Three weeks into the 2009 NFL season, certain teams and players have begun to separate themselves from each another. Needless to say, the 2009 season has not gone as many of the so-called "experts" had predicted.
After the Pittsburgh Steelers' victory in Super Bowl XLIII the popular opinion was that Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger had secured the top two spots at their position, with the league MVP Peyton Manning descending to the third spot or lower.
Never mind the fact that Roethlisberger was coming off a relatively poor season (despite the success of his team as a whole and a solid Super Bowl finish) and that Brady hadn't played a full game in over a year and a half, it was those two who many had anointed to be the league's finest.
How quickly things change.
Not so much in regards to the reality but in regards to the general perception of it.
Both Brady and Roethlisberger have rarely been known for being some of the more productive players in the National Football League but the respective teams they have played for have managed to attain great success in spite of that.
Of course, that is not to say that they haven't been both productive and efficient (they have been in both respects) but there is a substantial difference between being efficiently productive players paired with Super Bowl caliber defenses and being the most productive player in the 90-year history of the sport.
Enter Peyton Manning.
It should come as little surprise that Peyton has played at such a phenomenal level, after all, he has been not only the most productive player in league history but also the most consistent.
Simply put, this guy just doesn't have "off years."
An off year for Manning is coming off two knee surgeries and a mediocre start to the 2008 season and finishing in historic fashion (setting the NFL record for highest completion percentage by any quarterback in any month in NFL history) to win an NFL-record third MVP award.
Last year's Manning was no joke but in comparison to this year's Manning, we might really have something to laugh about.
Peyton Manning (After Week Three of 2008)
71 of 120 (59.2) for 784 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions.
Quarterback rating: 73.1
Peyton Manning (After Week Three of 2009)
66 of 96 (68.8) for 983 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions.
Quarterback rating: 117.7
The differential is staggering.
We're going to send you the most entertaining Indianapolis Colts articles, videos, and podcasts from around the web.
52 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete