Magnificent Seven XVI (part one): On Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning's MVP chances and more

Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning (Darron Cummings/AP Photo)

Each week on Examiner.com, Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser offers seven thoughts on all things Indianapolis Colts. Without further delay, the Magnificent Seven for Week 12 of the 2009 regular season, in which the Colts (10-0) will visit the Houston Texans (5-5) at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas . . .

THIS IS PART ONE OF MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. PART TWO. HERE

7.Still in contention. This is the sort of story that makes for great internet-era fodder, with ESPN raising the question of whether Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning's “Most Valuable Player” stock has slipped in recent weeks. Probably it has, particularly considering he has thrown two interceptions in each of the last two games. A few thoughts on this topic. One is it's not something Manning cares too much about, particularly considering he has three of the awards. Another is that while the Colts don't care about individual awards, this is one that has a bit more importance than the others. A fourth MVP would move Manning past another of this year's contenders, Vikings QB Brett Favre. The late-November thought on this issue is that it's going to be tough for Manning to win it this year. Favre likely will get some sentimental, aging-veteran votes, and Saints QB Drew Brees may get the Let's-see-someone-else-win-it votes. It was the latter camp that I've always felt cost Manning the MVP in 2005, when Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander won it. Manning had a better statistical season that year than when he won his first MVP in 2003, and at the time of the voting, the Colts hadn't lost a meaningful game. What else do you want from a quarterback?

6.Toughest test? For the Indianapolis Colts, this is the one. It's this week's one, anyway. Looking at the next six weeks, six weeks when the questions about a possible undefeated season will increase until it is either achieve or until it is no longer a possibility, there may be no tougher test than the one they will face this week. The Colts are not only playing a division game, and doing so on the road, they're playing a team that showed earlier this month they believe they can play with the Colts. What was most impressive about the Texans in their 20-17 loss in Indianapolis wasn't that they played the Colts to within a field goal; it was that they got down 13-0 and, facing a situation when some teams might have wilted and gotten blown out, continued to play within themselves, cooly got back in the game and nearly made the AFC South a whole lot more competitive than it looks right now.

5. At the risk of being repetitive . . . Joseph Addai has become a remarkable story. No, he's probably not going to be a 1,000-yard rusher this season, but as Colts President Bill Polian said this week, “The statistics aren't there, but Joseph is having a terrific year.” Interesting, too, that even when healthy this past week, rookie RB Donald Brown rushed just four times for 10 yards. Brown clearly has legitimate breakaway, big-play ability, but Addai's ability to pick the blitz AND be effective out of the backfield and get the yardage created by the blocking AND . . . well, that's a lot of capital ands, but the point is Addai does a whole lot of big things in the offense and he's been critical during this four-game, nailbiting run.

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DOES PEYTON MANNING GET TOO MUCH RESPECT? HERE

MANNING: TOO EARLY TO TALK PLAYOFFS. HERE

REVIEWING BILL POLIAN'S WEEKLY RADIO SHOW

Bill Polian’s Weekly Radio Show | Part One | “Peaking not an issue for us”

Bill Polian’s Weekly Radio Show | Part Two | Media and team in parallel worlds

Bill Polian’s Weekly Radio Show | Part Three | RB Joseph Addai having “terrific year”

Bill Polian’s Weekly Radio Show | Part Four | Victory over Ravens “courageous performance”

COLTS 17, RAVENS 15. STORY. HERE

COFFEE WITH THE COLTS | COLTS-RAVENS | PART ONE. HERE

COFFEE WITH THE COLTS | COLTS-RAVENS | PART TWO. HERE.

COLTS FANS OWE RB JOSEPH ADDAI AN APOLOGY. HERE