The Myth of Peyton Manning Always Being Surrounded by Exceptional Talent

You've heard it many times before.

Peyton Manning has ALWAYS been surrounded by talent.

Peyton Manning has ALWAYS had dangerous weapons to throw to.

Peyton Manning has played with the best offensive line of this generation.

Peyton Manning's defenses are not really that bad.

Now are these generalizations, or incorrect perceptions that have now become accepted as factual?

It has become abundantly clear that a great percentage of the population has adopted the aforementioned beliefs and have passed the following information around as if it was reality.

What I now seek to do is to take a closer look into the career of Peyton Manning in an effort to provide a more accurate account of the support he has had along the way.

For the purpose of this discussion, I looked at various areas of criteria that should help shed some light on the situation.

We will be taking a look at the annual defensive ranking (in terms of points per game allowed), number of 1,000 yard receivers, receivers who caught ten touchdowns or more, and offensive linemen who were selected to the Pro Bowl.

The defense is being taken into account for the sheer fact that it comprises 50 percent of the game. The greater support the quarterback has on defense, the much greater chance he has of winning while also being productive without the pressure of having to win games on his arm alone.

The number of receivers who eclipsed 1,000 yards and ten or more touchdowns in a single season are being tracked in an effort to provide us with a realistic concept of just how many dangerous weapons Manning had to throw to.

The number of offensive linemen selected to the Pro Bowl are being tracked in an effort to establish just how great the blocking support has been for Peyton Manning over the years.

Without further ado, let's take a look at the timeline of Peyton Manning's career...

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