Time to Separate Manning From the Boys

A review of Week 17 in the NFL, and after losing the opportunity to win the Heisman Trophy, it appears Peyton Manning is headed to Siberia, ah, Indianapolis.

And let that be a lesson to anyone who doesn’t jump at the chance to leave college early.

Had he left school a year ago, he could now be residing in Bill Parcells’ doghouse.

The Grand Canyon

The gap between the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints this season was 185 points. The Packers, with Brett Favre on their side, averaged 11.5 points more a game than the Saints, who went with the last guy standing on Bourbon Street each week.

Now What?

1. The Cincinnati Bengals pegged their future on quarterback Jeff Blake, threw in Boomer Esiason to give him a break, and now, if they can talk him out of becoming a TV announcer, they will make the old man their starting quarterback again.

2. Bill Polian, Carolina’s general manager, made Kerry Collins the Panthers’ franchise quarterback, then got smart and took the same job in Indianapolis with a chance to start anew with Manning, leaving Carolina in ruins with Collins in command.

3. Speaking of Collins, Todd Collins was so bad this year that he sent a shiver up the spine of Buffalo fans, something hard to do when you walk around all day in a parka.

Out to Lunch

1. After his team had been hit with 12 penalties and lost, 16-14, for its 21st defeat in its last 32 games, Baltimore Coach Ted Marchibroda said--and this is a direct quote, “I’m extremely pleased with our team.”

2. His team was 8-2 at one point, slipped into the playoffs with a 9-7 record and has lost all four games he has coached in the playoffs, but Minnesota Coach Dennis Green got this assessment from wide receiver Chris Walsh: “If he’s not the best, he’s one of the three or four best coaches in the NFL.”

3. Barry Switzer, universally regarded as lost in his own world after repeatedly contributing nothing to the Cowboy cause, reportedly said, “I don’t know if I want to be the coach next year.”

Statistics to Ponder

The Broncos have lost two of their last three games for six consecutive years now, and it hasn’t mattered who was calling the shots, Dan Reeves or Mike Shanahan. . . . Pittsburgh quarterback Kordell Stewart played long enough in the last game to finish the regular season with 3,020 yards passing--and earned a $150,000 bonus for topping the 3,000-yard mark.

Baltimore kicker Matt Stover finished strong, missing his last five field-goal attempts. . . . Arizona, which has the second pick in the draft, might want to go shopping for a running back after running its streak to 28 games without a 100-yard rusher. . . . Tim Brown set a Raider record with 14 catches. That’s what happens when he calls the plays.

1997 Awards

* Offensive player of the year: There will be an argument from some for Barry Sanders for most valuable player, but in his nine years with the Lions, Detroit has compiled a 73-71 record, and it didn’t finish much better this year at 9-7.

Even so, Sanders is the best offensive show in football, and for that he deserves to be offensive player of the year.

* Defensive player of the year: Green Bay cornerback Doug Evans. Maybe you don’t know a lot about Evans, but after fellow cornerback Craig Newsome went down early in the year because of a season-ending knee injury, Evans picked up the slack and helped the Packers finish the way they did a year ago at 13-3.

* Coordinator of the year: Kansas City defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham had aspirations of becoming a head coach, but got stuck working for the Chargers and the Raiders. In charge of the Chief defense, he has taken advantage of the team’s speed and designed an attacking unit that allowed Kansas City to appear dominant while stuck with stiffs Elvis Grbac and Rich Gannon at quarterback.

* Coach of the year: New York Giants’ Jim Fassel or Kansas City’s Marty Schottenheimer? Fassel. He caught a break because of the chaos in the NFC East, but how do you win 10 games with Danny Kanell and Dave Brown at quarterback?

* MVP: Green Bay quarterback Favre. He stays injury-free, he remains fresh and approachable, he looks as if he’s having fun and he drives Coach Mike Holmgren crazy. More than that, he continues to make big plays, although opponents were stoked by the chance to knock off the defending Super Bowl champions.

* Best supporting actor: Green Bay running back Dorsey Levens. The Packers lost workhorse Edgar Bennett before the season started because of an Achilles’ injury, and there were doubts about Levens’ durability. But when Green Bay mowed down the Cowboys, Buccaneers and Vikings in a three-week stretch, it was Levens doing much of the damage.

* Worst actor of the year: Kevin Gilbride, hired for his offensive genius, proved to be just offensive in his debut as Charger coach, turning off fans and media alike while leading his troops to a 4-12 record.

* Best game of the season: Scheduled to be played Jan. 11, 1998, in San Francisco: The Packers versus the 49ers in the NFC championship game--unless the frauds from Frisco take gas in the division playoffs a week earlier.