I am, believe it or not, ready to anoint a MVP for the 2011 season. I know it's only been four games, but this player is clearly, without a doubt the most valuable player to his team. My MVP of the NFL for 2011 is Peyton Manning. Yes, the same Peyton Manning that has not taken a snap this season, the same Manning who might not play at all this year, the same Manning who, whenever the Colts play, gets more airtime in the coaches box than the QB that is actually out on the field (for those of you who don't know it is Curtis Painter).
How can I make such a crazy claim, you ask? The Colts are currently 26th in the league in passing, and averaging a little over 15 points a game. That's just two scores a game! Unheard of in the previous eight seasons with Peyton at the helm.
To me, the most valuable player, is that player that means the most to their team. The player that, if you were to remove him from his team they would be the team that is affected the most negatively. Clearly the Colts are that team. Three out of the last six years the Colts started the season 9-0! This year, they are well on their way to 0-9, maybe even 0-for-the-year? (the schedule gets no easier including trips to New Orleans, New England, and Baltimore)
Clearly, Manning's value is not overshadowed. But, while I see him as the MVP, I also have another award to give out, and this award also goes to the Indianapolis Colts, it is the Least Valuable GM award.
In a state of the NFL that we are in, how could the Colts front office fail to do a simple task, get a viable back up? In a game where each and every snap puts you one snap closer to your final snap the brass in the Colts office failed the team, and the fans miserably.
I'm sure they didn't think Manning would get hurt, he had started 227 straight games. And yet a non-football injury might derail his 2011 season. However, it is the front office's job to stop that injury from derailing the team's season. And they did a terrible job at doing that (yes, I am saying that signing Kerry Collins two weeks before the season does not suffice).
Through four games the Colts have started two different quarterbacks, Kerry Collins, and Curtis Painter. Collins had completes 48% of his 98 pass attempts before giving way to painter who, in two games has completed 44% of his pass attempts. Peyton probably cringes when he looks at the stat sheets. But shame on the Colts for not having a long term plan, and looking for a young QB to be groomed by Manning.
This is nothing other teams forget to do. The ten years ago the Patriots had Drew Bledsoe go down only to watch a guy named Brady (who will probably end up winning the MVP this year) take over and well the rest is pretty much history. Three super bowls later Patriot fans are saying Drew who?
All I am saying that Peyton Manning is THE most valuable player to his team. And the Colts front office was too naive to think nothing could happen to him.
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