Congrats Peyton, Here is Your MVP

Don't be so sad Peyton, you just won the MVP



Peyton Manning won the NFL MVP on Sunday, and he won it with a signature moment. His signature moment was not a tight spiral over the middle to Dallas Clark to convert a first down. His signature moment was not a nicely lofted fade to Reggie Wayne in the corner of the end zone to complete a fourth quarter comeback. Hell, it was not even one those painful to watch, and rarest of rare, Manning naked bootlegs into the end zone.


Manning won the MVP when nationally televised cameras showed Colts defensive captain and star linebacker Gary Brackett on the sidelines. Some pictures say so much more than a thousand words. As the Jets mounted an unlikely comeback against the undefeated Colts, Head Coach Jim Caldwell benched many of his star players. Manning and Brackett were on the sidelines. The Colt’s defensive captain expression was priceless. Brackett’s face was vacant and without passion. He was not a warrior in the midst of battle. He looked like a disinterested father at a school play. The school play where your son is Rabbit #4. The school play when your son’s first line is his only line. The school play where your son’s line is … You get the idea.

Statistically, there are many viable MVP candidates. Chris Johnson, Drew Brees Phillip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers and Manning are the most prominent. By not being on the field today, Peyton actually showed how he is the Indianapolis Colts. The presence of Manning on the sideline and not in the hudddle, undermined and altered the persona of his collective teammates. He has been the face of his entire team for so long, he has become the team. The Colts without Manning are Starbuck's without coffee. His determination will probably not be enough to win the Colts the Superbowl this season. (Peyton and the Colts can not run the ball well enough or play enough defense to survive the playoff tournament). But Sunday, it was enough to win him another MVP.