It's something that dogged Dan Marino all the way to Canton, Ohio and the Hall of Fame, something that John Elway only earned in the twilight of his career thanks to hard-running Terrell Davis.
Peyton Manning, 30, is far too young to worry about his football legacy. Yet on the eve of his first Super Bowl appearance in this, his ninth NFL season, plenty of pundits are calling it a defining moment for this prolific passer. Win and he goes down in the pantheon of football greatness. Lose and the label "Can’t win the big one," sticks a while longer.
Forget the talking heads on TV and the columnists in newspapers holding Manning's career up for inspection as if looking for bubbles in stemware. None of them play fantasy football. If they did, they'd know Manning is the best fantasy quarterback ever. Period.
Sure, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady owns three Super Bowl rings. And he's nearly unbeatable in the postseason. So what? Did Brady win you a league title?
We worship numbers in the world of fantasy sports. In that realm, no quarterback has delivered over the last decade quite like Manning. And the Indianapolis Colts' signal caller is just now entering his prime years. Fantasy owners can expect prolific seasons from him for at least the next five years and possibly another decade.
All Manning did in 2006 was complete 65 percent of his passes for 4,397 yards and a 31-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Only his interception total was a career-best and yet those stats made him the top-scoring fantasy quarterback this fall. In fact, he's been a top-three fantasy scorer over the last four seasons.
Yes, running backs are the path to true fantasy greatness. But you won't win with NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson if Aaron Brooks is your quarterback. That's why Manning deserves your love and respect.
No quarterback in NFL history — not even Marino — has thrown for 4,000 yards in a season seven times or tossed 25 or more touchdowns in a season nine times. Manning has. He's also durable, having never missed a start.
Yet Manning faced uncommon scrutiny before he ever donned a Colts jersey. As the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, and after a record-breaking four-year career at the University of Tennessee, the expectations grew to mythical proportions. He won 39 games and threw for 11,201 yards and 101 touchdowns for the Volunteers, all school records.
Even with his pedigree and astronomical stats — produced in the ever-tough Southeastern Conference no less — Manning was compared endlessly with another college quarterback, Washington State's Ryan Leaf. Draft guru Mel Kiper assured the world both had All-Pro arms and were can't-miss material.
Luckily for the Colts, they drafted Manning No. 1 overall in 1998. He was the only can't-miss player out there. As it turned out, the San Diego Chargers erred badly when they traded up and took Leaf with the second pick. One is out of football and the other is the center of attention in Miami this week — a town where it's hard to hold on to the spotlight for too long.
Manning has never been a star in the postseason. He is just 6-6 all-time. And presiding over the greatest comeback in championship-game history aside, Manning has thrown two touchdowns to six interceptions in these playoffs.
But any serious fantasy GM knows to distinguish the difference between postseason Manning and the money player he is during the regular season. Manning could flop in Super Bowl XLI. Brian Urlacher might do the "Super Bowl Shuffle" for a sack dance — to the envy of Prince.
None of this matters in the world of fantasy football, where championships were decided in Week 16 and 17 of the NFL regular season. Manning is the undisputed king of that world. His legacy is safe.
UPDATE! managing editor Jason Molinet has never owned Peyton Manning, but he has lost countless head-to-head match-ups with Manning doing the damage for the opposing side. He fears Manning like the boogey man and K-Fed on the radio.
