AOW: Austin Collie (NFL)

While the spotlight in today’s AFC Championship was Pierre Garçon (11 rec, 151 yds, 13.7 avg, 1 TD), rookie receiver Austin Collie was also a choice target for MVP quarterback Peyton Manning. Collie caught 7 passes for 123 yards, averaging 17.6 yards per carry and scoring a touchdown. Collie has been reliable for Manning and the Colts all season as opponents focused coverage on #1 receiver Reggie Wayne and Pro Bowl tight end Dallas Clark.

Watching Collie play this season, you would never guess that he was a rookie fresh out of BYU. He made 60 receptions for 676 yards, averaging 11.3 yards per reception. He scored 7 touchdowns for the Colts. He gets open frequently, rarely drops a pass, picks up yards after catches, and has never fumbled the football. He plays smart football and looks amazingly comfortable in his first year in the Colts system.

Collie’s accomplishments are a credit to his work ethic, but also an example of the leadership of Peyton Manning and the effectiveness of the Colts system. Collie told Sports Illustrated in 2009 about Manning’s work ethic and his interaction with receivers, especially the young guys like Collie and Garçon. Manning devotes a lot of time beyond team practices to meet with his receivers and teach them to succeed in the Colts’ offense. Manning and his receivers spend extra time watching tape to study themselves and their opponents.  They also communicate regularly during games and throughout the week to fix their own weakness and exploit their oppoents’.

The Colts are a team of smart, hard-working players. They continue to recruit players with that work ethic that will make them successful in their first season, not after years more of development. Collie, Garçon, Lacie, McAfee. Is there any other team in the NFL getting such great results out of so many young players like this?

Live Blogging Colt-Jets

inDsports will live-blog the AFC Championship game between the Colts and Jets this afternoon at twitter.com/indsports. We’ll start with pre-game action, share stats and commentary throughout the game, and keep an eye on other sports action happening today.

Manning wins 4th AP MVP, credits others

The Associated Press announced today that they have awarded their MVP award for the NFL to Colts Quarterback Peyton Manning. It is his 4th time receiving the AP award. Discussing his award, Manning took none of the credit:

I’m very grateful to all the players and the coaches and our fans, who were a big part of it. There were a number of other extremely deserving candidates.

…

I have received some calls and texts from some teammates, and I appreciate that. I’ve responded to them how thankful and grateful I am to them for all of their help and for doing their jobs the way that they do. Football is the ultimate team game, I’ve always said that, and I think at times like this, it makes you feel good to be part of a really good team and a bunch of great guys and great members of the organization.

Manning scored 33 touchdowns and threw for 4,500 yards this season, leading the Colts to a 14-0 start, taking an NFL record 23 game regular season win streak. He played less than half of the two remaining games of the season due to a team decision to rest players for the playoffs. The team struggled tremendously on offense without him and lost those games against the Jets and Bills.

Manning is truly one of the most valuable players of all time, not only in the NFL but any sport. He makes every player around him play better, teaching young receivers to succeed in the Colts system and motivating them to put in the work. He is also one of the smartest and hardest-working players in the game, devoting every possible minute to studying his own team and his opponents to discover every weakness and solve every problem.

Colts give up on perfection

Facing the New York Jets this afternoon, the 14-0 Indianapolis Colts gave up on perfection, pulling quarterback Peyton Manning and other starters with only a 15-10 lead in the 3rd quarter.

Disappointed fans at Lucas Oil Stadium booed. Others watching at home turned off their televisions. And players on the sideline did not look happy either.

With the front-runner for the NFL’s MVP award on the sideline, the Jets took advantage of rookie quarterback Curtis Painter and made some big plays on both sides of the field to score 19 unanswered points and finish up with a 29-15 victory (recap).

At 14-0, the Colts were only two wins away from a perfect regular season, with the potential to be the first team to win a super bowl 19-0.

The Colts’ hope is that resting starts and avoiding injuries could give them better odds in the playoffs. However, it hardly guarantees a win even in the first game of the playoffs. You could lose any game you play in the NFL–no matter who you play–so what do you have to lose? You are professionals. You are just five games away from perfection. You go for it!

It is pathetic that this team of professionals has disappointed so many thousands of fans today.

NFL Gear for 2009 at ESPNShop.com!

Update (01/01/10):

ESPN Dallas reports.

The NFL will ask the competition committee to review integrity-of-game and competitive-balance concerns with clinching playoff teams that choose to rest starters at the end of the season.