Only time will tell as to what Peyton Manning's legacy in the National Football League will be.
Certainly the best quarterback in football will complete the greatest one season passing display ever.
I watched on Thanksgiving Day as Manning picked apart a Detroit secondary for six touchdown passes bringing his single season total to 41, just seven short of Dan Marino's all-time record of 48.
"I thought 48 was something no would touch or get close to," Marino said.
But records are made to be broken and Marino has held his for 20 years.
There are similarities between the former Miami Dolphin quarterback and Manning. Both have marvelous careers and both have not played on a winning Super Bowl team.
Marino, the total yardage career passing leader with 61,361 yards, only got to the big game once in his second year and never won in 17 years.
Unlike Marino, Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana own something no one can take away, four Super Bowl rings. Whenever you hear of anyone comment about Bradshaw and Montana, they will tell you they both won four Super Bowls, like they did it all by themselves.
Football is a team game and quarterbacks often get more credit than they deserve when they win and they get more blame than they deserve when they lose.
Don't get me wrong. Bradshaw and Montana were tremendous. But they both had something that Marino and Manning don't have. A very good defense. Bradshaw was also the beneficiary of a good running game. While Peyton does have the luxury of having Edgerrin James in the backfield, his counterparts on the other side of the ball are very suspect. Actually they are not very good.
The defense has played better in the last three games, but still ranks 31st out of 32 teams in yards allowed.
Therefore Manning who has set record of throwing four TD passes in five games, is called upon week after to week to put up big numbers.
While the Colts' fans expect the superstar to throw four touchdown passes a game, that will be difficult the deeper you get into the playoffs.
Yes, he got a $37.5 million dollar signing bonus, but that and the rest of his $98 million contract wasn't given to him simply to get his name in the record books.
Eventually a Super Bowl team is going to have to shut people down. You can't simply outscore people every game. History will prove that.
Chances are Indianapolis will have to go on the road to either Pittsburgh or New England or both just to get to the Super Bowl. They will certainly not score easily against either one of those teams. Chances are their defense will not be up to the task.
And if the Colts don't get it done this year, it figures to be a tougher task in the future. Both James and receiver Marvin Harrison are free agents, and with Manning's huge contract, it's unlikely they can afford to re-sign them both.
The season is rapidly coming to an end with only five regular season games left.
The Colts will get to the playoffs but do they have what it takes to win a Super Bowl.
My guess is no. I wonder if the Colts will ever get to the Super Bowl during Manning's tenure. It would be a shame if they didn't.
Manning could be remembered as one of the best quarterbacks not to win a Super Bowl.
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