Posted on: 11/01/2010 

This column is about Peyton Manning, now a record four-time NFL Most Valuable Player, and yet, it's not about Peyton Manning.

True, nobody is more responsible for Manning's bid to become the greatest quarterback, maybe even the greatest football player, of all time. His sustained excellence is borne of an unrivaled work ethic and a relentless desire to improve in every conceivable way. As coach Jim Caldwell said this week, Manning never gets "bored" with football, never tires of the process or believes he has reached the endgame in his growth as a quarterback.

But as President Kennedy once said, "Victory has a thousand fathers; defeat is an orphan."

This latest success, Manning's record fourth MVP, belongs not only to Manning but to a franchise that has given him every chance to make it happen. Let an unofficial record of history show Manning shared this award with:

Bill Polian: Whether Manning went first to the Colts or second to the San Diego Chargers in the 1998 draft, he would have become a Hall of Fame quarterback. There's no question about that.

But what Polian has done is surround Manning with the kinds of athletes who helped make him as productive as he possibly could be. From Day One, Polian was prescient enough to understand he needed to use his first-round draft choices to surround Manning with offensive weapons, even as the rest of us were clamoring for oversized defensive tackles and linebackers.

He grabbed Edgerrin James, a controversial pick the year Ricky Williams was available.

He picked Reggie Wayne, which seemed like a monumental mistake at a time when Marvin Harrison (the first-round pick two years ahead of Manning) was at his peak and the defense was in tatters.

He selected Dallas Clark, another one of those what's-he-thinking picks when the Colts had multiple tight ends and desperately needed defensive help.

And, when James was jettisoned, Polian found Joseph Addai in the first round.

I've seen franchise quarterbacks waste some of their best years because management took their skills for granted. For too many years in Denver, John Elway's best running back was Bobby Humphrey (who?), and his top receivers were folks like Vance Johnson and Mark Jackson. It wasn't until late in his career that he was blessed by having Terrell Davis, Rod Smith and Eddie McCaffrey.

Tom Moore: Manning has had one offensive coordinator his entire NFL career, and he's a guy who would be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame if only the Hall would open its doors to assistant coaches.

What makes Moore special is, he creates offenses around his talent, as opposed to forcing his players to bend to some established offensive system.

When Moore was with those Steel Curtain Steelers, he was happy enough to run the ball and go vertical on occasion with Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann and John Stallworth. In Indianapolis, his offense has been designed with Manning's uncanny intellectual talents in mind. He has had no trouble sublimating his ego while allowing Manning to call plays at the line of scrimmage in a manner recalling the legendary John Unitas.

Think about that: While Minnesota's Brad Childress continues to bristle when Brett Favre uses audibles, Moore is secure enough to give Manning a selection of plays from which to choose, allowing him the freedom to guide the Colts into the best play available.

The offensive line (and Howard Mudd): A lot of big guys have come and gone -- with the exception of Jeff Saturday, and isn't Manning thrilled the Pro Bowl center returned after toying with free agency? -- and they have conspired to keep Manning upright and healthy.

Keep in mind, too, that Mudd hasn't been able to construct these offensive lines with first-rounders -- three of his current five O-line starters are undrafted free agents (Saturday, Ryan Lilja and Kyle DeVan). That has been the case through the better part of Mudd's and Manning's careers in Indianapolis.

Without this protection, Manning doesn't have four MVPs, doesn't have 192 consecutive starts, doesn't have a body that figures to hold up well into his late 30s and perhaps beyond.In his 12 years, Manning's line has been first in the AFC in fewest sacks allowed a ridiculous eight times, including an NFL- and franchise-low 13 this season.

Clearly, Manning has avoided the hard hits in some measure because of his own skills: He has a ridiculously quick release, an underrated ability to slide within the pocket and a sixth sense about when to duck and avoid the big hit. But he has been protected as well, if not better, than any great quarterback in the modern era.

What's amazing about this fourth MVP, it doesn't even feel like anything close to Manning's best season. And yet, it's more than good enough for another one of these awards, which tells you how high he has set the bar.

There will be more MVPs over the next five, six years.

And, if there's any justice, a Super Bowl or two -- or more.