CHFF finds Manning to be yummy

Some kind words from our friends at CHFF for Manning

1. Peyton Manning earned his MVP trophy

The Colts quarterback stepped up to the table Sunday afternoon against the best pass defense in football and torched it like crème brulee … you know, with a little fruit compote and a sprig of mint on top, too. That’s some good eating.

Manning completed 26 of 39 (66.7%), 377 yards, 9.7 YPA, 3 TD, 0 INT and a 123.6 passer rating.

The numbers say he’s produced higher passer ratings in the playoffs – against the likes of porous defenses from the Broncos and Chiefs.

But the Cold, Hard Football Facts say this was the second-best game of his career, trailing only the legend-making comeback he crafted in Indy’s 38-34 win over the Patriots in the 2006 AFC title game. (See “Crow-six-ways from the Peking Garden of Pigskin.”)

Manning’s effort was easily the best by any quarterback against the Jets defense this year and he easily outpaced every standard set by Rex Ryan’s J-Men in 2009:

• The Jets allowed 8 TD passes in 16 regular-season games
• Manning threw 3 TD passes against the Jets in one postseason game
• The Jets allowed opposing passers to complete just 51.7% of attempts
• Manning completed 66.7% of his attempts against the Jets
• The Jets allowed opposing passers to average 5.4 YPA
• Manning averaged 9.7 YPA against the Jets

We were firmly against Manning’s MVP honors this year. In fact, the award is symptomatic of the disease of Spinal Manningitis that plagues many pigskin “pundits.” By any rational analysis, several other quarterbacks had better seasons in 2009.

But it seems that MVP voters are like voters at the ballot box who pull the lever for the incumbent simply because they know the name. Manning won MVP honors in 2003 and 2004 with inferior defense-less teams. But MVP voters cited his superior statistics.

But then he won MVP honors in 2008 and 2009 when paired with great defenses and superior teams, despite the fact other quarterbacks produced better numbers.

Regardless of the idiocy of his MVP trophy in 2009, Manning produced an MVP effort against the Jets on Sunday. When he’s inducted into the Hall of Fame five years after he retires, pigskin “pundits” should cite this effort as one of the highlights of his career.