Peyton Manning not only won the MVP award, but ran away with it.  The final AP tally ended with 39 ½ votes going to Manning.  The closest competition (Drew Brees) managed only seven and a half votes while two other quarterbacks (Philip Rivers and Brett Favre) rounded out the vote with two and one vote, respectively. 

There was some speculation that sitting the bulk of the final two games would impact voters, who would look at quarterbacks with complete seasons in a greater light.  In that respect the pair of losses may have only proved to highlight Manning’s value as the Colts leader.

Manning also received help against the two other front-runners across the length of the season.  Brees’ New Orleans Saints closed the year with a thud, losing their final three games to finish the year.  He led the league in passer rating (109.6) but fell 112 yards short of Manning despite more playing time.

Likewise Brett Favre’s Vikings had late season troubles that hurt him in the voting.  Minnesota’s 10-1 start closed at 12-4 after the Vikings dropped three of their last five games.  Like Brees, Favre was significantly ahead of Manning in passer rating (107.2 to 99.9) but fell nearly 300 yards short of the Colts quarterback while taking far more snaps in the final games.

Philip Rivers put up similar numbers to Favre, with a 104.4 passer rating and 4,254 yards (to Favre’s 4,202) and might have been able to make a late surge behind the 13-3 Chargers and the 11-game winning streak to close out the regular season.

Where he likely fell short was explosiveness.   Despite the Chargers putting up nearly 40 points more than Indianapolis, Rivers himself fell short in terms of touchdowns (being the only one of the four with less than thirty).  The Chargers' win streak also occurred in less dramatic fashion, with the team holding leads through the bulk of most games.

Manning not only put up a great statistical year (4,500 yards, 99.9 passer rating, 33 touchdowns), but put together a 23-game winning streak that included seven fourth quarter comebacks in the team’s fourteen wins during this season’s portion of that streak.

He spent the entire season as the leading candidate for the MVP award and did not disappoint.  His fourth MVP broke a tie with fellow candidate Brett Favre, who had shared the lead among players by taking the award three times.

Both Favre and Manning had another shared trait within their three-MVP tie.  Each was a co-MVP in one of their years, with Favre sharing the award with Barry Sanders in 1997 and Manning sharing it with Steve McNair in 2003. 

While Favre has the distinction of being the only player with three consecutive trophies, Manning has now become the only player with two different sets of back-to-back awards (2003/2004 and 2008/2009).  Only two other players in history have won the award in consecutive years; Jim Brown in 1956/1957, and Joe Montana in 1989 and 1990.

Now all Manning needs to complete his resume is a winning playoff record.  Despite shaking the Super Bowl Monkey from his back with a win over Chicago to close the 2006 season, Manning still holds a mediocre 7-8 record in the playoffs.

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The voters of the Associated Press (AP) chose Manning in a landslide over the other three candidates that received votes. Manning snagged 37.5 of the 50 votes; the other votes went to Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints, who got 7.5 votes, Philip Rivers, with two, and Brett Favre, who grabbed one.

Manning led the Indianapolis Colts to an amazing 14-0 start this season, and an NFL record seven comeback wins. Manning threw for 4,500 yards and 33 touchdowns, and had a passer rating of 99.9. He had a career high in completion percentage, 68.8 percent, and was sacked a career-low 10 times.

Manning was also recognized for his leadership stature. Any player that you talk to will tell you that playing with Manning is like playing with a head coach on the field. He commands his offense like a captain of a ship, with power and efficiency. There has never been a player like him, and I don't think there ever will be.

Now, Manning will tell you that he is honored to have won, but it is nothing compared to their ultimate goal: winning Super Bowl XLIV.

Manning is getting his team prepared to go into battle, and getting them ready to win three more games this season to accomplish their goal. If this is accomplished, it will secure his place as the greatest player ever—not that many don't already consider him that now. I know I do.

I am just curious, though: how many more MVPs are in Peyton Manning's future? And furthermore, does his trophy shelf have any more room on it, or will he have to make a trip to Home Depot to get more shelving supplies?

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The voters of the Associated Press (AP) chose Manning in a landslide over the other three candidates that received votes. Manning snagged 37.5 of the 50 votes; the other votes went to Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints, who got 7.5 votes, Philip Rivers, with two, and Brett Favre, who grabbed one.

Manning led the Indianapolis Colts to an amazing 14-0 start this season, and an NFL record seven comeback wins. Manning threw for 4,500 yards and 33 touchdowns, and had a passer rating of 99.9. He had a career high in completion percentage, 68.8 percent, and was sacked a career-low 10 times.

Manning was also recognized for his leadership stature. Any player that you talk to will tell you that playing with Manning is like playing with a head coach on the field. He commands his offense like a captain of a ship, with power and efficiency. There has never been a player like him, and I don't think there ever will be.

Now, Manning will tell you that he is honored to have won, but it is nothing compared to their ultimate goal: winning Super Bowl XLIV.

Manning is getting his team prepared to go into battle, and getting them ready to win three more games this season to accomplish their goal. If this is accomplished, it will secure his place as the greatest player ever—not that many don't already consider him that now. I know I do.

I am just curious, though: how many more MVPs are in Peyton Manning's future? And furthermore, does his trophy shelf have any more room on it, or will he have to make a trip to Home Depot to get more shelving supplies?

Read more Indianapolis Colts news on BleacherReport.com

Manning guided the Colts to their second 14-2 season (first one was in 2005) after becoming the second team to start a season 14-0 since the 2007 Patriots. In the process of winning those 14 straight, the Colts set an NFL record with 23 straight regular season victories.

The first overall selection of the 1998 draft has led the Colts to the top overall seed in the AFC and their eighth straight postseason berth with at least 12 or more wins.  Manning finished the 2009 season with a career high 68.8 completion percentage, 4,500 passing yards (10th time in his career), 33 touchdown passes, 10 interceptions, and a passer rating of 99.9.

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Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Brett Favre, Philip Rivers, or Chris Johnson?

We don't know yet.

When will they announce the winner of this prestigious award?

Nobody seems to know; and that's a problem.

For those who might not follow, the Associated Press announces the winner of the NFL MVP award at the conclusion of the regular season.

All players are eligible, even those who might not be fortunate enough to play for playoff-contending teams.

From an individualistic standpoint (something that seems almost taboo to embrace within the team-like atmosphere of the NFL), this is the greatest honor any one player could receive for a single season.

The best teams win Super Bowls, the best (and most valuable) player becomes the league MVP.

Yet with as much anticipation as there has been for the announcement of this year's award winner, there seems to have been little indication as to when we will learn the news.

On Tuesday, the AP announced that Brian Cushing had won the Defensive Rookie of The Year award.

On Wednesday, they announced that Percy Harvin had won the Offensive Rookie of The Year award and that Tom Brady had won the Comeback Player of The Year award.

In years past, there has seemed to be something of a system.

Although last year the offensive and defensive rookies of the year were announced on the same day, this year they have managed to switch up the order without any apparent explanation.

I figured we might learn who won the league MVP award on Thursday.

The reason being in years past, we learned who won the Offensive and Defensive Players of The Year awards after they announced the MVP.

Only two defensive players have ever won the award (Allan Page in 1971 and Lawrence Taylor in 1986) and sometimes, the OPOTY award is given to a player whom was very productive, but didn't play for a winning team and thus lost out on the MVP award.

But nothing came on Thursday.

Last year (1/2/09) they announced the league MVP winner on the Friday prior to the Wild Card round of the playoffs and after this past Friday came and went, we were left with nothing.

I would imagine that they would have to announce the award-winner sometime on Saturday (probably before the first playoff game).

But my biggest issue isn't as much with the late announcement as it is with the fact that the announcement date has been almost impossible to track down.

Try Google, try Wikipedia, try Yahoo Answers...and find nothing.

Something of this much importance should not be that difficult to track down.

I’m sure that somebody somewhere has been able to track this information down. Perhaps it was nearly impossible to find or perhaps it was under my nose. Either way, it shouldn’t have to become an online scavenger hunt.

In college, the Heisman Trophy award presentation has its own date, time, and TV spot. All deservingly so by the way, but why not half of the recognition for the NFL's MVP award?

The Heisman Trophy is essentially the NCAA's MVP award.

Not to knock college football, but think of this.

A very small percentage of college players ever have any shot at making it to the NFL.

Far fewer have any chance of playing at an elite level in the NFL.

Yet we honor the best player that college has to offer with the recognition that they deserve, but the most valuable player at the pro level doesn't even warrant an announcement date?

I love the Associated Press, and I respect the MVP voters as they get their selections right almost every year.

My issue is with how they have decided to handle the announcement of an award that is as important as any other in professional sports.

Whenever they decide to let us know is their prerogative, I just wish they would have given us a little more of an indication as to when that time would be.

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Even on the defensive side of the ball where the Colts in recent years have struggled, it is not so tough to get lost in the crowd. Playing with and behind perennial all pro Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, and often injured but highly touted Bob Sanders, one can even get lost on this side of the ball as well.

Maybe it’s a good thing for certain Colts' players and maybe not. But the fact of the matter is the Colts' linebacking corp was one of the hidden gems this season for Indy and one of the many reasons they finished the regular season 14-2 with a first round bye and home field advantage heading into the postseason.

With new defensive coordinator Larry Coyer at the helm, the Colts blitzed and utilized their linebackers more often than they have in recent years. Among the players to benefit from this was third-year man Clint Session.

Session, a fourth-round draft pick by the Colts out of Pitt in 2007, is a guy who, like most draft picks of the Colts, was not the conventional choice for linebacker, but fit their system to a "T".

So far on the year Session leads the team in tackles with 103 (84 solo, 19 assists), albeit while being held out of the final two games against the Jets and Bills—another subject for another day.

Session, in his first year at the weakside position, is ahead of linebacking mate and defensive captain Gary Brackett in tackles, as Brackett currently has 99 tackles (80 solo, 19 assists) on the season.

Both players have thrived this year under the new leadership and system of Coyer, and that has not gone unnoticed by their teammates and others around the league.

"I watched him [Session] in Miami as a high school player," Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said. "Very intense, fast and extremely explosive. He is a perfect fit for Indy's run and hit defense."

Both Brackett and Session are not the tallest trees in the forest either, mind you, but that stature often plays to their advantage. You can barely see them at times on the field, as they are both built similarly—short, compact and very explosive to the ball.

This explosiveness and new system instilled by Coyer have really played to both Session and Brackett’s advantage, as well as the Colts', particularly their run D (spotty in past years), which has benefited from them both.

This linebacking tandem has really solidified the defense for the Colts this season, along with the play (before his injury) of Tyjuan Hagler and Phillip Wheeler; the Colts have a strong youthful future with their linebackers to build on.

All that remains to be seen is if that both Brackett and Session can remain with the Colts when the new free agency rules take effect in the NFL (Brackett is a free agent after this season). And it seems that in the past with the Colts, they have not been kind (financially) to linebackers. They have tendencies to let them walk for whatever reason.

One thing is for sure though. If they can retain both of these players after this season to long term deals, the Colt roster of stars will need to make room for two more players.

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There are MANY reasons why Peyton Manning should not win MVP again this season, and they each fall into three categories—Statistical, Opposing Teams, and Other Quarterbacks.

Its All About Statistics

For starters, Peyton Manning did not lead the league in any categories this season, as he finished second in completion percentage and touchdowns behind Drew Brees, another MVP candidate, and finished second in yards behind Matt Schaub.  He also finished eighth in the league YPA. These are not necessarily bad signs.

However, what makes him undeserving is the fact that he is not even in the top five in QB rating and doesn't even have a rating of 100.  Ben Roethlisberger, who didn't even MAKE the Pro Bowl roster, has a higher rating than him.  

His 16 interceptions are in the top five in the league, and the only other people who have more than him are Jay Cutler, the three rookie quarterbacks, Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez, Josh Freeman, and Jake Delhomme.  

All of these QBs are known as interception machines. To even be close to the same category as them is just poor play.

The Truth About His Opposing Teams

Many people comment on his fourth quarter comebacks constantly, as the Colts won four straight games by a combined 10 points, an NFL record.  Let's break down these and the rest of his comeback wins:

Week 2 @ Miami (W 27-23) —Nope, Chad Pennington threw an interception in the end zone as time expired

Week 8 vs. San Fran (W 18-14) —Nope, he didn't even throw the game winning touchdown, it was the running back, and it came with 14 minutes left in the fourth quarter.  Looks like his defense comes up big again

Week 9 vs. Houston (W 20-17) —Nope, Kris Brown choked as usual.  Yes, Peyton Manning drove them down the field for a winning touchdown, but he didn't even throw it, and if he hadn't made a crucial interception late in the first half, they never would have been in that position to narrowly escape with a close win

Week 10 vs. New England (W 35-34) —Nope, the Patriots just choked by going for it on their own 28-yard-line.  When you give the quarterback that two minutes to make a 30 yard drive, of course they'll score.  If they don't then they just flat out suck

Week 11 vs. Baltimore (W 17-15) —Nope, the Ravens choked in multiple ways.  First of all, his defense came up big with an interception inside their own 20 yard line. Second, they recovered a fumble on a punt return to seal the narrow win.  Oh yeah, and Peyton Manning threw two picks that could have easily decided the game with a different outcome.

Week 12 vs. Houston (W 35-27) —I can give him credit for this win, he came up big in the fourth quarter with a drive to take the lead at the beginning.  However, he also had help from his defense, who intercepted two passes, one which was returned for a touchdown, and the other which gave them great field position in Houston territory. Manning did throw two interceptions earlier in the game which almost cost them, but I'll still give him credit for bringing the team back from a 17-0 deficit.

Week 15 vs. Jacksonville (W 35-31) —This one is questionable.  Manning did throw a touchdown to Reggie Wayne midway through the fourth quarter to give them the lead, but once again, it was his defense that stepped up in the clutch and intercepted David Garrard, who had a great game up to that point.

So basically, five out of Manning's seven "comeback wins" have to do with the other team choking and not Manning's play in the clutch.

No more comments about how Indy's defense sucks. If it did, the Colts would have lost almost all of those games. Instead, they made interceptions. I'm sick of hearing people say that Peyton Manning has no help defensively. The facts say otherwise.

Also, Manning only faced two top 10 defenses all season. He faced Tennessee and Jacksonville twice, which had the 27th and 31st ranked pass defense. That's four easy wins right there.  He also faced Arizona, which had the best run defense at the time, meaning he pretty much had to throw, therefore inflating his stats.

So Who Deserves to be NFL MVP?

If you're going to say that a quarterback does not deserve something, you better damn well say who does. This is where Brett Favre comes in.

Favre, who is also a three time MVP winner, had unquestionably the best season of his career. He threw 33 TDs and only seven picks. That's an average of less than one every two games, which is amazing, and is less than half of what Manning threw.

People complain that Favre does not deserve it because he has a large supporting cast. Maybe, but there have been moments in the Vikings season where he has had to come up with big plays.

For example, the last-second touchdown pass against San Francisco in Week Three was probably the most crucial play of the season for the Vikings, as it sent both teams in different directions. If not for that play, the Vikings would have been an up-and-down team, and the 49ers would have probably been contending for a playoff spot.

Instead, it sent the Vikings to a 3-0 start, while the 49ers lost six out of their next 10 games from there. This provided the Vikings the spark they had needed all season, and they rolled to a 10-1 start and eventually, a 12-4 finish and a first round bye in the playoffs.

And who can forget the most memorable Brett Favre moments of the season, where he faced his old team twice?  Not only did he win both times, he amazed, as he threw for seven touchdowns and no picks in both of those games.

Finally, Brett Favre appeared to be out of the race with two games to go.  But during the last six quarters of the season, he revitalized a Vikings offense that had scored only seven points the previous six quarters and threw six touchdowns and no picks en route to earning the Vikings a first round bye in the playoffs.

So there you have it.  Peyton Manning, while good this season, has certainly not been MVP level as people say he has been.

Peyton Manning?  This season?  Overrated?

I think so.

Read more Indianapolis Colts news on BleacherReport.com

It is the Associated Press' NFL league MVP award and it is given to the absolute best player the NFL has to offer.

Or at least, that is the intent.

No, it is not the top goal of these NFL stars to win this MVP award, but winning it can often be more reflective of an individual's contributions than any other accolade the NFL has to offer.

Right now, the NFL's finest teams are preparing for the post-season and their goal is to win the Super Bowl.

But more often than not, the best player in the NFL does not happen to play for the best team in the league.

It's a sad reality that many people fail to come to grips with because they desire so much for that best player to be paired with the best team.

How poetic.

It is the reason why we have seen less productive players pushed beyond their capacity for actual performance on the field into the realm of beloved heroism for exploits achieved by their entire team (as a whole) while they themselves continue to contribute less than should be expected for the aforementioned praise they receive.

Right now, I'm talking league MVP's.

I'm talking about players who at an individual level, contribute more to their team's chances of winning than anyone else in the National Football League.

This year, we have a number of qualified candidates but none more deserving than the most productive player in the 90-year history of the sport.

Peyton Manning.

We're talking about a man who, despite the loss of a future Hall of Fame head coach, the loss of a starting wide receiver, and backed by the worst rushing support in the entire league, managed to perform at a level above and beyond what he contributed on the football field during times far more favorable.

We're talking about a guy who helped lead his team to an undefeated record.

No, that's not a typo.

Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts went 14-0 while Curtis Painter's Indianapolis Colts went 0-2.

Or perhaps you are of the belief that the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills were simply better teams than the Colts.

I'm not concerned with the perception of reality.

I value reality itself.

You often hear people saying that "most people believe that..." and that is exactly what I'm disregarding.

False perceptions of reality.

But let’s talk about this year's MVP award.

The goal of each player might be to win the Super Bowl, but the best player from an individual standpoint is honored with an award that is reflective of 80-percent-plus of an entire season, not simply its conclusion.

For the same reason that Tom Brady was better than Eli Manning in 2007 and for the same reason that Peyton Manning was better than Ben Roethlisberger in 2008, this year’s MVP (should) represent the best player the NFL has to offer regardless of what happens from this point forward.

League MVP's who happen to win championships during the same season are a rare breed, and ones that should be valued beyond measure.

Peyton Manning will have the chance to do that this season, as will some of the runner-ups to the MVP award.

While the award has yet to be announced, I imagine that Manning will capture the votes necessary to pull away with the honor, despite the number of candidates who may take some votes away from him.

Drew Brees and Brett Favre come to mind for me, but I wouldn't be shocked if Philip Rivers gets a few more votes that he deserves.

Rivers has had an impressive season, but I feel the "high" journalists have been on lieu of the Chargers 11-game winning streak might push Rivers to the top of some voters’ lists.

The issue I have here is the one that is bound to be overlooked.

As I see it, the MVP award is given to the best player in the NFL over the course of the entire regular season.

A great performance in week 17 is no more or less valuable than a great performance on opening weekend.

Had the Chargers began their winning streak early but lost three games towards the end of the season, Rivers wouldn't even be in this discussion.

It's the very reason why Drew Brees will not get the recognition he deserves.

By contrast, had the Colts started off 0-2 and won their next 14, this MVP race wouldn't even be up for debate.

The point being, voters should not get consumed with what has happened more recently because the league MVP award is not about the finish, it's about the entire season as a whole.

Then we have Chris Johnson.

A player who has certainly had an MVP-caliber season from a running-back's perspective.

But that just so happens to be the problem; no matter how unfair it might seem.

I don't hold the Titans' 8-8 record against Johnson one bit.

It is not as though his NFL record 2,509 total yards from scrimmage and 16 total touchdowns weren't enough to give his Titans the best opportunity to win.

Football, being the team sport that it is, requires far more than the performance of one MVP-caliber player to get them as far as they'd like to go.

In Johnson's case, I hold the fact that he is a running-back against him (only) as it pertains to this year's MVP race.

Quarterbacks might often receive the lion's share of the recognition, but no player on the field has the opportunity to contribute as much to their team's chances of winning.

Johnson ran for 2,006 yards, but Matt Shaub threw for 4,770.

Johnson scored 16 total touchdowns, yet Drew Brees threw for 34.

It's simply the nature of the position and for the same reason that no defensive player will have any reasonable shot at winning the MVP despite how well they may play at their given position; Chris Johnson will not win the MVP award either.

Which brings me to Peyton Manning.

He finished second in the NFL is passing (4,500), second in touchdown passes (33), second in completion percentage (68.8), and sixth in quarterback rating (99.9).

Statistically, Drew Brees seems to be the logical selection.

He led the league in touchdown passes (34) and quarterback rating (109.6) while setting an NFL record with a completion percentage of 70.6.

The fact that his Saints dropped their final three games (two of which Brees was active for) will likely be held against him.

Their final loss of the season had nothing to do with Brees but that might not be relevant to a number of voters who simply remember the 0-3 finish.

As I said before, it doesn't make a difference whether the losing games (or bad games) came at the beginning or end of the season because this is not the MVP of December award.

In this case, it's more a matter of how impressive Manning has been than it is a matter of Brees not being impressive enough.

Manning's Colts ranked 32nd in the NFL (dead last) in rushing compared to the Saints who ranked sixth.

That is a monumental difference in terms of support.

When your running-game becomes non-existent, it forces your quarterback to play under far more pressure because defenses know that they need to throw the football to have any reasonable chance of winning.

Yet despite being backed by the league's least productive rushing-attack, Manning was able to become the most productive quarterback in the league.

Had he been given the opportunity to play the entire season (even if Brees played his final game), it would be fair to assume that Manning would have led the league in both passing yards and touchdowns.

His cameo appearances in the Colts final two games skew his per-game averages to the point in which they are not logically applicable to the discussion.

The trade-off between Manning and Brees comes down to interceptions (Manning's 16 to Brees' 11) but those figures were severely impacted by level of rushing support.

Defenses that played the Saints feared both the pass and the run.

When defenses played the Colts, it became all about protecting against the pass and that leads to interceptions.

Just ask Drew Brees.

He threw 17 interceptions in 2008 while being backed by a rushing attack far more productive than the Colts had this year.

What makes Manning's 2009 season all the more impressive is who he has been throwing to.

People will be quick to say that he had Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, and they'd be right regarding Wayne.

But with Clark, we're talking about a player who averaged 43 receptions for 513 yards and five touchdowns per-season prior to this year.

Yet people talk about him as though he has always been a Pro Bowl caliber receiver.

Manning was paired with one such target (Reggie Wayne) and a tight end who has only recently developed into an exceptionally productive target.

Manning lost his starting receiver in Anthony Gonzalez (who replaced future Hall of Fame receiver, Marvin Harrison) yet still managed to turn two late-round draft picks (Pierre Garcon & Austin Collie) into productive targets.

Over the course of doing so, he led the Colts to an undefeated record.

I'd mention Manning's NFL-record seven fourth quarter comebacks but something makes me hesitant to do so.

The Colts should have played better during the first three quarters of those games, and while I don't put too much stock in the heroics of these "clutch" moments, they should be recognized because the Colts wouldn't have likely been in those kinds of situations if it wasn't for an atrocious running-game to begin with, yet Manning still managed to lead his team to victory week after week.

Remove Brees, Favre, and Rivers from their clubs and I'd imagine they'd still be winning teams.

Not nearly the same threats mind you, but good teams loaded with talent never the less.

Take Peyton Manning away from the Colts and...well...we see the Colts of weeks 16 and 17.

Think about this for a moment.

The Colts had seven fourth quarter comebacks in 2009.

Remove Manning from the team and do you honestly think they would have had an opportunity to win any of those seven games?

That's provided that Jim Sorgi or Curtis Painter produced at Manning's Hall of Fame level for the first three quarters of all those games (which clearly isn't logical).

You can then add another seven "L's" to accompany the two that Curtis Painter’s Colts earned.

That brings the Colts to a 7-9 record under the absolute best of circumstances.

There is simply no player as valuable to his team as Manning is to the Colts.

You cannot ignore his knowledge of the playbook, his mastery of the audible and his desire to work with the younger talent to help them develop.

The Colts would not get any of these things to nearly to the same extent with another quarterback under center, especially with a quarterback the likes of Curtis Painter (his 9.8 quarterback rating and all). 

The fact that Manning managed to still be so productive and remain undefeated while being backed by horrendous rushing support and a very young receiving corps speaks volumes.

The combination of all the above to me, more than warrants an NFL-record fourth league MVP award.

Read more Indianapolis Colts news on BleacherReport.com

Should a playoff-bound team—with its seeding already decided—rest its starters during late season, "meaningless" games?  

Normally, the issue is merely an eye roll-inducing annoyance.  Here's a typical Sunday conversation in late December:

"Let's see, what game's on next? Oh, the Colts and the Browns...um...what time does Family Guy come on, again?"

However, this year, with the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts coming so close to perfection, the argument has been cast into the limelight like never before.  

Throw in the fact that the New England Patriots—a non-perfect team who still had their playoff destiny decided—lost star wide receiver Wes Welker for the year (when he could have sat), and well, there are arguments aplenty from coaches, players and fans alike. 

In a sense, there are two sides to the topic.  

On the one hand, there's the issue of perfection and whether or not it's worth risking injury to attain.  

On the other hand, there's the question of competitive balance and whether or not it's kosher for the 12-3 teams to lay down for games that don't affect their big-picture playoff aspirations.  

Here is a look at both sides.  There is no clear cut answer; this article is mainly meant to spark the dialogue and debate. 

Perfection

Just how important is a perfect 16-0 regular season record?  

Very, given that it's only happened twice.  However, the poignancy of the accomplishment is somewhat diminished if the team doesn't go on to win the Super Bowl. 

When Colts coach Jim Caldwell decided to bench his starters against the Jets a few weeks ago, the folks in Indy were as mad as if he'd have gone 1-15.  

His logic, of course, was that a Lombardi Trophy in February was more important.  

Of course, the poster boys for his argument are the 2007 Patriots.  

At the end of their careers, what do you think that Tom Brady, Tedy Bruschi, and Bill Belichick will cherish more?  

Their three Super Bowl rings?  

Or their 16-0 regular season that ultimately produced no championship hardware of note?  

The answer is obvious.  

Then again, continuity and momentum are potentially sacrificed when the star players are essentially put on a preseason routine.  

Will the Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne of the divisional playoff round be the same crisp guys who ravaged defenses up until Week 15?  Or will there be rust?  

The question is rhetorical; in this case, the answer is not obvious.

Competition

Perfection aside—it's not every year that two teams burst out of the gate at 13-0—there's also the age-old issue of competitive balance.  

In many ways, this is a very ambiguous concept.  

Most would agree that a team that has locked up their playoff logistics shouldn't have to play their starters just because the competition committee decided that Joe Sixpack in section 335 deserves good football in December.  

However, it could be argued that he does.  

See, the NFL is not unlike the rock/pop star business model in that it is essentially the fans who make it the grand spectacle that it is.  

Without them, it's a blase, semi-pro purgatory.

The other side of the argument, however, is perhaps best described by, yet again, those unfortunate Patriots.  

Last week, with their playoff destiny decided, coach Belichick decided to play his starters, regardless.  

The result?  Wes Welker, arguably the MVP of the team, went down for the year with torn ACL's and MCL's, greatly weakening their shot at a return trip to the Super Bowl.

A revealing and ironic tidbit should be noted, however.

As mentioned, fans in Indy were up in arms over Caldwells' decision to bench his stars. However, most fans don't seem to be that upset of the needless injury to Welker.  

Perhaps there is a noble grain of truth to playing hard all 16 games.  

At any rate, the NFL's competition committee, as mentioned, review the issue this offseason.  

What will they decide is anyone's guess. 

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But what about Peyton?  Surely No. 18 is more than close to getting his fair share of the pie when it comes to having his name go down in the book of Colts greats.

Johnny Unitas, however, has set the bar pretty darn high, and obviously isn't willing to let go of the franchise team that he basically created.

Former Super Bowl Champion, 10 time Pro Bowl selection, 11 MVP trophies, and the 1970 Man of the Year Award, gives Unitas the upper hand in the race of Unitas vs. Manning.

With this said though, Peyton isn't far off stride.  Johnny Unitas having won only one Super Bowl in his career with the Baltimore Colts, leaves Peyton Manning tied with him.  Still with an arguable ten years or so left in him, Peyton Manning is more than likely to lift the Lombardi Trophy over his head once again, and give Colts fans a reason to believe that their future Hall of Famer deserves to be compared to Unitas.

Stats wise, well it is really a no contest.

Peyton Manning currently is sitting on 366 touchdowns as of Week 17 of the 2009 regular season.  Johnny Unitas finished his career with 290 career touchdown passes.  Yardage wise it's still a blowout in favor of Manning.  50, 128 on the career of Manning, compared to Unitas' 40, 239.

For those Colts fans out there that have just realised "Wow, Peyton Manning has actually outdone himself," you'd be right. 

Although Peyton has the upper hand in stats, trophies, selections, and votes; I still feel that Unitas is the true "Sheriff" in Indianapolis.

Stats are all very nice, but what it comes down to is how the player is perceived.  Watch any highlight that has to do with the Colts, and you are bound to hear the words "Just like the great one, Johnny Unitas" come up somewhere in the program.

Unitas had that cult figure status about him.  Kind of like Joe Montana did in San Francisco, like Roger Staubach had in Dallas, like Otto Graham had in Cleveland, like Bart Starr had in Green Bay, and like Dan Marino had in Miami.

Has Peyton really gotten to that stage yet?

I guess he has, but a football player's career is defined after he retires.  If he is remembered or not, shows whether or not he made a true impact on the game.  There is no doubt Peyton Manning is going to be remembered, but if he will be remembered as the bigger and badder guy than Johnny U is the real question.

Manning is loved by, pretty much, all.  However, he does have to share the stage with other great quarterbacks that are in the league at the moment.  Phillip Rivers,  Ben Roethlisberger, Kurt Warner, Drew Brees, Carson Palmer, Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre, the list goes on.

Peyton is a future Hall of Famer, no question.  How is he going to hold up in the eyes of NFL fans, though, when it comes time to say who the greatest Colts quarterback was.  For those that pay attention to stats, Manning will win hands down.  For those that pay attention to ego, strength, leadership, and true heart for the game; well it may be a different story.

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