A season for the ages: the Colts quarterback rewrote the record book en route to winning our award in a landslide

Football Digest, April, 2005 by Barry Wilner

PEYTON MANNING HAS A GREAT sense of history. So when he surveys the names of players who have won major individual awards, he appreciates having his moniker among the likes of Joe Montana, John Elway, John Unitas, and Dan Marino.

In some ways, Manning's name belongs above those Hall-of-Famers. Nobody achieved the passing numbers the Indianapolis Colts quarterback put together in 2004, making him an obvious choice for FOOTBALL DIGEST'S Player of the Year.

"I've thought of myself as something of a historian and someone who appreciates those names," Manning says. "Just being with those names makes it more special, and I am very humbled to be on that list."

What Manning did in '04 was humbling to just about every defense that faced him. He threw 49 touchdown passes, surpassing Marino's 20-year-old record of 48 that was considered the equivalent of Babe Ruth's 60 home runs.

And Manning shattered the passer-rating mark of 112.8 set by Steve Young in 1994. Manning's 121.1 mark was incredible, built on completing 67.6% of his throws for a career-high 4,557 yards--extending his league record to six straight 4,000-yard seasons--and only 10 interceptions.

"He's the conductor of our train, and he's got our train really rolling," Colts coach Tony Dungy said during the playoffs. "It's very well-deserved. It's difficult to pick one player out of the league and determine who is most valuable in the league. Peyton sets the tempo for us. We ask a lot of him and he's constantly delivered. When I came here three years ago, my reputation [as a defensive coach] preceded me and there were worries we'd win games 10-6. I'd like to thank him for making us an offensive team."

Actually, an offensive juggernaut. Manning personally destroyed the NFC North this season as Lady won all four of its games against that division. He threw 19 TD passes against that group, including six on Thanksgiving Day against the lions at Detroit.

"Amazing," says Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre. Favre shared the NFL record of 12 straight games of throwing at least two TD passes, but it was broken by Manning with 13. "I think they've built that offense to where they're at a point right now where they dare you to try to stop someone, and that's a hell of a place to be."

Manning is at a level few quarterbacks have reached. Kurt Warner was there for a couple of seasons with the St. Louis Rams, but there is some thought that such wideouts as Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt, plus running back Marshall Faulk, elevated Warner more than he raised their games. With Manning, it is clear he has turned such teammates as Reggie Wayne, Brandon Stokley, Marcus Pollard, and Dallas Clark into formidable weapons.

"Our skill guys and our offensive line have been in the system for two years or so," says Wayne, whose breakthrough 2004 bodes well for the future in Lady. "They know what to do. And Peyton, well, he is such a competitor and has such high expectations to go out and win. You want to make a play for him and bail him out of tough situations."

There weren't many tough situations this season for Manning. Most of the time, the Colts jumped to big leads, forcing teams with inferior talent to play in a shootout. Perhaps the Minnesota Vikings, Rams, and Kansas City Chiefs could handle such deals--for a while. But in the end, as the San Diego Chargers learned late in the season, the Colts will get you. Specifically, Manning will get you.

"It's hard to figure out what guy you need to stop on any given play," San Diego coach Marty Schottenheimer says.

"This is the most high-powered offense I've faced in my career," says veteran Denver Broncos safety John Lynch. "They're even more dangerous than the Rams because they can run the ball, throw the ball, and the guy running the show at quarterback is unbelievable."

Yet Manning believes there is so much more he is capable of achieving. He's probably right, as absurd as that seems. Manning says his aim has been to improve every season, and he's done that. He's just now, at age 28, in his prime.

His hunger to succeed hasn't diminished with his recent success--it's increased. He has been called the smartest quarterback in the league, although he shirks away from that description.

"I don't know how you judge that or rate that," Manning says. "I do take a lot of pride in my preparation and try to give myself an edge and have an understanding of the mental side of the game. I do work real hard at it--study hard, prepare hard, and play hard. I don't think I do more [studying] than any quarterback should. I give it the attention it deserves. I've never left the field saying I could have done more to be ready. I've left the field saying I wish I could've played better."

If Manning can play better than he did this regular season, no records are safe. Perhaps the best example of how potent he has become came in Indy's first-round playoff game against Denver, a 49-24 romp in which he threw for 457 yards, second most in postseason history. Amazingly, he barely used the great Harrison, who was covered by star cornerback Champ Bailey. Instead, Manning found the Broncos' weaknesses elsewhere, exposed them immediately, and kept right on attacking them. As a result, Wayne caught 10 passes for 221 yards and two TDs, and Clark, fresh off a concussion, had six for 112 and a score.