I've been hearing a lot about this recently. Whenever I discuss the success of Peyton Manning, there is always some bonehead out there saying that, "He's always had weapons," as some sort of excuse to get out of giving Manning is proper credit.

I've been a Colts fan or many years now, I remember the days when we were the furthest thing from the league's best offense. As time went on, I saw Peyton Manning become the solid foundation our offense was built around. I saw him elevate players to another level of performance, en route to building the NFL's most sophisticated offense.

No one does it alone. If you think the point of this article is to state that Peyton is the only really good football player in the Colts offense, you're misinterpreting. My point here is that Manning has been able to make the players around him far better then they would have been otherwise.

Within his offense, players like Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, and Joseph Addai have been able to take their own abilities to the next level. Along with Offensive Coordinator Tom Moore, Manning and the Colts devised an offensive system that is still light-years ahead of current NFL teams.

Before Manning, the thought of letting your quarterback call plays at the line of scrimmage was foreign. Still is, as Manning is the only quarterback in the league who does it.

In so doing, Peyton has been able to produce more then any other quarterback in NFL history. He averages more yards and touchdowns a game then anyone in league history. He didn't get there alone which brings me to my next point.

The people who say he has always had weapons are not looking very closely at the situation. Before Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison was averaging about 850 yards and seven touchdown receptions per year. Marvin was injured and missed a lot of Manning's rookie year in 1998.

What happened in his first full year with Peyton?

115 catches, 1,663 yards, and 12 touchdowns

That is no coincidence. He would continue to be productive and go on to Eight straight Pro Bowls. I have news for you, Marvin didn't magically get that good overnight. Peyton worked tirelessly with him as he developed from a pedestrian wide receiver to a future Hall of Famer.

Next comes in Reggie Wayne. Reggie spent his first three seasons without ever receiving for over 1,000 yards. Unlike players such as Jerry Rice and Randy Moss who were really good right out of college, Wayne had to take time to develop his skills with Peyton.

It paid off too, he has since had four consecutive 1,0000yard-plus seasons (on pace for a fifth) and become another top threat in the league.

You take a look at a guy like Brandon Stokley. His career highs before he came to Indianapolis were 357 yards and two touchdowns in a single season. After he got some time to work with Manning? He posted 1,077 yards and 10 touchdowns while being a third-string receiver! Now that is what I call being able to elevate someone's game and make them a much better player.

I've heard people say that Peyton has always had a great running game. This is true, but who do you think is responsible for that? Every starting running back who has played with Peyton Manning has at some point become a Pro Bowl player.

Marshall Faulk, Edgerrin James, and Joseph Addai are all on that list. They were all good players, but it's no coincidence that all of them flourished under Manning's offense. When was the last time you could name three consecutive starting running backs who ended up being Pro Bowlers from one organization?

My point here is that Manning has had talented players around him, but no one produced any more then New England's receivers have until Peyton came along. Marvin Harrison was putting up Deion Branch-like numbers before he played with Peyton. During that time, he was playing with Jim Harbaugh, who was the furthest thing from bad as he was well-liked by most Colts fans. 

You couldn't name a single wide receiver who has had any success either before or after they left Indianapolis. That also is no coincidence. I'd say Marvin Harrison's situation before Manning came to the Colts is similar to what talented receivers have had to deal with in New England.

Perhaps the potential to be better but a quarterback like Brady (who is very good) is similar to a quarterback like Harbaugh in the sense that he doesn't elevate the players around him into superior forces. I know Brady is better then Harbaugh, but you see the point.

Players like Randy Moss have looked very good with Brady but he was a future Hall of Famer before Brady ever threw him the ball. Some quarterbacks need established talent around them for their numbers to look good. Manning however has continued to make weapons out of everyone around him.

There lies the difference between Peyton Manning and any other quarterback you'd choose to compare him with.