Peyton’s Place Is Home to MVP

A day after scorching the Denver Broncos with four touchdown passes in a first-round playoff victory, Indianapolis Colt quarterback Peyton Manning was a star receiver Monday, accepting his second consecutive NFL most-valuable-player award.

Manning, who threw for 49 touchdowns, surpassing Dan Marino’s 20-year-old record, joined Joe Montana, Johnny Unitas, Steve Young and Kurt Warner as quarterbacks who have won the award twice. Brett Favre is the only player to win it three times.

“I’ve thought of myself as something of a [football] historian and someone who appreciates those names,” Manning said. “Just being with those names makes it more special, and I’m very humbled to be on that list.”

He earned all but one of the 48 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, with Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick getting the other vote. Last season, Manning shared the honor with Tennessee Titan quarterback Steve McNair.

Manning broke Marino’s record by only a touchdown, but he didn’t play in the regular-season finale against Denver. On the way to leading the Colts to a 12-4 record and the AFC South title, he amassed a passer rating of 121.1, claiming a record previously held by Young.

The Colt line did a brilliant job of protecting Manning this season. Indianapolis quarterbacks were sacked only 14 times, tied for the fewest in the league. Running back Edgerrin James was a major factor in the passing game too, rushing for 1,548 yards and therefore adding a real threat to Manning’s play-action fakes.

“What I accomplished is something special team-wise,” Manning told reporters Monday. “Obviously, it helps that the team is winning games, and good things come along with that.”

Like other outstanding leaders, Manning elevated the performances of the players around him. Not only did Pro Bowl receiver Marvin Harrison get his catches, but so did Reggie Wayne and Brandon Stokley. All three caught at least 10 touchdown passes and gained more than 1,000 yards receiving, an NFL first for three teammates.

“It’s a team accomplishment for sure, and he’d be the first one to tell you that,” Coach Tony Dungy said of the award. “But he is definitely the conductor of the train. He’s got the train rolling pretty well right now. We’re proud of him. It was a pretty one-sided vote, and I think pretty rightfully so.”

Voting for the award takes place at the end of the regular season. Manning is the third player to win it in consecutive seasons, joining Favre and Young.

Vick passed for 2,313 yards and 14 touchdowns, and rushed for a career-high 902 yards and three touchdowns. He led the Falcons to an 11-5 record and the NFC South title.

Manning has made it clear this season that accumulating records is far down his list of priorities. He has yet to lead the Colts to a Super Bowl, and Sunday has a chance to avenge last season’s loss to New England in the conference title game. The Patriots play host to Indianapolis in a divisional playoff game.

“It starts with the quarterback,” Patriot Coach Bill Belichick said Monday when asked about the explosiveness of the Colt offense. “They’ve got a lot of other good football players out there besides him. [But] he certainly makes it go.”

Flattering as it is, winning the MVP award is merely a pleasant distraction for Manning, whose singular focus this season has been winning a championship.

This week could present his toughest challenge. Since entering the league in 1998, he’s 2-9 against the Patriots, 1-5 against teams coached by Belichick and 0-5 in games played at Foxboro, Mass.

In his career against the Patriots, he has thrown 19 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He had four passes intercepted last January in the AFC championship game, mistakes that paved the way for a 24-14 victory by the Patriots on a bitter-cold, snowy afternoon.

“I played like an absolute dog,” Manning said Sunday of that game. “No ifs, ands or buts about it. I’d like to play better this time around and hopefully we can get a win.”

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Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Quarterbacks That Rate

Highest passer rating in a season, all-time, according to STATS Inc. (minimum 14 attempts per team game):

*--* Player, Team Year Rating Result PEYTON MANNING, Indianapolis 2004 121.1 ? STEVE YOUNG, San Francisco 1994 112.8 Won Super Bowl JOE MONTANA, San Francisco 1989 112.4 Won Super Bowl DAUNTE CULPEPPER, Minnesota 2004 110.9 ? MILT PLUM, Cleveland 1960 110.4 Missed playoffs

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