Another "Outstanding" Regular Season Manning Triumph

There is a temptation to point out that if Peyton Manning had thrown four interceptions at home on national television against his biggest rival, he would have been vilified by anyone with a keyboard yet again for being a choker; because it was Tom Brady who did it, it was just an "off night" for the Patriots. That would be unfair, yet totally fair, because Tom Brady has won three titles and Peyton Manning, no matter how great he is, still is a dork. It's not right, but it happens.

It's a shame, too, because Manning has become an undeniable joy to watch, even if he is a bit fussy about the whole quarterbacking thing. With the Bears' loss yesterday, only the Colts stand in the way of that ridiculous 1972 Dolphins ritual where they bust out a bottle of champagne when the last undefeated team in NFL loses. (We find this incredibly obnoxious.) The general consensus is that this Colts team is not as strong as last year's — mainly because of the supposed difficulty the defense has against the run — but they're 8-0 now. Not that it matters; everyone's just waiting for Manning to blow it again, and he might well just oblige us yet.

Peyton Manning Complicates Everything [Extrapolater]