Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning's pregame ritual with his Indianapolis Colts receivers has something in common with the New Year's Eve festivities in Times Square. In both cases, the ball drops once a year. That's the way it seems with Manning & Co., at least, a group so practiced and precise that a whole warmup can take place without the football touching the turf.

DALLAS -- As the NFL's first family of quarterbacks, the Mannings are anything but a house divided. But the NFL's divisional playoffs created a formidable logistical challenge, one that had one Manning parent at the RCA Dome on Sunday and the other at Texas Stadium. Father Archie was in Indianapolis watching son Peyton's Colts play the San Diego Chargers; mother Olivia was in Dallas watching younger son Eli and the New York Giants play the Cowboys.

There might not be an NFL team that plays locally, but let's face it, thousands of us have fantasy league rosters that we draft and manage. Each week, Times NFL writer Sam Farmer will offer a few tips to the wise: Play him Bench him *--* Peyton Manning QB, Indianapolis No surprise here: The Lions have a lousy secondary with only four interceptions -- one fewer than the NFL record low for a season.

Peyton Manning asked his coaches at halftime if they had any suggestions for him. All he got was, "You haven't thrown any incompletions. Just try to keep doing what you're doing." Great tip. Manning was nearly perfect Thursday night, exactly what the Indianapolis Colts needed to overcome the Jacksonville Jaguars. Manning completed his first 17 passes, picked apart Jacksonville's secondary and led the Colts to their eighth consecutive win and seventh straight playoff berth.

No flashy passing numbers. No balanced offensive attack. No AFC South title. Does Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning deserve to be the NFL's most valuable player this season? No question. Sure, there are plenty of qualified candidates -- among them quarterbacks Drew Brees, Chad Pennington and Kurt Warner; running back Adrian Peterson; and linebackers DeMarcus Ware and James Harrison -- but it's Manning who should get the award, which will be announced Friday by the Associated Press.

Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning has acquired a can't-win-the-big-one reputation because the Colts have been bounced from the playoffs several times when they were favored to win. But this Saturday, Manning and Co. will be underdogs at Baltimore against the Ravens' intimidating defense. Manning, who had three passes intercepted in the Colts' wild-card victory over Kansas City, is still looking for his first road playoff victory since Jan. 11, 2004 -- another Colts victory over the Chiefs.

The worst news of the season for Peyton Manning came when Marty Schottenheimer lost another playoff game. It was proof that there's an order to things in the NFL, that some things will always happen, just as every cover of every men's fitness magazine always promises "Better Abs!" Come January, Schottenheimer loses in the playoffs, accompanied or followed by Manning's losing in the playoffs.

First, he prayed. Sitting on the sidelines in the final minute of Sunday's madness, Peyton Manning put his head down, tucked his cap low, closed his eyes, pleaded for vindication. "I don't know if you're supposed to pray for stuff like that, but I said a little prayer there," he said. Then, he cried. Staggering through a midfield confetti storm like a weary New Year's reveler, a victorious Peyton Manning hugged his coach, hugged his teammates, hugged his father, hugged his moment.

The most famous right thumb in North America got back to work Wednesday, even if it's not quite wiggling at full strength. Peyton Manning's thumb displayed a pinkish hue before he participated in the Indianapolis Colts' first practice for their Super Bowl XLI meeting with the Chicago Bears. The Colts said X-rays were negative, and Manning was trying to be nothing but positive Wednesday.

With a Super Bowl date with the Chicago Bears next Sunday, Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning may well be reflecting on two things: * The Colts are finally back in the championship game that was their winter home in the old Johnny Unitas days. * And it is Manning himself, shaking off an unhappy old habit, who has made it possible. Last week, the Colts, a bust in the waning days of too many regular seasons lately, won a big one at last as Manning finally looked like a great football player.