league. That sounds like a pretty good case (or at least a way to ignite debate with legitimacy).
He’s like the Napoleon Bonaparte of the NFL, in that no other person on the face of the planet can do for his organization what Peyton does. An indispensable cog, without whom the Colts were useless.
It’s both a fascinating argument for fans of the NFL and a nauseating prospect for Colts fans.
So what I'm really trying to say is: good luck, Mr. Luck.
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