Cut that pay!
Cold, Hard Football Facts for the week of Jan. 13-19
Peyton Manning is an upstanding young man. He has class and dignity. He’s noble in defeat and gracious in victory. He says all the right things, even if his teammates do not. Peyton Manning is the type of guy you want dating your daughter.
But he’s just not the guy you want leading your team in the postseason or guiding an offense in the physical and mental maelstrom of wintry football. And he’s certainly not the best quarterback in football, an assertion we've stood by since the start of the season.
These conclusions are not harsh, mean-spirited or, contrary to the opinion of some in the media, the rabid cheerleading of some yahoos attempting to paint the local 11 in the prettiest light.
These conclusions are simply Cold, Hard Football Facts. And, until Manning proves otherwise, there are no other conclusions an observer can draw if they’re making an honest assessment of his quarterbacking abilities.
The best quarterback in football does not produce a dud every single year that he’s in the playoffs. But Manning has. He’s 3-5 in the playoffs after Sunday’s 20-3 loss to New England. Four times in five years, Manning has played his single worst game of the season in the playoffs. In Indy’s victories he’s been stupendous. In Indy’s losses he’s been stupefied.
In those fives losses, Manning has completed 100 of 195 passes (51.3 percent) for 1,033 yards, 2 TDs and 7 INTs. His cumulative passer rating in the five losses is 55.4. That is not yahooism. That is Cold, Hard Football Fact.
Consider this: Sunday’s performance against New England was Manning’s worst of the season (69.3 passer rating, 0 TD passes, 1 INT). But it was his second best statistical performance in a postseason loss. It doesn’t get any uglier than that.
But the biggest indictment is that Indy’s high-powered regular-season offenses over the years have averaged just 10 points per game in five playoffs losses. Manning’s proponents can finger the Indy defense all they want. But it’s hard to beat champion-caliber teams when you put just 10 points on the board.
***
There are those who claim that defense is the answer to Manning’s postseason prayers. These people are probably correct. Consider that the final four features the three top scoring defenses in football (Pittsburgh, New England, Philly).
So here’s the painfully simple solution. Manning must voluntarily restructure his contract. In fact, if he really wants to win a Super Bowl, he must take a substantial pay cut. And then the Colts must get rid of overpriced players like Marvin Harrison – dump him if possible – and pour the money into their defense. Here's why:
We looked at the salary database on USAToday.com. We found that in 2003 ('04 figures were not available) the combined cap number on Harrison and Manning was $23.1 million. The combined cap number on New England’s top-paid pass-catch duo of Tom Brady and Troy Brown was $5.8 million.
The difference – just the difference, $17.3 million – would have funded the entire starting defense New England fielded in the Super Bowl last year, minus Ty Law ($8.8 million cap number), with plenty of room to spare.
We don't have access to 2004 salary figures, but it doesn't seem unreasonable to assume that the same dynamic would hold true this season. Consider that Harrison signed a big $67 million contract late last year.
Those big contracts handed to Manning and Harrison sell seats and light up the scoreboard in the regular season. But in the salary cap era these contracts castrate the Indy defense.
Manning and Harrison, in other words, are overpaid -- almost comically overpaid -- if their big salaries can't overcome the deficiencies they create elsewhere on the team. Of course, they're overpaid simply if we judge them by the merits of their own postseason performances.
And, finally, they're overpaid when we rate their performances against those of Brady and Brown. Once again, Brady and Brown clearly outplayed Manning and Harrison. Brady ran for one touchdown and threw for another. Brown made contributions on offense, defense and special teams.
Manning and Harrison were not factors. But their contracts were.
Form coldhardfootballfacts.com
Cold, Hard Football Facts for the week of Jan. 13-19
Peyton Manning is an upstanding young man. He has class and dignity. He’s noble in defeat and gracious in victory. He says all the right things, even if his teammates do not. Peyton Manning is the type of guy you want dating your daughter.
But he’s just not the guy you want leading your team in the postseason or guiding an offense in the physical and mental maelstrom of wintry football. And he’s certainly not the best quarterback in football, an assertion we've stood by since the start of the season.
These conclusions are not harsh, mean-spirited or, contrary to the opinion of some in the media, the rabid cheerleading of some yahoos attempting to paint the local 11 in the prettiest light.
These conclusions are simply Cold, Hard Football Facts. And, until Manning proves otherwise, there are no other conclusions an observer can draw if they’re making an honest assessment of his quarterbacking abilities.
The best quarterback in football does not produce a dud every single year that he’s in the playoffs. But Manning has. He’s 3-5 in the playoffs after Sunday’s 20-3 loss to New England. Four times in five years, Manning has played his single worst game of the season in the playoffs. In Indy’s victories he’s been stupendous. In Indy’s losses he’s been stupefied.
In those fives losses, Manning has completed 100 of 195 passes (51.3 percent) for 1,033 yards, 2 TDs and 7 INTs. His cumulative passer rating in the five losses is 55.4. That is not yahooism. That is Cold, Hard Football Fact.
Consider this: Sunday’s performance against New England was Manning’s worst of the season (69.3 passer rating, 0 TD passes, 1 INT). But it was his second best statistical performance in a postseason loss. It doesn’t get any uglier than that.
But the biggest indictment is that Indy’s high-powered regular-season offenses over the years have averaged just 10 points per game in five playoffs losses. Manning’s proponents can finger the Indy defense all they want. But it’s hard to beat champion-caliber teams when you put just 10 points on the board.
***
There are those who claim that defense is the answer to Manning’s postseason prayers. These people are probably correct. Consider that the final four features the three top scoring defenses in football (Pittsburgh, New England, Philly).
So here’s the painfully simple solution. Manning must voluntarily restructure his contract. In fact, if he really wants to win a Super Bowl, he must take a substantial pay cut. And then the Colts must get rid of overpriced players like Marvin Harrison – dump him if possible – and pour the money into their defense. Here's why:
We looked at the salary database on USAToday.com. We found that in 2003 ('04 figures were not available) the combined cap number on Harrison and Manning was $23.1 million. The combined cap number on New England’s top-paid pass-catch duo of Tom Brady and Troy Brown was $5.8 million.
The difference – just the difference, $17.3 million – would have funded the entire starting defense New England fielded in the Super Bowl last year, minus Ty Law ($8.8 million cap number), with plenty of room to spare.
We don't have access to 2004 salary figures, but it doesn't seem unreasonable to assume that the same dynamic would hold true this season. Consider that Harrison signed a big $67 million contract late last year.
Those big contracts handed to Manning and Harrison sell seats and light up the scoreboard in the regular season. But in the salary cap era these contracts castrate the Indy defense.
Manning and Harrison, in other words, are overpaid -- almost comically overpaid -- if their big salaries can't overcome the deficiencies they create elsewhere on the team. Of course, they're overpaid simply if we judge them by the merits of their own postseason performances.
And, finally, they're overpaid when we rate their performances against those of Brady and Brown. Once again, Brady and Brown clearly outplayed Manning and Harrison. Brady ran for one touchdown and threw for another. Brown made contributions on offense, defense and special teams.
Manning and Harrison were not factors. But their contracts were.
Form coldhardfootballfacts.com
