NFL Top Player - Matthew Stafford

 
John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Detroit Lions first overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Georgia. He is the 4th quarterback in NFL history to throw over 5,000 yards in a single season, including one of three in the 2011 NFL season (Drew Brees and Tom Brady).

Early years
Stafford was born in Tampa, Florida to John and Margaret Stafford. He lived in Dunwoody, Georgia while his father attended graduate school at the University of Georgia. His family then moved to Dallas, Texas, and Stafford attended Highland Park High School. He was coached by Randy Allen and was widely considered to be one of the best high school quarterbacks in the United States in the Class of 2006, ranked ahead of Tim Tebow.

In 2005, he led his team to a perfect 15–0 record and won the Texas 4A Division I State Championship. During the playoff run, Stafford faced stiff competition from Jevan Snead and Ryan Mallett. Both gave Stafford very close games. Stafford had over 4,000 yards passing without playing the first three games of the season due to a knee injury. Stafford received numerous accolades including being named to the Parade All-America Team and the USA Today Pre-Season Super 25 in 2005. He also won the MVP and Best Arm awards at the 2005 EA Sports Elite 11 Quarterback Camp and was named the 2005 EA Sports National Player of the Year. Regarded as a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Stafford was listed as the #1 pro-style quarterback prospect in the class of 2006 by Rivals.com.

Before he had even started a game at the collegiate level, analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. predicted, correctly, that Stafford would eventually be the first pick in the NFL Draft.

College career

    Matthew Stafford eventually will be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. Write that down.    ”
—Football analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. on ESPN Radio in September 2006.

Freshman
Stafford graduated early from high school and enrolled at the University of Georgia in January, where he became the first true freshman Bulldog QB to start since Quincy Carter in 1998, and first out of high school to start since Eric Zeier in 1991. Stafford wore number 7 at Georgia. He completed five of 12 passes for 102 yards and one TD in a Georgia spring game.

Stafford debuted late in the season opener of the 2006 season against Western Kentucky and went 3 of 5 passing for 40 yards and a touchdown pass. During the season's third game, against South Carolina, starting quarterback Joe Tereshinski III was injured, forcing Stafford to come off the bench. Although he completed just 8 of 19 passes for 171 yards and three interceptions, Georgia won the game, 18–0. Against University of Alabama Birmingham the following week, Stafford made his first collegiate start. Georgia won, 34–0. Victories over Colorado and Mississippi improved Georgia's record to 5–0, but the heart of the conference schedule loomed.

The rest of the season was up and down for Stafford and the Bulldogs. Following home losses to both Tennessee and Vanderbilt, Coach Richt named Stafford the starter for the rest of the season ahead of Tereshinski. Stafford completed 20 of 32 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns in the 27–24 triumph over Mississippi State, and was named the SEC Freshmen of the Week for his efforts. Statistically, he had his best game of the season against the 5th-ranked Auburn Tigers. Stafford finished the game 14 of 20 for 219 yards and a touchdown, and added 83 rushing yards and a touchdown on 7 carries in Georgia's 37–15 upset win. The following week, Stafford led the Bulldogs on a 12-play, 64-yard drive and threw the game-winning touchdown pass in Georgia's 15–12 win over No. 16 Georgia Tech.

Stafford completed his freshman season by leading Georgia to a 31–24 come-from-behind victory over Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, after the Bulldogs trailed 21–3 at halftime. Stafford threw for 129 yards and a second half touchdown to spark the comeback.

Sophomore
He threw for 234 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs defeated the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the season opener. Against Alabama, the Bulldogs avoided an 0–2 start in SEC play by escaping Bryant-Denny Stadium with an overtime win. Stafford connected with senior wide receiver Mikey Henderson on the Bulldogs' first play from scrimmage in OT for the winning score. In UGA's win vs. No. 9 Florida, he completed 11 of 18 passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns, including a career-long TD pass of 84 yards to Mohamed Massaquoi and a 53-yard TD pass to Henderson. The wins over Florida, Auburn, and Georgia Tech marked the first time that Georgia had defeated all three rivals in the same season since 1982.

Stafford had 175 yards passing and a TD pass during Georgia's 41–10 rout of the No. 10 Hawaii Warriors in the 2008 Sugar Bowl. He completed 194 of 348 passes for 2,523 yards (194.1/game) and 19 TDs as well as two rushing TDs for the season.

Junior
Stafford was chosen to Athlon’s preseason Heisman Favorites Others To Watch list. Georgia was ranked #1 in both the preseason coaches poll and the AP poll, marking the first time Georgia has ever been #1 in the preseason version of either poll; the team also entered the 2008 season with the longest active winning streak among the 66 BCS conference teams, having won its last 7 games of the 2007 season. In the final regular season game against Georgia Tech, Stafford completed 24 out of 39 attempts for 407 yards and 5 touchdowns, setting a personal record for touchdowns in a single game. Stafford finished the season with 3,459 passing yards, the second most in school history, and 25 touchdowns, the single-season record for passing touchdowns. He also rushed for a touchdown in 2008. After defeating Michigan State 24–12 and winning the MVP of the 2009 Capital One Bowl, Stafford finished his three years at Georgia with a 3–0 record in bowl games and a 6–3 record in rivalry games (1–2 against Florida, 3–0 against Auburn, and 2–1 against Georgia Tech). Stafford chose to forgo his senior season and enter the 2009 NFL Draft.

The "Stafford Effect"

The so-called "Stafford Effect" relates to the phenomenon seen at Stafford's high school alma mater, Highland Park High School in Dallas, Texas, from 2006–2008, where the number of seniors who applied to University of Georgia rose dramatically in the three years following Stafford's departure to Athens, Georgia. In 2005, the year before Stafford went to Georgia, 35 seniors applied to the university, compared with 69 in 2006, 75 in 2007, and 106 in 2008. The "Stafford Effect" was chronicled in a feature story in Stafford's hometown newspaper, Park Cities People. Stafford remarked in the story, "I'm not sure I have anything to do with it. I think people realize Georgia is a good school to watch football and have a good time, just like in Highland Park."

Professional career

2013
On July 7, 2013, Stafford agreed to a 3-year, $53 million extension with the Lions. He will be guaranteed $41.5 million through 2017.

Stafford completed 23-of-35 passes for 242 yards, one touchdown and one pick on September 29 in a 40-32 win against the Bears. That gave him 14,069 yards through 49 games, surpassing Kurt Warner (13,864) for the best 50-game start to a career.

"I might (reflect on that) when I'm done playing someday," Stafford said. "I had no idea about that, or that it was coming. It's something that I'll probably look back on when I'm done and realize it was something pretty special."

Stafford also holds the 50-game record for completions at 1,214, over Marc Bulger's 1,115. He's second in career 300-yard passing performances through 50 games at 19, trailing Warner's 29.

Most passing yards through 50 games 1. Matthew Stafford (Lions) 14,069* 2. Kurt Warner (Rams) 13,864 3. Marc Bulger (Rams) 13,551 4. Dan Marino (Dolphins) 13,514 5. Peyton Manning (Colts) 12,939

Most completions through 50 games 1. Matthew Stafford (Lions) 1,214* 2. Marc Bulger (Rams) 1,115 3. Drew Bledsoe (Patriots) 1,073 4. Kurt Warner (Rams) 1,063 5. Carson Palmer (Bengals) 1,059

Most 300-yard passing performances through 50 games 1. Kurt Warner (Rams) 29 2. Matthew Stafford (Lions) 19* 2. Dan Marino (Dolphins) 19 4. Jay Cutler (Broncos) 13 4. Aaron Rodgers 13

Stafford led the Lions to a 5-3 record entering their mid-season bye. Stafford defeated the Cowboys 31-30 in the final game before the bye, throwing for 488 yards and a touchdown despite two interceptions; down 30-24 with just 62 seconds to work with and no timeouts Stafford completed a 23-yard pass to Calvin Johnson to the Cowboys 1-yard line; he hustled the team to the line as though to spike the ball, but instead jumped over the line for the winning touchdown with 14 seconds to go.


2012

While the 2011 season proved to be the best season of Stafford's young career, 2012 would be one full of setbacks. On the opening game against the St. Louis Rams, Stafford threw 3 interceptions to only 1 touchdown pass; the Lions nevertheless found a way to win the game, 27-23. Stafford and the Lions would lose the next three games, however, to the 49ers, Titans, and Vikings. In the ensuing weeks, the Lions would manage to win three games, including impressive comeback wins against the Seahawks and Eagles, and a complete dominating performance against the Jaguars. These would prove to be the final winning games of the Lions the 2012 season as they ended the season with an eight-game losing streak.

Stafford finished the season with 20 touchdown passes, a huge drop compared to the 41 he threw in 2011; 17 interceptions, one more than 2011, and second most in his career since his rookie season; 4,967 passing yards on 727 attempts (an NFL record; the previous record was 691 by Drew Bledsoe); and a QB rating of 79.8, the lowest since his rookie season. He also rushed for a career high 126 yards and 4 touchdowns.

2011: Team’s third-year starting quarterback who was named an offensive team captain for the second consecutive year. Has completed 385-of-604 passes (63.7 pct.) for 4,518 yards and 36 TDs, with a passer rating of 96.6. Among League leaders Week 16, Stafford is second in completions (385), fifth in yards (4,518), tied for third in touchdowns (36), fifth in completion percentage (63.7) and sixth in passer rating (96.6).

He is the second youngest quarterback in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards and 30 touchdown passes in a season. He is second only to QB Dan Marino in 1984. Stafford did so at the age of 23 years, 23 months and 10 days, and Marino accomplished it at 23 years, 2 months and 17 days.
Stafford’s 4,518 passing yards on the season is the most in franchise history for a single-season breaking the record set by QB Scott Mitchell (4,338) in 1995.
One of only three quarterbacks 23 years or younger (Dan Marino, 5084 in 1984; Drew Bledsoe, 4,555 in 1994) in NFL history  to throw for 4,500 yards in a season.
Stafford has 385 completions on the season, which is a new team single-season record. He set a new park by surpassing QB Jon Kitna’s 372 completions in 2006.
He has 604 attempts in 2011, breaking Kitna’s team record (596 in 2006) for attempts in a season. He is the first quarterback in team history to attempt 600 passes in a season.
For the Month of September, Stafford was 79-of-118 (66.9 pct.) for 977 yards and 9 touchdowns. His rating for the month was 110.7. Stafford ranked among the NFL leaders, including 5th in yards (3rd in NFC), tied for 2nd in passing touchdowns (tied for 1st in NFC) and 3rd in passer rating ((2nd in NFC).
His 325.7 passing yards per game was the highest for the month of September in team history.
In the Lions' season opener at Tampa Bay (9/11), registered 305 yards passing (24-of-33, 72.7 pct.) in the Lions win, the most by a Lions quarterback on the road to open the season. It also marked Stafford's second career 300-yard game.
In the first half alone, he threw for 265 yards, the third most by a Lions passer in the first half of a game since 1991, and it's Stafford's second highest first-half total of his career. He threw for 270 yards in the first half vs. Cleveland (11/22/09).
His 305 yards was also the third 300-yard passing game by a Lions quarterback on opening day, and he became only the second player in team history to accomplish this feat. The last time was QB Bobby Layne (364 vs. Pittsburgh, 9/27/53 and 310 vs. Washington, 9/30/51).
In the Lions' season opener at Tampa Bay (9/11), registered 305 yards passing (24-of-33, 72.7 pct.) in the Lions win, the most by a Lions quarterback on the road to open the season. It also marked Stafford's second career 300-yard game.
Set a new single game career-high with a quarterback rating of 118.9. It was the highest passer rating posted by a Lions quarterback on opening day since QB Gary Danielson registered a 119.6 vs. San Francisco (9/2/84). It is also the highest passer rating recorded by a Lions quarterback on the road in an opener dating back to at least 1950.
His 3 touchdown passes against the Bucs, marked his third career game throwing at least three touchdowns.
Finished the home opener vs. Kansas City (9/18) 23-of-39 (58.9 pct) for 294 yards and 4 touchdowns, ending the day with a 106.1 passer rating. His four touchdown passes mark the third career game of having at least 4 touchdown passes.
By recording back-to-back games with a passer rating over 100.0 (118.9 last week at Tampa Bay), he accomplished that feat for the first time for the Lions since QB Jon Kitna in 2007 (100.5 at Philadelphia 9//23 and vs. Chicago 9/30). It is the first time that a Lions quarterback had a passer rating over 100.0 in the first two games of the season since Gary Danielson in 1984 (119.6 vs. San Francisco, 9/24 and 110.2 at Atlanta 9/9).
Stafford found WR Calvin Johnson on 2 touchdown passes in the game, marking the second time in the season's first two games that they have connected for 2 touchdowns. In the last three games that Stafford has started and completed (including last year's win vs. Washington 10/31/10), he has thrown 7 touchdown passes to Johnson.
Helped turn the Lions 20-0 halftime deficit at Minnesota (9/25) into a 26-23 win in overtime by completing 32-of-46 passes (69.6 pct.) for 378 yards and 2 touchdowns. He finished with a quarterback rating of 108.8.
After trailing at halftime 20-0, Stafford completed 22-of-30 passes for 314 yards and 2 touchdowns with a passer rating of 129.0 in the second half and overtime. His 314 yards in the second half and overtime. His 314 yards in the second half and overtime are the most in the League this season after halftime in a single game.
Stafford's 378 yards was his third career game throwing for 300+ yards. He has three career 300-yard games in his first 16 career starts.
With two passing touchdowns, both to WR Calvin Johnson, Stafford become only the second Lions quarterback (Milt Plum, 1962) to throw for 9 touchdowns in the season's first three games.
With 378 yards in the Lions win at Minnesota (9/25), Stafford has now accumulated 977 yards in the season's first three games. He is the 8th Lions quarterback (9 times overall) to register 900 yards in a three-game stretch, and his 977 yards are the third-most all-time in team history in a three-game span. With regards to the first three games of the season, Stafford's 977 are the second-most all-time to begin a season in franchise history.
Through three games, Stafford has registered a 110.7 passer rating. He became the fifth quarterback in team history to accumulate a 100.0 passer rating through the season's first three games.
At Dallas (10/2), engineered his fourth career comeback win. Finished the day 21-of-43 for 240 yards and 2 touchdowns. In the fourth quarter, he was 10-of-16 for 121 yards and completed both scores for a fourth quarter QB rating of 125.3.
Stafford was 19-of-26 for 219 yards and had 2 touchdown passes in the Lions 24-13 win vs. Chicago to push the team’s record to 5-0, their best start since 1956. He connected with WR Calvin Johnson on a 73-yard touchdown pass, the second time in his career he has connected with Johnson on a 70+-yard TD pass.
Connected on 28-of-50 passes for 293 yards and threw for 2 touchdowns vs. San Francisco (10/16). He has thrown 2 touchdown passes in each of the season’s first six games.
He was 21-of-30 for 267 yards and 3 touchdowns at Denver (10/30). His passer rating was 130.8. The 130.8 rating is the highest of his career. He connected on touchdown passes of 56 (Calvin Johnson) and 41 yards (Titus Young).
His 63 passing attempts at Chicago (11/13) set a new franchise record for a single game.
He threw for 329 yards at Chicago (11/13) which was his fourth career 300-yard passing game. That ties Gary Danielson for fourth on the Lions all-time list for career 300-yard passing games.
Stafford connected on 5 touchdown passes vs. Carolina (11/20) which ties a team single-game record (Gary Danielson vs. Min 12/9/78 and Stafford vs. Cle 11/22/09).
Stafford became the first player in team history to throw 5 touchdowns twice during his career.
He also became the first player in team history to pass for 4 touchdowns in game four times in his career. He broke the previous mark set by Hall of Fame QB Bobby Layne who had 3 career games with 4 touchdown passes.
By passing for 335 yards vs. Carolina (11/20), he now has 5 career 300-yard games tying Layne for the third-most in team history.
Stafford’s 77.8 completion percentage was the highest single-game tally for a Lions quarterback with at least 35 pass attempts.
Through the first 10 games, Stafford has thrown for 2,843 yards. It is the highest total by a Lions quarterback through 10 games in team history. The previous high was 2,673 by QB Jon Kitna in 2007.
He also has 25 touchdown passes on the year. He is tied with Layne (25, 1951) for the most touchdown passes through 10 games in team history.
It is the fifth time in Stafford’s career that he has led the Lions to victory after trailing or being tied in the fourth quarter.
In Stafford’s two career games with 5 touchdown passes, he found 5 different receivers for scores in both games.
He threw for 276 yards vs. Green Bay (11/24), moving his season total to 3,119. He has the most passing yards by any Lions quarterback through the season’s first 11 games in team history (previous best was QB Jon Kitna 2,897 in 2007). His is the first quarterback in franchise history to throw for 3,000 yards in the season’s first 11 games.
He also threw a touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson in the fourth quarter giving him 26 touchdowns on the season. He tied Hall of Fame QB Bobby Layne (26, 1951) for the second-highest single-season tally in team history. QB Scott Mitchell holds the team record with 32 in 1995.
Stafford’s 26 touchdown passes through 11 games ties Layne (26, 1951) for the most touchdown passes by a Lions quarterback through 11 games in team history.
He also added a 22-yard rush vs. Green Bay – the longest run of his career.
Stafford completed 31-of-44 passes (70.5 pct) for 408 yards and 1 TD with a passer rating of 97.5 at New Orleans (12/4). It was the fourth game this season he has completed over 30 passes and the fifth time he has passed for 300 yards. Additionally, he completed passes to 10 different receivers.
He became the first quarterback in team history to register two 400-yard passing games.
Stafford has now surpassed 300 yards for the sixth time in his career. He passed Hall of Fame QB Bobby Layne (5) for third on the Lions all-time list for career 300-yard passing games.
With 31 pass completions vs. the Saints, Stafford passed QB Scott Mitchell (293 in 1997) for fifth on the team’s single-season pass completions list. He now has 307 on the season.
By reaching 300 pass completions in 2011, he become the fourth passer in team history to record 300 completions in a season, and this is the fifth time overall that a quarterback accomplished this feat. He joins QB Jon Kitna (372 in 2006, 355 in 2007), QB Scott Mitchell (346 in 1995) and QB Joey Harrington (309 in 2003) to complete 300 passes in a year.
Stafford’s 9-yard pass to RB Maurice Morris near the end of the third quarter was his 27th on the season. He moved past Hall of Fame QB Bobby Layne (26, 1951) for the second-most touchdowns by a Lions quarterback in a single-season.
His 408 yards moved his season total to 3,527 yards. Against the Saints, he passed QB Gary Danielson (3223 in 1980) and QB Scott Mitchell (3,484 in 1997) to move to fourth place on the team’s single-season passing yards list.
He completed 20-of-29 passes (68.9 pct) for 227 yards and 2 touchdowns vs. Minnesota (12/11). He has thrown a touchdown pass in 15 consecutive games. and at least 2 touchdown passes in nine of the Lions 13 games this season.
He now has the most completions (Jon Kitna, 309 in 2006), yards (Scott Mitchell, 3470 in 1995) and touchdown passes (Scott Mitchell, 26 in 1995) through the first 13 games of a season for a Lions quarterback.
He went 29-of-55 (55.8 pct.) for 391 yards and 4 touchdowns at Oakland (12/18). With 4 touchdowns, he broke the Lions single-season touchdown record with 33 this season. He passed QB Scott Mitchell who threw for 32 in 1995.
Stafford led the Lions on a 7-play, 98-yard drive with 2:14 left and no timeouts that resulted in a 6-yard pass to WR Calvin Johnson with :39 seconds to play in the game to capture the lead at 28-27. On the previous fourth quarter drive, Stafford led the Lions on a 7-play, 71-yard drive to culminated with a 3-yard pass to rookie WR Titus Young with 4:49 left to play that moved the Lions within six points at 27-21.
He threw for 143 yards on the Lions final two drives that resulted in touchdowns, including 91 on the game-winning drive.
Stafford also converted perhaps the biggest fourth-down conversion of the season with the Lions facing 4th-and-2 at the Oakland 8-yards line with 5:36 left to play and trailing 27-14. He took the snap in shotgun formation and ran a quarterback draw that was originally called a pass play. Stafford ran for the first down when the rest of the offense was playing the pass play called. He gave the team a first down and on the next play Stafford converted the touchdown on the next play.
Stafford went 29-of-36 for 373 yards and 3 touchdowns vs. San Diego (12/24). His 80.6 completion percentage set a new team single-game record for completion percentage by a passer with at least 25 attempts and his 137.6 rating is the highest by a Lions quarterback in a game by a quarterback who registered at least 35 pass attempts.
2010: Team's second-year starting quarterback who was named an offensive team captain.

Started and played the first two quarters of the season opener at Chicago (9/12) before getting hit near the end of the half, forcing him out of the game with a shoulder injury. Finished with 11 of 15 completions for 83 yards.
Inactive vs. Philadelphia (9/19), at Minnesota (9/26), at Green Bay (10/3) and vs. St. Louis (10/10) due to a shoulder injury suffered in season opener.
Listed as third quarterback at the New York Giants (10/17).
Returned as starting quarterback in 37-25 win against Washington (10/31) after missing previous five games due to shoulder injury. Threw four touchdown passes, including game-winning touchdown to Calvin Johnson with 3:12 to take 28-25 lead. Threw for 212 yards on 25 completions, and finished with a 90.2 passer rating. It marked Stafford's second career fourth-quarter come-from-behind win.
His 4 touchdown passes are the second-highest single game tally of his career. He joins QB Bobby Layne (4), QB Gary Danielson (2), QB Eric Hipple (2) and QB Scott Mitchell (2) as the only passers in team history with at least two games of 4 touchdown passes, and Stafford is the first player in team history to do it twice in his first two years with the club.
Stafford became the first Lions' quarterback to throw four touchdowns in a game which all four touchdowns gave the Lions the lead.
In the second half vs. the Redskins, Stafford was 18-of-27 (66.7 pct) for 140 yards and threw for 3 touchdowns. His quarterback rating was 116.3, the highest tally in a second half of a game during his career.
Completed 20-of-36 passes for 240 yards and threw for two touchdowns vs. the New York Jets, and he finished with a passer rating of 94.7. With a 90.2 passer rating vs. Washington (10/31), it marked the first time in his two-year career he has registered passer ratings of 90.0 in back-to-back games. Also ran for third career rushing touchdown. Left game in fourth quarter due to shoulder injury.
Inactive (right shoulder) at Buffalo (11/14), at Dallas (11/21), against New England (11/25), against Chicago (12/50, against Green Bay (12/12) and at Tampa Bay (12/19).
Placed on Reserve/Injured December 24, 2010 due to right shoulder injury.
2009: Completed 201-of-377 passes (53.3) for 2,267 yards during his rookie campaign. His 13 touchdown passes is a Lions' rookie passing record. Was one of four rookie starters (TE Brandon Pettigrew, S Louis Delmas and DT Sammie Hill) in season opener. It was the first time Detroit has had four rookie starters on opening day since 1978 when DB Luther Bradley, DE Al Baker, T William Fifer and G Homer Elias made their starting debut). First Lions rookie quarterback to start the season since QB Greg Landry in 1968. Was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week (Week 11) and voted Pepsi Rookie of the Week (Week 11) for his efforts in Lions 38-37 win vs. Cleveland (11/22).

Made his first career start in the season opener at New Orleans (9/13). Completed 16-of-37 passes for 205 yards and ran in for a 1-yard touchdown.
Stafford (21 years, 218 days old) was the youngest quarterback to start a season opener since QB Drew Bledsoe (21 years, 203 days old) started for the New England Patriots in the 1993 season opener.
Connected on his first career passing touchdown on a 8-yard pass to WR Calvin Johnson vs. Minnesota (9/20). Completed 18-of-30 passes for 152 yards.
Completed 21-of-36 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown for a passer rating of 87.8 vs. Washington (9/27). Engineered three scoring drives (two TDs and one FG).
Connected on 24-of-36 passes for 296 yards, a touchdown and an interception for a quarterback passer rating of 89.6 at Chicago (10/4).
Stafford's 221 passing yards in the first half at Chicago (10/4) were the most by a Lions passer since QB Jon Kinta garnered 314 yards in the first half at Philadelphia (9/23/07). Since 1995, Stafford's 221 passing yards in the first half was the fourth highest tally by a Lions passer in the past 15 seasons.
Inactive-third quarterback vs. Pittsburgh (10/11) and at Green Bay (10/18) due to knee injury.
Returned to the starting line-up vs. St. Louis (11/1) and completed 14 of 33 passes for 168 yards. Also scored on a 4-yard rushing touchdown for his second rushing score of the year. Stafford has either thrown or run for a touchdown in all five games he has started this year.
Connected on 22 of 42 passing attempts for 203 yards and two touchdowns at Seattle (11/8). Set career high with two touchdown passes, including a 7-yard pass to TE Brandon Pettigrew and a 29-yard pass to WR Bryant Johnson.
Reached career highs for both attempts (51) and completions (29) for 224 yards and no interceptions at Minnesota (11/15) and passed for his sixth career touchdown on an 8-yard strike to TE Will Heller.
Had a record-setting game vs. Cleveland (11/22) in which he completed 26 of 43 passes for a career-high and NFL Rookie Record (previous was Arizona QB Matt Lienart, 405 yards 11/26/06) 422 yards and tied the NFL Rookie Record with five passing touchdowns (tied with Chicago QB Ray Buivid 12/5/37).
His 422 yards are the third-highest Lions' single-game total and are the most yards thrown for by a Lions' quarterback in a win.
Stafford became just the second rookie in NFL history to throw for five touchdowns in a game and shattered the Lions' previous rookie-high of two. His five touchdowns were thrown to five different receivers.
At 21 years, 288 days old, Stafford was the youngest player in NFL history to pass for five touchdowns in a game. Buivid accomplished the feat at 22 years, 112 days old.
The five touchdowns also tied for the most by a Lions quarterback in team history (Gary Danielson vs. Minnesota 12/9/78).
Stafford completed a 75-yard touchdown to Calvin Johnson to set a career-long play. After injuring his shoulder at the end of the game, Stafford returned for the game's final play, connecting on a 1-yard touchdown strike to fellow rookie TE Brandon Pettigrew on an untimed down (following a defensive pass interference penalty) for the game-winning score.
Against the Browns, he led the Lions to a 38-37 win after overcoming three different deficits (21, 3 and 6 points). It was his first career fourth quarter comeback win.
Stafford's 112.7 passer rating against the Browns was the fourth highest single-game passer rating (highest by rookie quarterback) with over 40 pass attempts since 1970.
Completed 20 of 43 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown vs. Green Bay (11/26).
His 54-yard touchdown pass to WR Calvin Johnson at Cincinnati (12/6) was his 13th on the season, setting the Lions' rookie passing record for TDs (Joey Harington, 12 in 2002).
With the touchdown pass to Johnson against the Bengals, Stafford has thrown or rushed for a touchdown in each of his 10 starts this season. He has also registered touchdown passes in each of the past five games.

Media career
Stafford has a weekly segment on Mondays on The Mitch Albom Show with Mitch Albom on Detroit radio station WJR.

NFL Top Player - Demaryius Thomas

Demaryius Antwon Thomas (born December 25, 1987) is an American football wide receiver for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Broncos in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech. Thomas led the team in receiving in all three of his college seasons.

Early life
Thomas was born on December 25, 1987 to parents Bobby and Katina Thomas in Montrose, Georgia. By all accounts a shy and introverted child, Thomas grew up with his aunt and uncle after his mother was sent to prison. As a child he was given the nickname "Bay Bay" by his uncle in reference to the bad kids from the movie Bebe's Kids.

Thomas attended West Laurens High School where he played basketball and football as a wide receiver. As a junior in 2004, he recorded 32 receptions for 330 yards and three touchdowns. Thomas was named an all-region and all-Heart of Georgia player. The following season, he recorded 82 receptions for 1,234 yards and ten touchdowns. After the game, he participated in the North-South All-Star game. Thomas was again selected as an all-region and all-Heart of Georgia, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution named him to its Class AA all-state first team and PrepStar to its All-Region team. Scout.com assessed him as the 22nd-ranked college prospect in the state of Georgia, and Rivals.com rated him the 34th-ranked such prospect. He received scholarship offers from Duke, Georgia, and Georgia Tech.

College career
He chose to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology where he majored in management. Thomas sat out the 2006 season as a redshirt. In 2007, he saw action in all 13 games including 10 starts, and recorded 35 receptions for 558 yards, which ranked second on the team. In the 2007 Humanitarian Bowl, he made four receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown. The Sporting News named Thomas to its freshman All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) first team and a freshman All-America honorable mention.

In 2008, Paul Johnson was hired as the head coach and implemented the run-heavy triple option offense. Thomas considered transferring but decided against it. During the season, he recorded 39 receptions for 627 yards and three touchdowns as the leading receiver. Despite playing in a heavily run-oriented system, as one of the team's few experienced players, Thomas recorded relatively high numbers.

Still, compared with other receivers in the Atlantic Coast Conference, such as leader D. J. Boldin of Wake Forest, Thomas' statistics were much smaller. He said, "Sometimes I think about [not getting many passes], but most of the time I just want to win." Thomas' mark was the best of any wide receiver from the school since Calvin Johnson in 2006. Against Duke, he caught nine receptions for 230 yards, the second-most in a single game in school history.

In 2009, during his Junior (redshirt) year at GT, Thomas had a breakout season with 46 receptions for 1,154 yards and 8 touchdowns. This earned him 1st team All-ACC honors. He finished his career at Georgia Tech with 120 catches for 2,339 and 14 TDs.

Many draft experts had him gaining momentum with NFL scouts going into the last couple weeks leading up to the draft and most had him as the number one or two-rated wide receiver along with Dez Bryant in the 2010 NFL Draft, including Sporting News. On January 8, 2010, he declared his entrance to the 2010 NFL Draft.

Professional career
Draft
Thomas broke his foot and was unable to participate in combine drills.

He scored second highest among wide receivers with 34 on the Wonderlic test, second only to friend and then-teammate Eric Decker, who had the highest score in the Combine with 43.

Denver Broncos (2010-present)

Thomas was drafted by the Denver Broncos 22nd overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. On July 31, 2010, the Broncos signed him to a five-year, $12.155 million contract with $9.35 million guaranteed.

2010 season
Thomas had 8 receptions for 97 yards and scored one touchdown in his NFL debut against the Seattle Seahawks. He was just the 9th player in the NFL (since 1970) to record at least 8 catches in his first game. This was also the 2nd most catches by a rookie in franchise history. The highlight of Thomas' season came when he beat all-pro cornerback Darrelle Revis for a touchdown when the Broncos hosted the New York Jets on 17 October 2010.

Thomas was plagued by injuries during his rookie season. He first missed playing time due to a forearm injury and a concussion; an ankle injury also rendered him inactive for five more games late in the season.

Thomas ended his first season having played in 10 games, with 22 receptions for 283 yards and 2 touchdowns.

2011 season
On February 10, 2011 it was announced that Thomas had torn his achilles tendon while working out and was expected to miss a majority, if not the entirety, of the 2011 season. However, he was surprisingly activated from the Physically Unable to Perform List prior to the start of the season - Broncos GM Brian Xanders said that Demaryius had responded to rehab well and was "ready to go." Unfortunately, during his very first practice back, Thomas broke his left pinkie finger and missed the first 5 games of the season.

Thomas made his season debut on October 23, 2011 against the Miami Dolphins. He linked up with quarterback Tim Tebow for the Broncos' first score of the game, which Denver would go on to win in overtime. Despite this early promise, he only had 4 receptions in the next 5 games as the Broncos moved towards a run-heavy option offense.

Demaryius broke out in a match against the Minnesota Vikings on December 4, 2011, recording 144 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 4 receptions. He would end the season strongly, emerging as Tebow's favorite receiver and setting a franchise record by leading the Broncos in both receiving and targets over the final 7 games.

But it was during the first round of the playoffs that Thomas truly made his presence felt. On January 8, 2012 Thomas caught the game-winning, 80-yard touchdown pass from Tebow on the opening play of overtime to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card game, 29-23. This was the first non-sudden death playoff game in NFL history  but Denver's score ended the game.

The entire play took 11 seconds, and is the fastest ending to an overtime in NFL history to date. It is also the longest playoff overtime touchdown in NFL history. Thomas ended with a stat-line of 4 receptions, 204 yards and 1 touchdown in his playoff debut. It marked the most receiving yards by a Bronco in playoff history and the 2nd-highest receiving average (51.0) in a single game in NFL annals. Thomas caught 6 balls for 93 yards the following week against the New England Patriots.

He ended the 2011 regular season with 32 receptions for 551 yards and 4 touchdowns.

2012 season
Thomas was coming off surgery to remove pins in his left pinkie when quarterback Peyton Manning signed with the Broncos during the 2012 off season. This meant that, unlike fellow receiver Eric Decker, he was unable to participate in workouts with Manning. Thomas, however, made an effort to improve his route-running and quickly caught up. Manning noted during training camp that Thomas' "size, strength and speed just allow you to do certain things with him that other players just can't do."

Despite reports describing the connection between Thomas and Manning as "balky", Thomas found success again in the Broncos' very first game of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Down 13 to 7, Thomas, in a move reminiscent of his game-winning touchdown in the playoffs, burned the Steelers with a 71-yard catch-and-run. The touchdown was notable because it was the first touchdown Manning had thrown in the NFL for a team other than the Indianapolis Colts, and it was also the 400th of Manning's career, making Peyton just the 3rd player in NFL history to reach that milestone.

Thomas set regular-season career highs in both catches (9) and yards (180) at New England on October 7, 2012. He tied his career high in catches in games against the Carolina Panthers and the Cleveland Browns. Demaryius registered 3 catches for 37 yards and 1 touchdown in the Broncos' Divisional loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs.

Thomas would go on to have a breakout year in 2012, recording 94 receptions for 1,434 yards and 10 touchdowns. He led the team in targets, receptions and yards, and ranked 8th in the league in receptions, 4th in yards and 7th in touchdowns. He was selected to his first Pro Bowl in the 2012 season after receiver Wes Welker withdrew due to injury.

2013 season
Thomas started the season strong, with 5 catches for 161 yards and 2 touchdowns in Week 1 win over Baltimore Ravens. As he had done in Week 1 of the 2012 season, Thomas took a screen pass for a long touchdown. This was Manning's 7th touchdown pass of the game, which tied him with 5 others in NFL history.

Thomas received AFC Offensive Player of the Week honours for the first time in his career in the Broncos' Week 10 win over the San Diego Chargers. He posted 7 receptions, 108 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Demaryius also made other contributions to the Broncos' historic season on offense. He caught Manning's 55th touchdown, which set an NFL record for the most touchdowns thrown by a quarterback in a single season. Manning also broke the single season passing yardage mark on that same pass to Thomas. His 633 yards after catch was 2nd in the entire league. Manning, who said that Thomas "got great speed and power and it’s fun to watch once he gets it in his hands", attributed part of Thomas' success to "all the runs he had to practice at Georgia Tech".

Recording 92 catches for 1430 yards and 14 touchdowns during the 2013 regular season, Thomas ranked 9th in the league for receptions, 4th in yards and 2nd in touchdowns. His 14 touchdowns paced all wideouts in the NFL. Thomas led the team in targets, receptions and yards for the second consecutive year. He also led the team in receiving touchdowns.

Demaryius was again voted to the Pro Bowl in 2013. He was selected to the Associated Press All-Pro team for the first time in his career.

Thomas averaged 9.33 receptions and 102 yards per game during the 2013-2014 playoffs, including the Super Bowl. He also scored a touchdown in every single playoff game. Demaryius set an NFL record for most catches in a Super Bowl game by a player, despite reportedly playing most of the game with a separated shoulder. Thomas had 13 receptions for 118 yards and the Broncos only touchdown in the Super Bowl. Broncos lost 43-8 to the Seattle Seahawks.

Personal life
When Thomas was a child, police raided the house where his mother and grandmother lived. His mother and grandmother were both arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison and life in prison respectively for cocaine distribution. Thomas is a Christian. Thomas frequently posts about his faith on his Twitter account. Thomas has a tattoo of a portrait of Jesus with the phrase "Jesus Saves" under the portrait on his left arm.Thomas is also known to be close to his Uncle Thurgood "Good Good" Thomas, who attends every game.

Legal matters
In 2010, a woman contacted Denver police suspecting she was drugged and raped after being at a party that Thomas attended, in the company of his Bronco's teammate Perrish Cox. A DNA test later proved she was pregnant with Cox's child. Thomas was a prosecution witness and testified that Cox spoke to him before the act, saying that he was going to sleep with the girl and that she had consented before hand and even offered for Thomas to sleep with her instead. However, Thomas said no, that he would have no part of it, that Cox was drunk and that he was messed up; Thomas left the party immediately after the conversation. Later when asked about the conversation, Thomas said that based on Cox's erratic behavior and speech he didn't fully believe Cox was serious, thinking that Cox was having some kind of drunken delusion.

Although Cox was eventually acquitted, the woman filed a civil suit against both Thomas and Cox, suing them, inter alia, for battery, conspiracy and negligence. The claims against Thomas have since been dismissed.

NFL Top Player - Julius Thomas

Julius Dewayne Thomas (born June 27, 1988) is an American football tight end for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Broncos in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football and basketball at Portland State.

Early Life and Education
Thomas is the son of Greg and Toria Thomas. He has two brothers, Trenton and Marcus. Thomas graduated from Tokay High School in Lodi, California. Thomas graduated from Portland State University in Portland, Oregon with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration.

College career
Football
Thomas was a First-team All-Big Sky Conference selection in 2010. He ended the season with 29 receptions for 453 yards and two touchdowns for Portland State's football team. Thomas had not played collegiate football prior to 2010.

Basketball
Thomas played four seasons for the Portland State basketball team. During his collegiate basketball career, Thomas set school records for career games played (121), career wins (78), and career field goals percentage (.663), and also participated on one Big Sky regular season championship team and two Big Sky tournament championship teams as well two NCAA Tournaments (2008 and 2009). He was twice named to the Big Sky All-Tournament team. As a senior, he averaged 10.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and shot a school-record .671 from the field.

Professional career

Denver Broncos
Thomas was taken in the 4th round, 129th overall, by the Denver Broncos in the 2011 NFL Draft. His rookie contract was four years and $2,420,000 through the 2014 season . It included a $384,000 signing bonus. Thomas had only one catch through his first two years in the league as he battled various injuries before erupting onto the scene in 2013. He scored his first and second career touchdowns in the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens on September 5, 2013. He followed up this performance in week two with a 6 catch, 47 yard performance that ended with a game-sealing touchdown. In week three he continued his scoring streak against the Oakland Raiders (3 catches for 37 Yards and a TD). He ended the season with 12 touchdown receptions, the most by any Denver Broncos tight end. Thomas and the Broncos reached Super Bowl XLVIII, Where he had 4 receptions for 27 yards but lost 43-8 to the Seattle Seahawks.

2011: Selected by Denver in the fourth round (129th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft, Thomas played five regular-season games (1 start) and posted one reception for five yards as a rookie... Joined three other teammates who became the first quartet of rookies to start a season opener for the Broncos since at least 1968... Inactive for 11 regular-season games and two playoff contests due to an ankle injury sustained in Denver’s Week 2 win vs. Cin. (9/18).

2012:Thomas saw action in Denver’s first four regular-season games before being declared a gameday inactive for the remainder of the season.

2013: Thomas started 14 games and earned his first career Pro Bowl selection after finishing with 12 touchdown catches, which tied for fifth in the NFL (3rd among TEs) and established a franchise record for a tight end... Totaled 788 receiving yards on 65 catches... Caught five passes for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns to mark the most yards by a Broncos tight end since Shannon Sharpe posted a team-record 214 yards in 2002... Caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from QB Peyton Manning in the fourth quarter of Denver’s Week 2 win at NYG (9/15)... Joined WR Wes Welker and Saints TE Jimmy Graham as the only players to catch touchdown passes in the first three games of the season with his 13-yard score from Manning in the second quarter vs. Oak. (9/23)... Led the team with nine catches for 122 yards, setting career highs in both categories and adding a pair of scores at Dal. (10/6)... Caught his seventh touchdown pass of the season vs. Jac. (10/13)... Caught his eighth touchdown of the season at Ind. (10/20)... Recorded the second-longest scoring catch by a tight end in team history with his 74-yard touchdown at S.D. (11/10)... Tied for the most touchdowns in a single season in team history with his 10th touchdown reception of the season in Denver’s 27-17 win vs. K.C. (11/17)... Set a franchise tight end record with his 11th touchdown catch of the season vs. Ten. (12/8)... Caught six passes for 78 yards and one touchdown, which was Manning’s NFL-record 51st of the season at Hou. (12/22)... Led the team with 76 receiving yards on six catches in his postseason debut vs. S.D. (1/12)...Led the team with eight catches, finishing with 85 yards in the AFC Championship Game vs. N.E. (1/19).

Personal life
Thomas is a Christian. Thomas has spoken about his faith saying, "When you're going through tribulations and it's one thing after another, it's easier to doubt your faith. It's easier to doubt the Lord. I never allowed that to creep into my mind. I thought, 'God brought me here for a reason.'...What I've learned is that no matter what you're going through, God has a plan".

NFL Top Player - Peyton Manning

Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). A five-time league MVP, he played for the Indianapolis Colts for 14 seasons from 1998 to 2011. He is a son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and an elder brother of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

Manning played college football for the University of Tennessee, leading the Volunteers to the 1997 SEC Championship in his senior season. However, No. 3 Tennessee lost to the No. 2 Nebraska Cornhuskers 42-17 in the Orange Bowl giving Nebraska and Tom Osborne their 3rd national championship in 4 years. He was chosen by the Indianapolis Colts with the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. Manning's playing career and statistics have ranked him among the greatest quarterbacks of all-time. From 1998 to 2010, he led the Colts to eight (seven AFC South and one AFC East) division championships, two AFC championships, and one Super Bowl championship (Super Bowl XLI). His five NFL MVPs are a league record, he was the most valuable player of Super Bowl XLI, has been named to thirteen Pro Bowls, has thirteen 4,000-yard passing seasons, and is the Indianapolis Colts' all-time leader in passing yards (54,828) and touchdown passes (399). In 2009, he was named the best player in the NFL, and Fox Sports, along with Sports Illustrated, named him the NFL player of the decade for the 2000s. Before the 2013 season had even finished SI had named him their Sportsman of the Year.

In May 2011, he underwent neck surgery to alleviate neck pain and arm weakness he dealt with during the previous few seasons before signing a five-year, $90 million contract extension with the Colts in July 2011. Manning had hoped to play in the 2011 season, but in September 2011 he underwent a second, and much more serious surgery: a level one cervical fusion procedure. Manning had never missed an NFL game in his career, but was forced to miss the entire 2011 season. He was released by the Colts on March 7, 2012, and after an almost two-week period where he visited with and worked out for several NFL teams, he signed with the Denver Broncos on March 20, 2012.

Manning's pre-snap routine has earned him the nickname "The Sheriff", and he is one of the most recognizable and parodied players in the NFL. Teams led by Manning more often than not use the hurry-up offense in place of the standard huddle.

High school career
Manning attended Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, Louisiana. He led his team to a 34–5 record during three seasons as starter. He was named Gatorade Circle of Champions National Player-of-the-Year and Columbus (Ohio) Touchdown Club National Offensive Player-of-the-Year in 1993.

College career

Manning was a four-year starter at the University of Tennessee, where he left college with 33 school records, eight Southeastern Conference marks and two NCAA standards... Ended his career with the most wins in SEC history (39-6), including a 26-4 mark as a starter in conference games... Ranked third in NCAA history with 11,201 passing yards and fourth in Division-I annals with 89 touchdowns... Named a consensus All-American and was the Heisman Trophy runner-up as a senior in 1997 after leading the Volunteers to an SEC Championship... Named MVP of the SEC Championship Game after completing 25-of-43 passes (58.1%) for 373 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions in a 30-29 win over Auburn University... Won the Maxwell Award for college football’s player of the year and the Davey O’Brien Award for the nation’s top quarterback... Named to the AFCA Good Works Team for community service... Led Tennessee to a 10-2 record and was the MVP of the Volunteers’ 48-28 Citrus Bowl win over Northwestern University... Went 11-1 as a sophomore, including a 20-14 Citrus Bowl win against Ohio State University... Named SEC Freshman of the Year in 1994 after starting 8-of-11 games.

As a freshman, Manning was the third-string quarterback, but injuries to Todd Helton and Jerry Colquitt forced him to take over the Mississippi State game, a 24–21 loss. In his first start, the following week against Washington State, the Vols won, 10–9, and the Vols won all but one of their remaining games, finishing the season 8–4 with a 45–23 victory over Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl.

Manning and the Vols started off the 1995 season with victories over East Carolina and Georgia, before heading off to Gainesville to play the Gators. Against Florida, he threw for 326 yards and 2 touchdowns, leading the Vols to a 30–21 halftime lead. However, the Gators outscored the Vols 41–7 in the second half, winning 62–37. This was the Vols' only loss of the season, as they won their remaining 8 regular season games, including a 41–14 win over Alabama and then defeated Ohio State in the Citrus Bowl. The Vols ended the season ranked third and Manning came in sixth in Heisman Trophy voting.

The Vols opened the 1996 season ranked second behind Nebraska and one of the favorites to win the national championship. However, after winning their first 2 games against UNLV and UCLA, the Vols again lost to Florida 35–29, with Manning throwing 4 interceptions. After winning their next four games, the Vols were upset by Memphis, despite Manning passing for 296 yards. The Vols won the remainder of their games, including a 48–28 win in the Citrus Bowl over Northwestern, a game in which Manning passed for 408 yards and 4 touchdowns; he was named the game's MVP.

Manning completed his degree in three years, a B.A. in speech communication, and was projected to be the top overall pick in the NFL Draft, but returned to Tennessee for his senior year. In his senior season, the Vols opened the season with victories against Texas Tech and UCLA, but for the third time in his career, Manning fell to Florida 33–20. The Vols won the rest of their regular season games, finishing 10–1, and advanced to the SEC Championship game against Auburn. Down 20–7, Manning led the Vols to a 30–29 victory. Throwing for 4 touchdowns, he was named the game's MVP, but injured himself in the process. The 3rd-ranked Vols were matched-up with second-ranked Nebraska in the Orange Bowl; if Tennessee won and top-ranked Michigan lost to Washington State in the Rose Bowl, the Vols would win the national championship. However, the Vols' defense could not stop Nebraska's rushing attack, giving up over 400 rushing yards in a 42–17 loss. As a senior, Manning won numerous awards; he was a consensus first-team All-American, the Maxwell Award winner, the Davey O'Brien Award winner, the Johnny Unitas Award winner, and the Best College Player ESPY award winner, among others; however, he did not win the Heisman, finishing runner-up to Charles Woodson. In 2005, Tennessee retired Manning's number (No. 16). One of the streets leading to Neyland Stadium has been renamed Peyton Manning Pass. Manning was elected to Phi Beta Kappa Society in 1997.

Professional career
Indianapolis Colts
1998 season: Rookie season
"To me, he's the greatest of all time. He's a friend of mine, and someone that I always watch and admire, because he always wants to improve, he always wants to get better, and he doesn't settle for anything less than the best. So, when you watch the best and you're able to learn from the best, hopefully that helps me get better."

—Tom Brady, on Peyton Manning.
Despite concerns about his arm strength and mobility, Manning was selected first overall in the 1998 draft by the Indianapolis Colts. Although many considered Ryan Leaf his rival for the first selection in the draft, and Leaf's quarterback rating was higher, all six experts Sports Illustrated consulted believed that Manning was superior. Five said that they would take him first in the draft; Sid Gillman said of Manning, "this is a pro quarterback". In his rookie season, he passed for 3,739 yards with 26 touchdowns, set five different NFL rookie records including most touchdown passes in a season, and was named to the NFL All-Rookie First Team. Manning's first win came against fellow rookie Leaf, 17–12 over the Chargers. Weeks later, Manning faced off against Steve Young; he threw three touchdowns, tying a Colts rookie record, but the 49ers kicked a late field goal to win 34–31. In November against the Jets, Manning threw for three touchdowns in a 24–23 win; he was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for this performance. It was the first game-winning drive of Manning's career, as he hit Marcus Pollard with the game-winning TD pass. Manning was certainly a bright spot in 1998 for the Colts, but he also threw a league high 28 interceptions as the team struggled to a 3–13 record with a defense that gave up more than 27 points per game. The Colts lost many close games, including five games in which they had led by double-digits at some point.

1999–2001
The Colts opened the 1999 season with a 31–14 victory over Buffalo, but gave up a 28–7 lead the following week against the Patriots and lost. After defeating San Diego 27–19 in a game in which Manning threw for over 400 yards, and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week, they lost again, to Miami. The Colts responded by winning 11 of their remaining 12 games, finishing 13–3 and the AFC East champions. The 10 game turnaround from the previous year set an NFL record. As the second seed in the AFC, the Colts earned a first round bye, and faced Tennessee in the playoffs. The Colts lost 19–16 to the Super Bowl bound Titans and Manning was limited to one touchdown run. Manning finished the year with 4,135 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns, and was named both Second-team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl, both firsts for him. In the Pro Bowl, he passed for 270 yards with 2 touchdowns.

The Colts started the 2000 season inconsistently. Following an opening week victory against Kansas City, they blew a 21–0 lead against the Raiders. The Colts responded with a Monday Night victory against Jacksonville, a 43–14 win in which Manning threw for 430 yards and 4 touchdowns; Manning was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for this performance. The Colts won 4 of their next 5 games, including one against New England in which Manning posted the first perfect passer rating of his career, but then lost 4 of the 5 games following that. The Colts regained their momentum, winning their final 3 games, including a 31–10 win over Minnesota on Week 17. Manning threw for 4 touchdowns in the win and was again named AFC Offensive Player of the Week and the win gave the Colts a 10–6 record as well as a wild card spot in the playoffs. In the wild card game, the Colts fell to the Dolphins 23–17 in overtime. Manning passed for 194 yards and a touchdown in the loss. He finished the season with 4,413 passing yards and 33 passing touchdowns and was named Second-team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl. At the Pro Bowl, Manning threw two touchdown passes.

Manning and the Colts introduced their now-signature no-huddle offense, and used it to great effect in a Week 1 rout of the Jets, 45–24. Two weeks later (Week 2 games were not played as scheduled due to the 9/11 attacks) the Colts advanced to 2–0 with a win over Buffalo, behind Manning's 421 yards passing. He was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for this game. However, the Colts lost the following week to New England, and continued their slide, losing their following two games. The Colts briefly rebounded, winning two games, but then lost 7 of their last 9, including a 40–21 home loss to the 49ers. After Manning threw a career-high four interceptions in that game, coach Jim Mora uttered his infamous "Playoffs? Don't talk about playoffs. Are you kidding me. Playoffs? I'm just hoping we can win a game, another game" press conference. Despite the 6–10 record, Manning finished the season with 4,131 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, and 4 rushing touchdowns as the offense produced the second most points in the league. However, the defense allowed the most points and Jim Mora was fired after the season.

2002 season
Tony Dungy would become Manning's second head coach in the NFL. The Colts started off the 2002 season 4–1, before a 3-game losing streak sent them to 4–4. The Colts responded by winning all but two of their remaining games, including a 35–13 upset of the Eagles in which Manning had a perfect passer rating for the second time in his career, giving them a 10–6 record and a spot in the playoffs. However, the Colts were pummeled by the Jets in the Wild Card game, 41–0, with Manning passing for only 137 yards. He finished the year with 4,200 passing yards and 27 passing touchdowns and was named to the Pro Bowl team. In the Pro Bowl, Manning completed five of eleven passes for 100 yards and a touchdown.

2003 season: First MVP
The 2003 Colts began the season 5–0, including a 55–21 blowout of the Saints in which Manning played his third perfect passer rating game and threw a career-high six TD passes, earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. On Monday Night Football against the defending champion Buccaneers, Manning and the Colts trailed 35–14 in the final five minutes. After one short TD drive, the Colts recovered the onside kick. Manning threw a 28-yard TD pass to Marvin Harrison on 4th & 6 to make it 35–28. With 1:41 remaining, Manning got the ball back and drove the offense 85 yards for the game-tying TD. He set up the winning 29-yard field goal in overtime for a stunning 38–35 win. It was the only time in NFL history a team won a game after trailing by 21 points in the final 4 minutes of regulation. Manning passed for 386 yards in the game.

After an overtime loss to Carolina, the Colts won all but three of their remaining games, finishing 12–4. On November 30 the Colts hosted the 9–2 Patriots in what would be the beginning of the NFL's top rivalry of the 2000s. The Colts trailed 31–10 late in the third quarter before Manning threw three TD passes in a span of six minutes to tie the game. Trailing 38–34 in the final minutes, the Colts had 3 plays at the 1-yard line to try and score the winning TD. Edgerrin James was stuffed on 4th down by Willie McGinest and the Patriots won. In a Week 14 win against Atlanta, Manning threw for five touchdowns and was named player of the week a second time. He also earned AFC Offensive Player of the Month honors for the month of October.

In the Wild Card playoff round Manning and the Colts defeated the Denver Broncos 41–10, his first playoff win. He passed for 377 yards and 5 touchdowns in the game, earning him a perfect passer rating, his second of the season and the fourth of his career. After the game, Manning was awarded Player of the Week honors for the third time that season. In the divisional playoffs, Manning led the Colts to a 38–31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Neither team punted in the game. In the AFC title game Manning was shut down by the New England Patriots top-ranked defense and posted the third lowest passer rating of his career at 35.5. The Patriots defense intercepted Manning four times and sacked him another four, as the Colts lost the game 24–14.

During the season, Manning was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for September and was named the AP NFL co-MVP along with Titans quarterback Steve McNair. Manning also received the ESPY Award for Best NFL Player. Manning led the league with 4,267 passing yards and threw 29 touchdowns; he was named first-team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl. He passed for 342 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Pro Bowl, a 55–52 loss.

2004 season: Second MVP
The 2004 Colts opened the season with a 27–24 loss to the Patriots, after Mike Vanderjagt missed a game tying field goal in the closing seconds of the game. The Colts won their next four games including a 45–31 win over Green Bay in which Manning threw 5 touchdowns, earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, but then lost their next two games, to Jacksonville and Kansas City, despite Manning throwing for 840 yards combined in the two games. The Colts responded well, winning their next 8 games before losing their final regular season game to Denver, a game in which Manning played only the first series. During the month of November, Manning was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week twice; once for his 5 touchdown performance in a 49–14 blowout of Houston and once for his performance in a 41–9 win at Detroit on Thanksgiving in which he threw 6 touchdowns in less than three quarters. Due to his performances in November, Manning earned AFC Offensive Player of the Month honors. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for a fourth time in the week 16 game against San Diego where he led the Colts to a 34–31 victory after trailing by fifteen in the fourth quarter. With the Colts facing a 4th & 4 at their own 26, Manning waved the punt team off the field and completed a 19-yard pass to Reggie Wayne for the first down. He finished the drive with a 21-yard TD pass to Brandon Stokley, his 49th TD pass of the season, breaking Dan Marino's record of 48. After the two-point conversion to tie, Manning got the ball first in overtime and set up the winning field goal. The Colts clinched the AFC's third seed with the win.

During the season, Manning threw for 4,557 yards, had a then record 121.1 passer rating and a then-record 49 touchdown passes while throwing only 10 interceptions. Manning's 2004 season was voted the second greatest passing season of all time by ESPN in 2013. He achieved this despite the 2004 season being his only season of his career where he attempted less than 500 passes. His 9.9% touchdown passing percentage is currently the highest in NFL history. His 49 touchdown passes is currently the third highest ever and his 121.1 passer rating is the second highest ever. He was selected as the 2004 NFL MVP drawing 49 of 50 votes, was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year and was named the Best NFL Player at the ESPY Awards for the second consecutive year; Manning also received the ESPY Award for Best Record-Breaking Performance for his 49 touchdown passes. The Colts finished the season with a 12–4 record and their second straight AFC South title. The Colts scored a franchise record 522 points. Three Colts receivers had 1,000 yard seasons with at least 10 touchdowns that season, also a record. Sports statistics site Football Outsiders calculates that Manning had the best season ever by a quarterback, play-for-play, in 2004.

In the Wild Card game against Denver, Manning passed for 458 yards and 4 touchdowns. However, the Colts' 2004 season ended in Foxborough for a second straight year with a 20–3 loss against New England, when Manning recorded a season-low passer rating of 69.3. It was Manning's seventh consecutive loss to the Patriots in Foxborough and the Colts' three points were their lowest single game point total since their opening game of the 2003 season. Manning was named a Pro Bowl starter; in the Pro Bowl, he threw 3 touchdowns in a 38–27 victory and was named the game's MVP. Manning was also a unanimous first-team All-Pro selection.

2005 season

In 2005, the Colts had a greatly improved defense over that of recent years. Combining this with their offense, they won their first 13 games, including a 40–21 rout of the two-time defending Super Bowl Champions, New England. This was Manning's first road win against the Patriots in 8 attempts, and his 3 touchdowns passes earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. By week 15, the Colts had a perfect 13–0 record, and had secured the AFC South and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Nevertheless, Tony Dungy made the decision to play all of his regular starters against the Chargers. However, the Colts played a sub-par game against the Chargers and fell short of the win; the score was 26–17. Manning finished the season with 3,747 passing yards, the first time he had thrown for under 4,000 yards since his rookie season of 1998, largely because Manning sat out much of the final two games with the top AFC seed clinched. His quarterback rating of 104.1 was the highest in the league for the season.

In the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Steelers visited the RCA Dome for the second AFC divisional playoff game of the 2005 season. In the 4th quarter with only a few minutes left in the game, Manning threw what looked to be the game-ending interception to Troy Polamalu, but the interception was overturned (a call the NFL later admitted was incorrect). The Colts went on to score, and were able to get the ball back down three points near the end of the game. On 4th down, Manning was sacked near his own goal line, and the game seemed to be over as the Steelers were one yard from a touchdown. On the next play, the ball was fumbled by Jerome Bettis and picked up by Colts defender Nick Harper who appeared to have a clear path down the sideline for what might have been the game-winning score. However, Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger managed to dive in front of Harper and tackle him by the leg, saving a touchdown. Then the Colts drove down the field to the Steelers 27-yard line, before Mike Vanderjagt missed a field goal as time ran out.

Manning came in second in voting for the MVP award to Shaun Alexander ending his streak at two years. He was named the 2005 winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award and nominated for the FedEx Air Player of the Year Award, along with Tom Brady and Carson Palmer. Manning was also named first-team All-Pro for the third consecutive year and named to the Pro Bowl squad; in the Pro Bowl, he threw one touchdown pass and three interceptions.

2006 season: Super Bowl championship

Manning opened the 2006 season against his brother Eli's New York Giants on Sunday Night Football (the first "Manning Bowl"). It was the first NFL game with starting quarterbacks that were brothers, and Peyton's team won 26–21. Manning passed for 400 yards against the Texans in a 43–24 victory, which earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors (he also won the award for his 345 yards and 4 TD passes against the Redskins in week 7). A second trip to New York, this time to play the Jets, produced another Colts win. After taking the lead twice in the fourth quarter, Manning had to lead a third scoring drive, this time finishing with a 1-yard QB sneak rushing TD in the last minute for a 31–28 win.

At Denver, Manning again led three scoring drives in the fourth quarter in a 34–31 shootout win. He completed 32 of 39 passes for 345 yards and 3 TDs. Following a second straight season with a win at New England, then a home win against Buffalo, the Colts were the NFL's last unbeaten team at 9–0. Their first loss would come in Dallas. Plagued by a run defense that would allow over 100 yards in every game, the Colts were 11–4 heading into their final game. Against Miami, Manning threw for 282 yards, 2 TDs and rushed for another TD. The Colts won 27–22, were AFC South division champions, and clinched the third seed in the AFC playoffs. Manning was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week. He ended the regular season with 4,397 passing yards and a league-leading 31 touchdown passes. His passer rating (101.0) was the highest in the league for the third year in a row. Manning helped the offense set a NFL record for third down conversion rate in a season (56.1%).

Despite three interceptions, Manning completed 30 out of 38 passes as the Colts beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card playoff game by a score of 23–8. The following week they were limited to five field goals and no touchdowns, but defeated the Baltimore Ravens, 15–6. In the AFC Championship game against the rival Patriots, the Colts trailed 14–3 when Manning threw an interception that was returned for a TD by Asante Samuel to give New England a 21–3 lead. Manning led the Colts to 32 points in the second half for a 38–34 victory, the final score coming late in the fourth quarter as Manning led the Colts on an 80-yard TD drive to take the lead for the first time in the game. He finished the game with 349 yards passing and two touchdowns (1 rushing). The comeback was the largest deficit ever overcome in a conference championship.

Completing 25 of 38 passes for 247 yards with a touchdown and one interception, Manning led the Colts to a 29–17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI and was voted Super Bowl MVP. Manning, who had been criticized for failing to win big games, exorcised his big-game demons with the win. "In years' past when our team's come up short, it's been disappointing", he told reporters. "Somehow we found a way to have learned from some of those losses and we've been a better team because of it." For his role in the Colts' championship run, Manning was awarded the ESPY for Best Championship Performance. Manning was again named to the Pro Bowl and was also named Second-team All-Pro; in the Pro Bowl he played only two series, passing for 67 yards. Following the Super Bowl win, Manning agreed to restructure his contract to save the Colts $8.2 million in salary cap space.

2007–2008

Manning's Colts opened the NFL season with 7 wins, pitting them against an undefeated Patriots squad in a match-up that was being called "Super Bowl 41.5". Manning and Addai helped the Colts to a 13–7 halftime lead, and an early fourth-quarter touchdown upped the lead to 20–10. However, Brady led the Patriots to two late touchdowns, to hand Manning his first loss of the season, 24–20. Manning finished the game with 225 yards passing, including a passing touchdown. He also had a rushing touchdown.

Manning did not bounce back from the loss well. Against the San Diego Chargers he threw for a career-worst and franchise-record 6 interceptions. Despite this, he was able to rally the Colts from a 23–0 deficit to 23–21, and gave Adam Vinatieri an opportunity to take the lead with a 29-yard field goal. Vinatieri's miss sunk the Colts to 7–2. Manning did not play particularly well against the Kansas City Chiefs either, throwing no touchdowns. However, he managed to lead the Colts on a late drive for a game-winning field goal, rushing for two yards on 4th and 1 in the process. Manning finished the game with 163 passing yards, allowing him to overtake 40,000 in his career. The victory was Manning's 100th. The Colts won their next 5 games, securing yet another AFC South title, as well as the AFC's number two seed in the play-offs. In the final game of the regular season, Manning played only two series before being replaced with back-up Jim Sorgi; the Colts lost the game to the Titans, 16–10. Manning finished the season with 4,040 passing yards, 31 touchdown passes, and a quarterback rating of 98.0. In the divisional round of the playoffs, Manning and the Colts lost to the Chargers, 28–24. Manning helped the Colts to 4 different leads but could not lead a final touchdown drive for the win. Manning finished the game with 402 yards passing and 3 passing touchdowns. Peyton was widely viewed during Super Bowl XLII as he cheered on brother Eli and the New York Giants in their upset of the New England Patriots. Manning was named a Pro Bowl starter and passed for 147 yards and a touchdown in three series.

On July 14, 2008, Manning had surgery to remove an infected bursa sac in his left knee. Manning, who had worn a knee brace due to problems since he was in college, sat out all four preseason games and missed most of training camp.

In the first regular season game at new Lucas Oil Stadium, the Colts lost 29–13 to the Chicago Bears. The following week they fell behind 15–0 to the Minnesota Vikings in the second half before rallying to win the game on Adam Vinatieri's 47-yard field goal. Manning passed for 311 yards as the Colts avoided their first 0–2 start since Manning's rookie season. Week 3 matched the Colts with division rival Jacksonville. Manning threw 2 interceptions in the game, including one that was returned for a TD by Rashean Mathis. Jacksonville rushed for 236 yards and held the ball for over 41 minutes. Still, trailing by 6 late in the game Manning led the Colts on a 77-yard TD drive to take a 21–20 lead. Jacksonville kicker Josh Scobee made a 51-yard field goal to win the game and drop the Colts to 1–2.

For the third week in a row, Manning used the 4th quarter to bring the Colts back from a 27–10 deficit in the last 5 minutes against the Houston Texans to a 31–27 victory. It was the first time an NFL team had won a game in regulation after trailing by 17 points in the last 5 minutes. Manning threw a 7-yard TD pass on 4th & 6 to rookie tight end Tom Santi to make the deficit 27–17. Houston QB Sage Rosenfels, starting for the injured Matt Schaub, then fumbled the ball on a scramble, and it was returned 68 yards for a TD by Gary Brackett. After another Rosenfels fumble, Manning threw the 5-yard game-winning TD pass to Reggie Wayne. The Colts scored 3 TDs in 2:10.

On October 12 Manning led the Colts to a 31–3 blow out win at Lucas Oil Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens to avoid their first 0–3 start at home since 1997. Manning was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the 17th time in his career for his effort of 3 TD passes and 271 yards passing. It was revealed during the game by CBS commentators Jim Nantz and Phil Simms that Manning had a second surgery on his knee before the season started. Colts coach Tony Dungy confirmed this report the day after the Baltimore game.

The Colts suffered their largest margin of defeat, 34–14, in Green Bay the following week. Manning threw 2 interceptions that were returned for touchdowns (second time in career; 1st was 9/30/01 vs. New England Patriots). The next week the Colts went into Tennessee on Monday Night Football to face the 6–0 Titans. They led 14–6 in the 3rd quarter, but Tennessee scored 25 unanswered for a 31–21 victory and almost assured the Colts they would not win the AFC South division title for the first time in 6 seasons. At 3–4 the Colts opened up November with their annual showdown against the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football. The game lacked the luster the rivalry has carried, as there was no Tom Brady, no undefeated season on the line, and neither team was in 1st place of their division. Still, the game was close all the way. Tied at 15 in the 4th quarter, Manning set up Adam Vinatieri for a 52-yard field goal that proved to be the winning points in an 18–15 victory. Manning completed 21 of 29 passes for 254 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. The Colts were 4–4 halfway through the season and still alive in the AFC playoff race.

In week 10 the Colts traveled to Pittsburgh, who had the league's No. 1 defense. They trailed 17–7 in the second quarter before Manning found Dallas Clark for a 2-yard TD to end the half 17–14. Down 20–17 in the 4th quarter, Manning found Dominic Rhodes uncovered for a 17-yard TD pass that would put the Colts up 24–20 for the rest of the game. It was Manning's 4th game-winning drive (35th of his career) this season. He completed 21 of 40 for 240 yards and 3 touchdowns (the 50th game of his career with 3+ TD passes). It was the first time the Colts have won in Pittsburgh since 1968 (12 straight losses before this win). Against Houston, Manning passed for 320 yards and 2 TDs while leading 5 consecutive scoring drives in a 33–27 victory, the third in a row for the Colts. Manning won AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season (18th time, career)

At San Diego, Manning threw for 255 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT in a 23–20 victory. The interception snapped a career-best streak of 140 pass attempts without an interception. After the Chargers rallied from a 10-point deficit in the 4th to tie the game, Manning led the game-winning drive by completing a 14-yard pass to Marvin Harrison on 4th and inches at midfield. Adam Vinateri kicked the winning 51-yard field goal three plays later. It was Manning's 5th game-winning drive this season. Manning passed for a season-low 125 yards at Cleveland, but the Colts won their 5th straight game, by a final of 10–6.

In a 35–3 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals, Manning threw 3 TD passes while completing 26 of 32 passes for 277 yards. It marked the 11th straight season Manning had thrown at least 20 TD passes, the second longest streak ever. Against the 0–13 Detroit Lions, the Colts found themselves in a 21–21 game in the 4th quarter. Manning led his 6th game-winning drive of the season and the Colts pulled away 31–21. It marked their 7th straight win, 7th straight season with 10+ wins, and they became the only team in NFL history to have a winning streak of at least 7 games in 5 straight seasons. Manning completed 28 of 37 passes for 318 yards and 1 TD.

Needing a win to clinch the 5th seed in the playoffs, Manning had one of his best career performances in Jacksonville on Thursday Night Football. He completed his first 17 passes of the game. In addition to completing his last 6 against Detroit, Manning's 23 straight completions fell one shy of the NFL record (Donovan McNabb – 24). The Colts trailed 14–0 in the first half and 24–14 to start the 4th quarter. Manning led his 7th 4th quarter win of the season and the Colts put the game away with a defensive TD for a 31–24 victory to clinch a 7th consecutive playoff berth. Manning completed 29 of 34 passes (85.7%) for 364 yards and 3 TDs. It increased his NFL record streak of seasons with 25 TD passes to 11. Manning and the Colts tied a NFL record by winning 3 games in a season in which they trailed by at least 14 points. For his efforts Manning won AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the third time in 2008. It was the 19th time he has won the award, passing Dan Marino for the most all-time since the award was originated in 1984. He also was selected as the FedEx Air Player of the Week. With the playoff seed secured, Manning only played the opening drive in a shutout against the division-leading Titans in Week 17. He completed all 7 of his passes for 95 yards and a TD, extending his NFL record to nine seasons with 4000 yards passing, and also extended the record to a sixth straight season he led the Colts to at least 12 wins. At the end of the 2008 season, Manning was named NFL MVP for the 3rd time, tying Brett Favre for the most MVP awards in NFL history.

The day following the MVP award, the Colts played their 2007 nemesis, the Chargers, in their wild-card playoff game. Down 14–10 at the half, Manning put the Colts ahead 17–14 in the third quarter as he completed a 72-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Reggie Wayne. But the Chargers tied the game in the fourth quarter as kicker Nate Kaeding nailed a 22-yard field goal. When San Diego won the coin toss, they scored on the first possession, ending the Colts season.

2009 season: Fourth MVP and second Super Bowl appearance

Under new head coach Jim Caldwell, Manning started the 2009 season with a victory by throwing for 301 yards. In week two Manning led his 29th fourth quarter comeback (38th game-winning drive) by throwing for 303 yards and 2 TD passes, despite only having the ball for 14:53, the lowest time of possession for a winning team in the NFL since they began tracking the statistic in 1977. Manning was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for the fourth time in his career in September. Against the Seattle Seahawks Manning passed for 353 yards and 2 TDs for his fourth consecutive 300-yard passing game set a new franchise record.

Against Houston Texans in week 9 he became the first quarterback to pass for over 40,000 yards in a decade. He threw a career-high 25 passes in the 1st quarter (most in any opening quarter since 1991), and had a career-high 40 pass attempts in the first half. He set a franchise record for most 300-yard passing games in a season with his seventh 300-yard effort of the season (also a NFL record through the first 8 games of a season ). Against Houston 3 weeks later Manning claimed his 34th comeback win in the 4th quarter, tying him with John Elway and Johnny Unitas for the second most in NFL history. On week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars Manning won his 23rd consecutive regular season game breaking Jim McMahon's NFL record of 22 straight wins with the Chicago Bears from 1984–87. At the end of the regular season Manning was awarded his fourth MVP, breaking the NFL record for most MVPs by a single player. He was also selected to the AP All-Pro team for the fifth time in his career.

In the AFC Divisional against the Baltimore Ravens Manning threw 2 TD passes late in the first half to build a 17–3 halftime lead. He completed 30 passes for 246 yards in leading his eight straight victory over the Ravens. In the AFC Championship against New York Jets Manning overcame a 17–6 deficit late in the second quarter to lead the Colts to 24 unanswered points in a 30–17 win. The 11-point comeback was the third largest in a championship game. Manning set a playoff record with his seventh 300-yard passing game in the postseason. In Super Bowl XLIV against New Orleans Saints, Manning led the Colts to a 10–0 lead after their two first quarter drives, throwing a TD pass to Pierre Garcon to cap off a 96-yard drive (tied for longest in Super Bowl history). After running just six plays in the second quarter, the Colts led 10–6 at halftime. The Saints recovered an onside kick to start the second half and took their first lead, 13–10. Manning led a go ahead TD drive to regain the lead. Leading 17–16 at the start of the 4th quarter, Matt Stover missed a 51-yard field goal for the Colts. The Saints scored the go ahead TD and two-point conversion to take a 24–17 lead with 5:42 left. Manning took over and moved the Colts to the Saints' 31-yard line. Facing a 3rd & 5 with 3:24 left, his pass intended for Reggie Wayne was intercepted by Tracy Porter, who returned it 74 yards for a critical TD and 31–17 Saints lead. Manning drove the Colts down to the 5-yard line in the last minute, but his 4th & goal pass was dropped by Reggie Wayne at the goal line. The Saints won their first Super Bowl, dropping Manning to 9–9 in the postseason (1–1 Super Bowl record). Manning passed for 333 yards on 31/45, with 1 TD and 1 interception.

2010 season

In a season-opening loss in Houston, Manning set career highs in pass attempts (57) and completions (40), throwing for 3 TDs and 433 yards, the fourth highest opening-weekend total ever. In his third game Manning passed for 325 yards, 3 TDs and no interceptions, marking the first time since 1960 a QB began a season with three consecutive games of at least 3 TD passes and zero interceptions. Against the Kansas City Chiefs Manning failed to throw a TD for the first time in 2010, but led the Colts on a game-winning drive in the 4th quarter (45th of his career) to hand the Chiefs their first loss of the season. In week 6 against the Washington Redskins he passed for 307 yards and 2 TDs. Including the playoffs, that was 68 career games with 300+ yards passing, moving him ahead of Dan Marino (67) for the most in NFL history. Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles marked his 200th consecutive regular season start.

Against the New England Patriots Manning passed for 396 yards, 4 TDs and 3 interceptions, the 2second time Manning threw 4 TDs in a game and breaking a tie with Dan Marino for second-most all-time. The next week was resulted in the largest margin of defeat at home in his NFL career, 36–14 to the San Diego Chargers. Against the Tennessee Titans he went over 4000 yards passing for the 11th time in a season, and tied Dan Marino with his 63rd regular season game with 300+ yards passing. Manning was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for this game. The Colts ended up winning the AFC South for the seventh time in eight years, and Manning became the first QB in NFL history to lead his team to nine consecutive postseason berths (2002–2010). It was the 208th consecutive regular season start of his career, breaking Gene Upshaw's record. For the season, Manning finished with a NFL record 450 completions on 679 attempts (second most in history), and a career-high 4700 yards passing. The season ended in a one point defeat to the New York Jets in the play-off.

In 2010, he was chosen as the 14th-smartest athlete in sports by Sporting News.

2011 season
The Colts placed their franchise tag on Manning on February 15, 2011. On July 30, 2011, the Colts signed Manning to a 5 year, $90 million contract after negotiations in which he made it clear that he did not need to be the highest-paid player in the NFL.

After a May 23 neck surgery, Manning could not use the Colts' facilities for practice and workouts due to the NFL lockout. Reluctant to have witnesses to his recovery, he used the Colorado Rockies baseball team's trainers at Coors Field in Denver. Manning was unable to complete his throwing motion, and his arm strength had significantly diminished. Based on an MRI, doctors told him in the late summer that he needed spinal fusion surgery and that at his age they could not guarantee his return to the NFL. On September 7 the Colts officially ruled Manning out for the season opener against Houston, ending his consecutive starts streak of 208 games (227 including playoffs); the team signed Kerry Collins out of retirement and named him interim starting quarterback. After seeking other opinions, Manning had the second surgery on September 8.

Manning stated that while he did intend to play during the 2011 season, he would not "fight" the front office to stay off injured reserve if his roster spot was needed. Manning started practicing throwing footballs again in mid-December, with teammate Joseph Addai even claiming his passes looked "game ready." Ultimately, Manning did not play a single game in 2011, and the Colts went 2–14 without him, only the second season since Manning was a rookie that the Colts did not win at least 10 games.[citation needed]

Manning was released by the Colts on March 7, 2012. Upon his release, Colts owner Jim Irsay announced that no Colt will ever wear the No. 18 jersey again.

Denver Broncos

Manning reached an agreement with the Broncos on a five-year contract worth $96 million on March 20, 2012. Although No. 18 is retired in honor of Frank Tripucka, he gave Manning permission to wear it.

2012 season
On Thursday, August 9, 2012 Manning made his first appearance as a Bronco in a preseason game against the Chicago Bears, where he completed 4 of 7 passes for 44 yards, and was intercepted once by Bears safety Major Wright.

Manning made his regular season debut as a Denver Bronco in the prime time game on the first Sunday of the 2012 NFL Season, against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the game, Manning completed 19 of 26 passes for 253 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions. He posted a 129.2 QB rating in the 31–19 win, and made history in the third quarter when he connected with Demaryius Thomas on a 71-yard touchdown pass. The touchdown was Manning's first in the NFL with a team other than the Colts, and marked the 400th of his career, making him the third quarterback, after Dan Marino and Brett Favre, to accomplish the feat and the fastest of the three to reach that mark. Despite the preseason concerns about his recovery, by late October ESPN stated that Manning "has silenced the critics" about his arm strength. Manning was later named to the 2013 Pro Bowl, his twelfth. On February 2, 2013, Manning was awarded the AP National Football League Comeback Player of the Year Award and was named a first-team All-Pro selection, in addition to finishing second in MVP voting. The Broncos made the playoffs, but lost 38–35 in double overtime to Baltimore, who went on to win Super Bowl XLVII that season.

2013 season: Fifth MVP
Manning earned his 13th Pro Bowl selection after setting NFL single-season records in touchdown passes (55) and passing yards (5,477), while tying for the second-most completions (450) in a single season. Started all 16 games and finished the season completing 450-of-659 passes (68.3 pct.) for 5,477 yards, 55 touchdowns, 10 interceptions for a passer rating of 115.1... Tied and NFL record with seven touchdown passes, becoming just the second player in league history to throw seven touchdown pass with zero interceptions in a game in Denver’s season-opening win vs. Bal. (9/5)... Completed 27-of-42 passes for 462 yards with the yardage total representing the second highest of his career and tying for the third highest single-game total in Broncos history... Threw for 307 yards with two touchdowns with zero interceptions at NYG (9/15) to become the first player in NFL history to throw for nine touchdowns without an interception in the first two games of a season... Set an NFL record with 12 touchdown passes through three games after tossing three scores on Monday Night Football vs. Oak. (9/23), while setting a career-high and Broncos franchise record with a .865 completion percentage (32-of-37 passing)... Turned in his 24th career four-touchdown game to set a new league record, while finishing 28-of-34 for 327 yards with a 146.0 rating vs. Phi. (9/29)... Passed Dan Marino for second place on the NFL’s all-time psasing yardage list after passing for 414 yards and four touchdowns at Dal. (10/6)... Passed Marino for second place on the NFL’s career leaderboard for games with a touchdown pass (204) after completing 28-of-42 passes for 295 yards with a pair of touchdowns vs. Jac. (10/13)... Completed 29-of-49 passes for 386 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in his first career game at Ind. (10/20)... Engineered his 50th career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime, extending his NFL record in that category vs. Was. (10/27)... Threw for 330 yards and four touchdowns at S.D. (11/10) to continue his historic pace with the most passing yards through nine games and tying for most touchdown passes through nine games... Threw his 71st touchdown pass as a Bronco, tying for third place all-time vs. K.C. (11/17)... Broke his own Broncos single-season touchdown record after throwing for 403 yards with five touchdowns at K.C. (12/1) to increase his season total to 41 touchdown passes... Set a franchise record with 39 completions and established a career high while tying the Broncos’ all-time single-game record with 59 attempts, finishing with 397 yards and four touchdowns to become the first player in at least 15 years to throw for at least four touchdowns with zero interceptions in a game with a temperature below 20 degrees vs. Ten. (12/8)... Moved into fourth place on the NFL’s single-season passing touchdown list with a pair of touchdown passes vs. S.D. (12/12), bringing his season total to 47... Threw for 400 yards and four touchdowns to set a new NFL single-season passing touchdown mark at Hou. (12/22)... Broke the NFL’s single-season passing yardage record after completing 25-of-28 passes for 266 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions for a 145.8 QB rating with that 89.3 completion percentage marking the second-highest figure for a single game in NFL history among players who attempted as many passes as he did at Oak. (12/29)... Completed 25-of-36 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in Denver's Divisional Round win vs. S.D. (1/12)... Joined Craig Morton and Kurt Warner as the only quarterbacks in pro football history to lead two teams to the Super Bowl after completing 32-of-43 passes for 400 yards and two touchdowns in the AFC Championship Game vs. N.E. (1/19)... Set a Super Bowl record with a career postseason-best 34 completions in Super Bowl XLVIII vs. Sea. (2/2).

Manning in popular culture
"That guy's pretty good. If you like... six-five, 230-pound quarterbacks with a... laser rocket arm..."

—Peyton Manning, in disguise, referring to himself in an advertisement for Sprint
Manning has been credited with helping to improve the image of the city of Indianapolis. A curator at the Indiana State Museum observed that "There is no Super Bowl held here without Peyton. There is no Lucas Oil Stadium without Peyton. Without Peyton, the Colts would probably be in L.A. right now." He has become the NFL's most marketable player, appearing in several television and printed advertisements for some of the NFL's biggest sponsors.

Manning made an appearance on Saturday Night Live's sports extra in 2008 in which he was in a children's football scene, and a high school basketball scene. An ESPN This is SportsCenter ad from 2006 features the entire Manning family; parents Archie and Olivia, with their sons Peyton, Eli and Cooper, touring the SportsCenter studios with Peyton and Eli engaging in horseplay behind everybody.

He appeared in one of a series of DirecTV commercials where celebrities are seen in their element, then suddenly begin addressing the viewer. In his commercial they parodied his pre-snap audible routine and known delay in calling for the ball by having him pitch NFL Sunday Ticket instead of changing the play during a blowout game against the Tennessee Titans. Manning also appears in advertisements for St. Mary's Medical Center in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Manning hosted Saturday Night Live with musical guest Carrie Underwood on March 24, 2007, his 31st birthday. The episode earned the show's highest household rating in more than 10 months in the metered markets. During his opening, he alluded to his most-marketable status by joking that he had accomplished two of his life goals: his team, the Colts, winning a Super Bowl and his appearance on over half of America's television commercials. He has also won the Favorite Male Athlete award for the Kids Choice Awards. On May 27, 2007 Manning waved the green flag to begin the 91st Indianapolis 500.

In 2009, Manning guest-voiced (with his brothers, Eli and Cooper) on an episode of The Simpsons called "O Brother, Where Bart Thou?" in which Bart dreams of having a baby brother and sees such famous brothers as The Marx Brothers, The Blues Brothers, The Wright Brothers, The Mario Brothers, and The Manning Brothers.

In a 2012 interview, Star Wars novelist Drew Karpyshyn named Manning the NFL personality most likely to become a Jedi Knight. "The guy always seems calm, cool and collected. He follows the Jedi mantra of "there is no emotion, only peace". But he's still an incredible player – when he's on the field the Broncos are a contender. When he's not… well, we saw what happened last year. Obviously he must be using the Force to get it done, right?"

Charitable works
Shortly after beginning his NFL career, Manning started his own charity, the Peyback Foundation. The Peyback Foundation's mission is to help disadvantaged kids, and focuses its efforts in Louisiana, Tennessee, and Indiana. For his work with this foundation, Manning received the Samuel S. Beard Award for Greatest Public Service by an Individual 35 Years or Under, an award given out annually by Jefferson Awards.

Manning, along with his brother Eli, volunteered their assistance in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Among the tasks performed, the Mannings assisted in the delivery of 30,000 pounds of water, Gatorade, baby formula, diapers, and pillows to the people of New Orleans.

On September, 2007, St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis renamed its children's hospital to "Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St. Vincent." Manning and his wife made a donation of an undisclosed amount to St. Vincent's and have had a relationship with the hospital since his arrival in Indianapolis.

The Manning Bowl
As of 2013, Peyton and Eli Manning's teams have played against each other three times in their professional careers. These encounters have been colloquially dubbed "The Manning Bowl", and as of 2013, Peyton's teams (twice with the Indianapolis Colts; once with the Denver Broncos) hold a 3-0 record over Eli's team (three games with the New York Giants). The first Manning Bowl was held on September 10, 2006, and Peyton's Colts defeated Eli's Giants by a score of 26–21. The second Manning Bowl, was held on September 19, 2010; Peyton and the Colts bested Eli's team again by a score of 38–14. The third Manning Bowl took place on September 15, 2013, and Peyton and the Broncos beat Eli's Giants, 41-23.

Personal life
Manning was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of Olivia (née Williams) and NFL quarterback Elisha Archibald "Archie" Manning III, both Mississippi natives.

Peyton married his wife Ashley in Memphis on St. Patrick's Day, 2001. A graduate of the University of Virginia, Ashley was introduced to him by her parents' next-door neighbor the summer before Manning's freshman year in college. Peyton and wife Ashley have twins, a boy and a girl.

Manning is a Christian. At age 13, Manning said, "I committed my life to Christ, and that faith has been most important to me ever since." Manning said his priorities ranked in order are "...faith, family, friends, and football." Manning said he prays every night and before games and also said, "I hope (and pray) I don’t do too many things that displease Him before I get to Heaven myself. I believe, too, that life is much better and freer when you’re committed to God in that way."

Manning reportedly has an excellent memory for plays. He memorized the Colts' playbook within a week after being drafted, and in 2012 was able to precisely recall the details and timing of a specific play he had used at Tennessee 16 years earlier. During the summer, Archie, Peyton, Eli, and eldest sibling Cooper run the Manning Passing Academy, a five-day camp which aims to improve the offensive skills of quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs. In addition to the Mannings, the camp has included many prominent players from football as coaches, such as Colts wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne.

Peyton, along with Archie, authored a book entitled Manning: A Father, His Sons, and a Football Legacy, which was released in 2000. The book covers Archie's and Cooper's lives and careers, and Peyton's life and career up to the time that the book was released, and examines football from both Archie's and Peyton's points-of-view.

In 2009, Peyton, Eli, and Archie co-authored a children's book entitled Family Huddle, which describes in simple text and pictures how the three Manning brothers played football as young boys (Scholastic Press; illustrations by Jim Madsen).

Manning has donated over $8,000 to Republican politicians, among them Fred Thompson, Bob Corker, and former President George W. Bush.