ESPN

We're going to let Drew Brees go celebrate today, as the Super Bowl MVP and the Saints prepare for a party SportsNation says will be even better than when the Cubs finally bring a World Series back to Wrigley.

Today is all about recriminations for the other guy. You know, the one some people were talking about as the best ever at anything.

But while a few folks may be gloating at Manning's downfall in Miami, 70 percent of SN likes him -- a better favorability rating than LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal or Danica Patrick. The question is if liking Manning is the same as believing a guy with a 9-9 record in the postseason is as clutch a quarterback as his peers?

• Rank 'Em: Which quarterbacks with a ring do you trust most in big games?
• Vote: Has Peyton Manning or Drew Brees meant more to a franchise?

For their part, SportsNation bloggers and chat participants have been busy weighing what to do with Peyton Manning's place in the quarterback hierarchy.

• "[W]hen looking at both Brees and Manning, it appears that the name Manning has made for himself seems to hold greater clout for the majority of fans and analysts. The stats speak for themselves, and its apparent, when looking at how the two have performed while Brees has been in New Orleans, that Brees has held its own against Manning and deserves to be in the conversation for greatest of his era." -- Read vman112012's full post.
• "Manning has always had a sense of its all on me to win. Manning cant rely on his defense. The colts defense showed it again last night. Freeneys injury was not as big as a factor when Drew Brees is releasing the ball within 3 seconds. The colts frontline cant get to him in 3 seconds anyway. If the defense could of had even a couple stops, Manning would not of had that sense of, its all on me, again. And only having 6 offensive plays in the 2nd quarter wasnt Mannings fault. A perfectly placed ball to garcon for a first down that he dropped. And even though the game was about over, the wayne drop on 4th down." --Read DTJones2005's full post.

J.B. (Dunmore, PA)

Mr.Horton: Where would you rank Peyton Manning among the all-time QBs in terms of ability in the post-season?

Scouts Inc.'s Gary Horton

That's a tough question to answer, although I get it. I think he's brilliant on a week-to-week basis. His preparation is probably like no other in the history of the league and he can put up huge numbers. But the reality is that he's a .500 playoff QB. I'm afraid that as brilliant as he is, people will always say that he didn't win enough in the postseason, if this thing stays the same. For myself, I look at his work on a whole and think he's a great QB. I'm probably not as tough on the postseason as a lot of people. Full transcript

Freddie (Charlotte, NC)

How much fault for that pick 6 is on Manning, and how much is on the receiver for not boxing out better?

NFL Insider Jeremy Green

I do not think Manning will ever say so but Wayne ran a really bad route ... dropped a TD too ... Wayne had a terrible football game. Full transcript

• Vote: Who would you rather have a beer with?
• Chat: Paul Kuharsky talks about the Super Bowl, 3 ET

Until this season, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning weren't compared all that often. Brees was doing his thing in the regular season, while Manning was battling it out on the biggest postseason stages against Tom Brady and the Patriots. They've been matched up in the awards voting, but more often than not, theirs was a distant rivalry.

Facing off in the Super Bowl, however, has changed things dramatically. Both quarterbacks are the lynchpins of offensive juggernauts, with Brees getting the edge over Manning for points per game for this season. Manning's got the career stats, however, and no longer has a postseason monkey on his back after his first Super Bowl win. SportsNation has Manning with the big edge, but frankly, the question of skill is all played out.

A few months ago, we compared Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in purely personal matters. Who would you want to be your wingman? Dating your sister? Have a few beers with? Manning trounced Brady in most categories, and we were wondering if the same would hold true with Brees. Do you prefer Manning's genial pitchman routine, or Brees' channeling of Leonidas and the 300 Spartans in his pre-game warmup speech? That's strangely appropriate; we expect their passes to blot out the sun. Ignore the fact that they'll play at night.

Brian (New Orleans)

Why doesn't Brees get seem to get as much respect as other elite QB's? All of the talk has been what will 2 rings do for Manning's legacy, but what will a ring do for Brees?

Matt Williamson

If he gets that ring, he will then be in that conversation. I do think Brees is respected a great deal around the league and is clearly one of the best players at his position-but his body of work just isn't there (yet) with Favre, Warner, Peyton and Brady. Roethlisberger is in that conversation as well. But in all honesty, the only two QBs who I put ahead of Brees right now is Brady and Peyton. Full transcript

Stephen M. Young II (Brazil)

Whose offense, at their best, is better. Colts or Saints?

Mike Sando

The Saints right now. I think the Colts' offense has had to work harder for its points this season. Peyton Manning has had to eke out a lot of close games against average teams (49ers, Jaguars, etc.). That is one reason I thought Manning was the best choice for MVP. Brees' offense has more horsepower in terms of the offensive line. Full transcript

• Vote: Who do you fear most with the ball in his hands and the game on the line?
• Chat: Drew Bennett, 12 ET | Jeremy Green, 1 ET | Gary Horton, 4 ET

Let's face it; we've got some time to kill before the Colts and Saints take the field for the Super Bowl in Miami. So before diving in to the details of various Pierres -- Garcon, Thomas or Trudeau -- how about pausing to consider the guy of whom Jets receiver Braylon Edwards said, "Every time he has the ball, you're a little nervous."

Playing the league's top-ranked defense, Peyton Manning put up 377 passing yards, three touchdowns and nary an interception Sunday. Even Jets fans could do little but applaud.

• "Peyton Manning showed why he is the best quarterback in the league, in fact, the best quarterback of my lifetime. In [the second] half, Manning was not pressured and made excellent reads, and excellent audibles that had the Jets defense on its knees. ... Manning picked the so called #1 ranked defense apart, putting to rest this whole idea that statistics and rankings makes a defense great. Obviously it doesn't. The Jets defense was good this season, but not dominant and today showed." -- Read Goldbrick44's full post.

Even before Sunday's game, SportsNation ranked Manning as the second-best quarterback in league history, behind only Joe Montana. That sentiment isn't changing this morning, at least not unless Manning completes the job against the Saints, but what about the rest of the sports world at the moment? Does anyone out there display more mastery of his profession than Manning does running an NFL offense?

• Vote: Will resting key players help or hurt the Colts? | More on Week 16
• Chat: "First Take" analyst Drew Bennett, 12 ET | Scouts Inc.'s Gary Horton, 4 ET

Unlike Jim Caldwell and the Colts, we're not quite ready to let go of Sunday's game against the Jets. So let's dig in to arguably the biggest non-Favre controversy of the season a bit more. (And don't count out the Vikings master; he still has tonight's game and Week 17 to throw Brad Childress under a bus ... or just Pat Williams.)

We've already seen Caldwell's approval rating take a hit in the wake of his decision and the team's subsequent loss, but is that really bothers people about the whole messy affair? For our money, booing your own 14-0 team and its rookie backup quarterback who played his high school and college ball in the state (Merry Christmas, Curtis Painter) is an even lamer move than the coach resting Peyton Manning and others.

And not surprisingly, it didn't take long for SportsNation bloggers to fire up the virtual quill and start reacting. Also not surprisingly, the responses ranged from philosophical to angry to slightly nutty.

• "Very rarely is it impossible to debate a particular topic. And I should know. I'm one of those annoying people who can debate anything - Ernest Hemingway vs. William Faulkner (Hemingway, easily), the 2009 UConn women's basketball team vs. the 1995 women's team (obviously 1995), or Cheez-Its vs. Cheese Nips (Do people eat Cheese Nips? Seriously?). Anything. But I can tell you one thing for certain. Nothing is going to make me crazier than all the deabte we're likely to hear about Jim Caldwell pulling Peyton Manning (et. al.) in the third quarter against the Jets on Sunday. And it's for one simple reason -- you can't debate it." -- Read the full post.
• "The Colts management should issue an apology to their fans, to the fans of the teams whose playoff implications were changed today by their cowardly, selfish decision, and to the entire National Football League. Of course, no apology will be forthcoming. And, honestly, it won't matter. The damage is done, and we will never know how deep the damage actually runs." -- Read the full post.
• "Unfortunately what we will learn one day in the distant future is this game plan was hand delivered earlier in the week from New York. Yep, I know hard to believe. From the commish, to the owner, coaches, and the Colts QB and leader of this team, you were "ALL IN" and knew the decision to pull the starters would influence the outcome." -- Read the full post.

We don't wish ill on anyone. Actually, that's not true, but we don't wish ill on anyone relevant to this discussion. Nevertheless, injuries happen, and as we've seen time and again -- Tom Brady last season, Alex Rodriguez early in the MLB season and Alex Ovechkin in recent weeks, to name just a few -- they sometimes happen to the biggest of stars.

And so it was that the populace of Cleveland found itself holding its breath after LeBron James injured his wrist on a dunk against the Wizards. There's little reason at the moment to think it's a long-term issue, but it makes us wonder. Which team would take the biggest hit if it lost its star for an extended period?

• Your Rankings: Which superstar would be the biggest loss for his team?

“

That's what you get for dunking the ball so hard down by 17 to the Wizards. Why was he dunking like that? You're down 17 lay the ball up dont dunk where many of things can go wrong on a fast break where the nearest wizard player was on the bench.

” -- ravenisthebest7

“

Lebron's MRI showed positive for having won zero championships.

” -- treelocX

• Your Rankings: Who are the leading candidates for NFL MVP?
• Chats: Chris Mortensen wrap | Matt Williamson, 12 ET | Mel Kiper, 1 ET

Should we offer a moment of silence for fantasy football owners coming to the realization that Saints safety Darren Sharper has scored more touchdowns this season than Steven Jackson, Brandon Jacobs or Anquan Boldin?

The Saints are just outside the top 10 in total defense at the moment, which is kind of remarkable when you think about how often their opponents have the whole field to work with after yet another Saints touchdown and yet another Saints kickoff. Sharper may not be the sole reason for the success, given that he shares the field with guys like Charles Grant and Jonathan Vilma, but as a newcomer with a league-best six interceptions and three touchdowns, he's becoming the face of it.

When push comes to shove, 67 percent of SportsNation prefers a great defense to a great offense. But are you ready to give a guy like Sharper MVP consideration?

• Vote: Whose performance meant more: Brady's, Brees', or Sanchez's?
• Chat: Gary Horton recaps Sunday and previews Monday Night Football, 4 ET.

Bear with us for just one minute, but we've always wanted to use this phrase:

Out on the frozen tundra of Gillette Stadium, the Patriots brought a blizzard to bear against the hapless Titans.

OK, we're good. Maybe the field in Foxboro was more slushy than frozen, but the part about the Titans being hapless? Totally true. How else would you describe a team that let up five passing touchdowns in one quarter and couldn't manage even a field goal on offense? It's not a good week in Tennessee, but the fans in New England are having flashbacks to 2007. It's a long way from Brady's jitters against the Jets, which had so many in the Bay State concerned (although the Jets suddenly have problems of their own).

Of course, Drew Brees may have had an even better day. Though he didn't set any records, Brees threw for four touchdowns against a team that's nearly the polar opposite of the Titans. For one, until the Giants met up with the Saints on Sunday, they had won all their games. Might Brees' performance be more impressive than Brady's, given that the Titans have practically given up? All we know is that for all Brady and Brees' heroics, Matt Schaub leads the league in touchdowns. Weird game, football.

• Wednesday Chats: Chris Mortensen, 11 ET | Matt Williamson, 12 ET | Mel Kiper, 1 ET

Why didn't AIG have this kind of foresight? As recounted in the Wall Street Journal, Fantasy Sports Insurance launched this year to offer fantasy football owners some peace of mind on their high-dollar investments. Drafted Adrian Peterson but worried about an injury ruining your season? Buy insurance on him and recoup your league fees if he gets hurt (although in Peterson's case, based on his chat with SportsNation, Frank Gore insurance would have been a better investment).

One of the only 50 stars the company offered to insure? Cedric Benson. The same guy who averaged 3.5 yards per carry last season while rushing for a career "best" 747 yards. Forget insurance; we're going to these guys for our draft cheat sheet next year.

Thanks in no small part to Benson, who has 487 rushing yards in five games, the Bengals are 4-1. But does that make him a better MVP pick than Carson Palmer, let alone Peterson, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning or other standouts?

Scott (Bakersfield, CA)

Which offseason add has helped their team more Dawkins or Sharper?

Gary Horton

That's almost a push. They are both great veteran players with tremendous leadership skills. Your first inclination might be to say Sharper because of his big plays and his instincts. He can turn around a game with those interceptions. My sources in Denver tell me Dawkins is like another coach on the field and is a huge part of the speed in which Denver has made the transition from a 43 to a 34. That may not show up in the box score, but it is a big factor in their success. Full transcript.

Random (Dude)

DO u have yourself on your fantasy team?

Adrian Peterson

Nope. Frank Gore. And Matt Forte. Full transcript.

• Your MVP Watch: Which players are in your top 5 after the first four weeks?
• Wednesday chat wraps: Chris Mortensen | Matt Williamson | Fran Tarkenton

Save for the Falcons, Eagles, Cardinals and Panthers, NFL teams are already a quarter of the way through the regular season. Most places, that means an opportunity for fans to take stock of what they've seen and set expectations for the remaining 12 games. In St. Louis, where the Rams have been voted the worst of the worst four weeks running, we don't recommend diverting your attention from the Cardinals. (Or the Blues, for that matter. In fact, if the Saint Louis Billikens have any halfway decent post players, you might just want to skip ahead to basketball season).

Through just a quarter of the season, we've already seen three teams trade the top spot in SportsNation's Power Rankings -- not to mention 15 teams ranked somewhere in the top 10 at some point. And as good as Drew Brees has been, his Saints have cracked the top 2 just once. Just imagine how messy this would be in the BCS.

“

NFC East is a hugely overrated conference at the moment. The Redskins and Cowboys appear to be actively bad teams; and both the Eagles and Giants have question marks as to the health of key players.

” -- MNRyan55

“

The fact is, the Jets won't even be a part of the play-off picture, so why are we even bothering with them now. The AFC will come down to the Colts, Patriots, Steelers, Ravens and probably the Chargers and the NFC will most likely come down to the Saints, Giants, Vikings, Bears, Eagles and Packers.

” -- MadMax1018

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning came through with just enough big moments in Week 1 to lead their respective teams to victory, but at the moment, is Drew Brees the NFL's best quarterback?

If there was a time for Brees to make his move, it's probably right after throwing six touchdown passes, a record for Week 1, against the still-woeful Lions. But we somehow were still a little surprised to see the Saints signal-caller surge to the No. 1 spot in SportsNation's quarterback rankings yesterday. Brees has been posting big numbers for a long time now, and yet, as recently as March, he earned just more than 5,000 first-place rankings from SportsNation -- Brady and Manning each received more than 34,000.

Hey, if Roger Federer can lose a U.S. Open and Tiger Woods can take the collar in major events, perhaps anything is possible. Maybe Brees really is the best passer in the world.

• 68 percent of SN would rather give Brees a six-year contract than Philip Rivers.
• Your Rankings: Yeah, but where do JaMarcus Russell and Trent Edwards rank?
• Chat: Former Patriot Troy Brown, 1:30 ET | Hall of Fame QB Len Dawson, 3 ET

“

Even though we still have the worst history of any major professional sports franchise; The Saints are in a new era and I think Brees may get us to a SuperBowl. I loved how the Saints overcame a blocked kick, 2 long returns, an int, and two fumbles. Who Dat!

” -- njhaines

“

Brees is a monster & I hate the Chargers but definitely think they would've had a SB ring by now as well w/him..

” -- blair771999