So Was Peyton Manning Over Rated After All?

     It’s the question we’ll all be asking all off season; is Peyton Manning over rated?  Have we deified the Indianapolis Colts 4 time NFL MVP too early?  Super Bowl 44 was supposed to be Peyton Manning’s crown jewel; the one feat that vaulted him into the conversation with the likes of Joe Montana, John Elway, Terry Bradshaw, and Troy Aikman.  Guys who collect Super Bowl rings.

     Instead, we watched as Drew Brees led the New Orleans Saints to the Super Bowl promised land.  While the Saints celebrate, the anointed one was storming the field in a snit.  We saw Manning throw a Brett Favre like interception to all but cost his team a Super Bowl.  We saw Peyton Manning look, at times…. rather human,  Against a New Orleans Saints defense that, in truth, wasn’t that good.

     So what did we actually learn from this?  Does Peyton Manning deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as these guys?  Of course he does.  The Colts simply ran into a team that was better, more balanced, and just plain hungrier than they were.

     Peyton Manning was the Indianapolis Colts this year.  His defense was good, but far from great.  His running game was average on a good day.  His receiving corps (grab this one, president Obama.) was slightly better than average.  Replace Peyton Manning with a lesser quarterback and you’re looking at a 9-7 team. 

     The man possesses an unparallelled mastery of his position,  He is, without question, the greatest pure quarterback the game has ever seen.  He isn’t as good as Joe Montana, Tom Brady, and John Elway.  He is the benchmark by which they should be judged.

     The better quarterback didn’t win this year’s Super Bowl, but the better team did.