MVPHG: a new acronym I just made up that means, "most valuable player of his generation." Over the summer, the NFL Network made their top 100 players list. There was a lot of debate over the Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning question. Who is better?

When you look at their abilities side by side, they are so close you end up in a stalemate, and nobody wins. When you compare their teams' success, the edge clearly goes to Tom Brady and his New England Patriots, having won three Super Bowls compared to just (scoff) one for Manning.

But the real measure of value has to be how much the player affects those around him. No one player has meant so much to the success of his team than Peyton Manning has meant to the Indianapolis Colts. 

I don't want to diminish the greatness of Tom Brady because he, too, is among the greatest to have ever strapped on an NFL helmet. But the evidence of the demise of the Colts—from a team that won 10 or more games for nine years in a row, to a team that is in the running for the first pick of the 2012 NFL Draft—is compelling enough to prove, without a doubt, that Manning is the MVPHG.

Remember when Tom Brady was injured in 2008 due to the low hit resulting in the "Tom Brady Rule"? Do you remember what happened to that year's Patriots? Yes, they failed to make the playoffs, but they did so with a record of 11-5. Then-backup Matt Cassel threw for almost 3,700 yards and 21 touchdowns. Cassel has since proven to be serviceable, but not really that great, with the Kansas City Chiefs. 

When you juxtapose the way that Patriots team was able to win games due to their talent, coaching and scheme, and balanced approach, to the way that the Colts of 2011 are completely incapable of fielding a competitive team, the disparity between the two is staggering.

Can you imagine how many titles Bill Belichick and the Pats would've won with Manning at the helm instead of Brady? Peyton Manning is part QB, part offensive coordinator, and part football genius—and did I mention that he's got a rocket for an arm and pinpoint accuracy as well? 

The bottom line is this: all else being equal, I would pick Manning 10 times out of 10 to be my franchise QB over anyone else in his generation. Without Manning, the Colts will have a relatively awful and subpar season.

Let's just hope he comes back with enough left in the tank to challenge Brett Favre's records. Joe Montana was still able to perform at a high level for a few years after he broke his back against the Giants, and I think Manning will do the same. I, for one, would love to see it happen.