Peyton Manning cannot become the greatest quarterback of all time, and it's not his fault.
Since he was drafted first overall in the 1998 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts have become one of the winningest teams in NFL regular-season history. In the postseason, they are 9-9.
To put that in perspective, in the 12 years prior to Manning being drafted, the Colts had appeared in the playoffs only three times. They won their division once and never did it in consecutive years after leaving Baltimore in 1983.
The postseason is what sets the great apart from the good. Dan Marino is forever known as the best quarterback to never win a Super Bowl, not the best. An argument can even be made that Terry Bradshaw is in the Hall of Fame solely because of how many titles he won.
Manning's postseason record pales in comparison to the greats. Joe Montana started 23 postseason games in his career and compiled the most wins of any quarterback since, finishing 16-7. Montana is also tied for the most Super Bowl wins of any quarterback with Bradshaw -- both have won four.
But what sets these quarterbacks apart from Manning?
Bradshaw, whose passing statistics are abysmal for a Hall of Famer (he has just two fewer interceptions than touchdown passes and a quarterback rating of 70.9), doesn't compare to Montana, whose touchdown-to-interception ratio was over 2:1, finishing with a quarterback rating over 92.
What set the two apart were their supporting casts.
Bradshaw played his entire career with the Steelers with eight other Hall of Famers. Montana, in his time with the 49ers, played with four other Hall of Famers.
Who has Manning played with that could be considered a Hall of Fame player?
Marvin Harrison might be the only sure-fire guy that Manning has played with, and he was there before Manning. A case could be made for Edgerrin James, who was drafted fourth overall the year after Manning, but his statistics have taken a nose-dive since he left the Colts after the 2005 season. The Colts won their only Super Bowl in Indianapolis without James.
Dwight Freeney could be on track for a Hall of Fame career, but he recorded his best stats as a rookie in 2002, setting his career high for tackles (40) and forced fumbles (9), and recording 13 sacks.
Dallas Clark is a great tight end and Manning's favorite target, but he has too much left to prove before he can head to Canton. Reggie Wayne didn't show up until four years after he was drafted and has been solid since, but his numbers are nothing compared to Harrison's.
Running through other notable first picks of the Colts in the drafts since Manning took over is like playing Guess Who? Joseph Addai has been a complete bust, barely topping 1,000 yards in his first two seasons and not coming close since. Bob Sanders hasn't played a full season in any of his six years in the league. Anthony Gonzalez has been equally injured. Not to mention Curtis Painter's jaw-dropping 9.8 passer rating, Jim Sorgi's 2-3 record ... and who is Marlin Jackson?
Manning carries the Colts in every game and to every win. Unfortunately, Manning has been forced to play on a team that is frequently ranked in the bottom of the league in rush defense (an average position of 23rd), and mid-level in pass defense (an average position of 13th).
If Manning is going to reach his full potential, he needs help. He should send an ultimatum to the Colts front office to bring in some help, or consider a change of scenery if he hopes to go down as the greatest of all time.
2 Sports
Kyle Grantham
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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning walks off the field during Super Bowl XLIV against the New Orleans Saints Feb. 7 in Miami. Manning threw for 333 yards and a touchdown, but the Saints won 31-17. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)
