Manning for MVP

So week 12 is almost over in the NFL, and time soon approaches where awards will be handed out amongst the league's finest.

Matt Ryan is running away, or should I say throwing away, with the Rookie of the Year. He leads an Atlanta team that looks to be headed for the playoffs, and for the first time in awhile has the city completely behind a white QB (didn't want to play the race card but had to in this situation).

Most of the other awards are up for grabs; however, the MVP race could be narrowing down between two candidates: Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings and Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts (that's right I said it.)

Adrian Peterson is the sole reason why the Vikings even have a shot of making the playoffs in a hard-fought NFC North Division. So far this year he has over 1,100 yards, averaging almost 5 yards a carry, and scored 8 TDs. Without Adrian Peterson, the Vikings would be in Detroit Lions or Cincinnati Bengals territory.

However, in my opinion, the MVP has to go back to the two-time winner of the award, Peyton Manning.

The Indianapolis Colts are probably going to lose the AFC South for the first time since 2003. The team is 3 games over .500 and have barely escaped with wins over lackluster teams such as the Chargers, Titans, and Steelers. They have been injury plagued from the beginning of the season, and the only shining hope in Lucas Oil Stadium stands in the pocket wearing a number 18.

Peyton Manning, despite the knee injury at the beginning of the year that kept him out of action until the beginning of the season, has produced and led his team back from oblivion. Through week 12, he has 19 TDs and almost 3,000 yards passing. He accomplishes these stats without the help of a mere hint of a running game until the last two weeks, a Bob Sanders-less defense that can't leave the field, and an offensive line that is so riddled with injuries President Bush should report it as a disaster zone.

Now, I agree that Manning is not putting up the 50 TDs and 4,000 yard statistics of a year ago; however, not every year will have the MVP already decided upon by week 11. If Peyton was producing this numbers last year and I recommended him for MVP, I would be laughed at. But the fact that there is still no clear front runner for the award, and the Colts and Manning are hitting their stride at the critically important end of the season, his name appears at the top of some lists.

The Colts without Peyton Manning, this year, would be in utter disarray. The inauguration of Lucas Oil Stadium would be the only bright spot to a lousy year. Peyton Manning has saved the team from mediocrity, and, in doing so, out shown any other candidate thus far for the MVP.