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http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/Articles/11_2606_Meet_your_2008_NFL_MVP.html

I prefer the analysis at CHFF and footballoutsider to anything put out by ESPN, SI, NFLN etc. 

I doubt he wins, but as I have said elsewhere I think he deserves it. 

No one in the NFL DESERVES the 2008 MVP award more than Chad Pennington.... he should win it imo.

I am happy that he is even part of the discussion.

I think they're apples and oranges. ESPN-SI-NFLN are entertainment venues whose primary focus is ratings and circulation, and pander accordingly to a lower level of stat-crunching... Why would you look to those sources for any kind of deep analysis.

FootballOutsider.com is solid, DrFootball.com is excellent (Matt Dodds is one extremely smart dude), so is FootballScientist.com.

It all comes down to what you mean by "MVP". If it's the player without whom his team would be screwed the most, Pennington is certainly way up there.

If you're talking pure performance, he's not quite there.

I think Manning (the Elder) is up there as well and probably edges out Pennington because he has MVP value on both fronts (pure performance, as well as value to his team).

I also think the weak schedule (or perception of same) hurts Pennington. There's a strong argument to be made that we'd be 9-7 or worse if we'd been matched up with any other set of divisions.

You can only do what you can with what you got. 

I haven't seen his stats but Peyton seemed to have an off year.  The Colts whipped out a string of wins but some of those games were a lot closer than usual.  The D gave them the Houston game.  Peyton will win because of those kickass commercials and brand recognition.  I say Ed Reed should be the league MVP.

I saw a lot of Colts games this year, especially during the first half of the season, and Peyton was pretty much carrying the team on his back -- a worn phrase, to be sure, but not inappropriate in this case. Without receivers, without linemen and everyone around him playing like shit, he "stepped up", "kept the pressure on" and "found a way to win".

(and, no, I'm not being sarcastic)

ED REED

If you define MVP as the best statistical player, it's Rivers or Manning. If you define MVP as "Your team can't play without him", then it's Chad. 1-115 to 11-5. The Colts would not be playoff bound without Manning, but they would still be 8-8 or 7-9. We would be 5-11.

The latest issue of SI has an article by Jim Trotter saying why he thinks Penny should be MVP...

They gonna give that to freakin Manning ... watch  ::) ::)

And so they did.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80dd272c

'Cause Favre going to the pro-bowl wasn't a big enough joke, the AP had to top it. 

Favre and Manning put asses in the seats, Pennington doesn't.  No biggie.  When Pennington is hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, he can tell AP and the Pro Bowl selection committie to kiss his rosy red ass.

It's not like Manning was some travesty of a pick for MVP.

Noodles was one of several viable candidates.

Noodles was my first pick.  Manning was somewhere around 8 or 9.   

I think that's the anti-Manning Brady bias at work.

I've watched quite a few Colts games this year and Manning carried that team on his back, literally carrying them to the win when everyone around him was injured and / or playing like shit. Sure, he might not have racked up huge numbers in those games, but then that's hard to do when you have no o-line, no RB capable of more than 3.5 yards per attempt and a bunch of injured (and poorly-playing) receivers.

For those who claim the Colts would have won 8-9 games without Manning... I seriously doubt that. They've had wins of 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, and 4 points before getting hot (and healthy, not coincidentally) late. Without those wins, they would have been at real risk of collapsing... and I don't see them winning any of those without Manning.

Pennington and Manning were both viable MVP candidates in my book, but I had Manning slightly above Penny overall.

I do think there are a handful of defensive players that should have been part of the discussion as well, but considering the last time there was a defensive MVP (50 years ago?), that was never going to happen.

That's why they have the Defensive POY.  IMO, there should be no "MVP" per se.  Name a POY on offense and defense and be done with it.

If fyo says Manning was worthy then I'm good with that.  It seems like a lot of stars had average if not bad seasons this year.  Pennington, on the other hand, had a career year or we wouldn't even be talking about MVP.  I don't think Chad could have done much better and he's always the pro in interviews much like Manning in this year's MVP conference.  It's always about the team and not the individual.

Well said.