Power Rankings: Manning always gives Colts chance to win - NFL

Updated Sept. 29

Tony Dungy was a great coach, no doubt about that. So it was only natural that when he retired from coaching last winter, walking away from his job with the Indianapolis Colts, people would expect the Colts to fall off.

Power Rankings: Manning always gives Colts chance to win - NFL - CBSSports.com Football

Those people forgot the most important NFL rule, which is that coaches are important but never as important as the guy taking snaps.

The Colts still have Peyton Manning. That's why they are still good. It's that simple.

Not to insult Dungy or new coach Jim Caldwell, but the Colts are a 4-12 team without Manning, no matter who coaches them.

With Manning, they're always a Super contender.

If you or I were named coach of the Colts tomorrow, they wouldn't be as good. That's an easy assumption. But I ask this: What situation would an opponent rather face -- the Colts without Manning coached by Dungy or Caldwell or the Colts with Manning coached by Joe Fan and the assistants?

It's not as easy a decision as you might think, is it?

Manning, who was the league MVP last season even though it seems some have chosen to forget, reminded us of his greatness Sunday night when he threw for 379 yards and four touchdowns in a 31-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

The Colts are now 3-0 in Caldwell's first season as coach, and once again look poised to own the AFC South with the Tennessee Titans at 0-3 and the other two teams in the division both at 1-2.

The Colts are second in the CBSSports.com Power Rankings this week, just behind Peyton's brother, Eli Manning, and the New York Giants.

NFL video
Pete's Picks: Week 4
More Week 3 links
Prisco: Week 3 Grades \| Monday Musings SI.com: King's Monday Morning Quarterback
Fantasy links
Richard: First Response \| Fantasy & Reality

Peyton Manning had his huge night without his second wide receiver, Anthony Gonzalez, who is out for a while with a knee injury. Does it matter? Manning still has Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark. Plus, he seems to make any receiver who steps on the field that much better.

What would Pierre Garcon or Austin Collie be if they were in Cleveland? That's what great quarterbacks do. They raise the level of the people around them.

This summer, when all the speculation centered on the Colts falling off with Caldwell taking over, Manning, his teammates and even Caldwell shrugged at the notion.

"We're still the same guys," Wayne told me this summer. "And we still have Peyton throwing it to us."

It's the great chicken-or-the-egg debate for the NFL. What's more valuable, the coach or the quarterback?

In the Colts case, I'll go with Manning.

The Power Rankings after Week 3:

Power Rankings
Current		Team	Previous
	1	Saints · Trends	4
	What is hidden about the Saints is that there are a lot of good, young players on their roster. I can't imagine them taking a big step back.
	2	Colts · Trends	1
	Let's not forget they get Anthony Gonzalez back next year, which will make the offense better. They are the team to beat in the AFC again.
	3	Vikings · Trends	5
	After blowing a chance to win the NFC title game in regulation, it must have killed the Vikings to see the Saints win the Super Bowl. Now Minnesota has to play the waiting game with Brett Favre.
	4	Chargers · Trends	2
	They have a lot of contracts that come up, and they will have to make some tough decisions. There is still a lot of talent on this team, but they have to get over the hump at some point. Losing to the Jets was a big upset.
	5	Cowboys · Trends	3
	Wade Phillips comes back for another year, and he has to get this team past the first round of the playoffs again. Tony Romo is in the same situation.
	6	Eagles · Trends	6
	Can we stop the Donovan McNabb trade talk? He will be back, and he should be back. Will Brian Westbrook?
	7	Jets · Trends	11
	The next step will be letting Mark Sanchez do more. They have to throw it better in 2010. And they will.
	8	Packers · Trends	7
	Aaron Rodgers showed he's a star in the making this season. That will make Green Bay a Super threat in 2010.
	9	Bengals · Trends	8
	They made big strides to win the division, but they have to improve the passing game. That means getting speed help outside.
	10	Ravens · Trends	12
	It's time for Joe Flacco and that passing game to take a big step forward. You have to get big chunks of yardage to win in this league.
	11	Patriots · Trends	10
	Tom Brady will be a year removed from his knee injury, which means he will be better. The key for the Patriots will be improving their pass rush.
	12	Cardinals · Trends	9
	Matt Leinart takes over for the retired Kurt Warner. There are a lot of questions about the former Heisman winner, but the Cardinals staff believes in him. Do his teammates?
	13	Broncos · Trends	13
	What do they do with Brandon Marshall? Is he back? Is he traded? They need him, that's for sure.
	14	Steelers · Trends	14
	The concerns with this team are on both lines. They have to play better there. Isn't that the Steelers way?
	15	Texans · Trends	15
	They had a winning season, but it's time to make the playoffs. They do have an explosive passing game, which gives them a good chance.
	16	Falcons · Trends	16
	They played the Saints tough twice with a lot of injuries. That has to give them hope heading into next season. They have to work on fixing that defense.
	17	Giants · Trends	20
	There is some talk that Tom Coughlin could be in trouble if he doesn't win next season. I don't buy it. But they do have to improve the defense.
	18	Titans · Trends	17
	Vince Young played well when he took over. Now he has to show he can do it again.
	19	Dolphins · Trends	18
	I think this is a team to watch in 2010. Chad Henne will give the Dolphins a better chance to get to a Super Bowl. He does need a receiver.
	20	49ers · Trends	19
	The Niners have talent, but they have to throw it better to be a playoff team. I think Alex Smith just might be the answer. The offensive line needs fixing.
	21	Jaguars · Trends	21
	Jack Del Rio got another year, which some question. Does his quarterback get the same?
	22	Panthers · Trends	22
	They have to decide who plays quarterback. Is it Matt Moore or Jake Delhomme? It should be Moore. What to do with Julius Peppers?
	23	Redskins · Trends	23
	Mike Shanahan has to decide if Jason Campbell is his quarterback of choice. I bet he decides that he is. Hiring Jim Haslett was a good move for the defense.
	24	Bears · Trends	24
	Lovie Smith has one year to show that he can turn this team around. Hiring Mike Martz as offensive coordinator is a great move.
	25	Seahawks · Trends	25
	Pete Carroll has a long way to go to turn this team around. First decision is if Matt Hasselbeck is the right guy at quarterback.
	26	Bills · Trends	26
	Is Chan Gailey the right choice? Let's put it this way: His hiring was a surprise. He does know offense.
	27	Chiefs · Trends	28
	You can bet the first priority is trying to improve that offensive line. Matt Cassel took a beating.
	28	Browns · Trends	27
	Eric Mangini gets another year, and he probably earned it late. Can Mike Holmgren turn this team around? He has a lot of work to do.
	29	Buccaneers · Trends	30
	Raheem Morris gets another year and his team should be better just because Josh Freeman will be better. Hey, they did beat the Saints late in the season.
	30	Raiders · Trends	29
	Tom Cable is back. Is that a good thing? Who knows? If they don't fix the quarterback position, does it matter?
	31	Lions · Trends	31
	It's all about improving the defense. They need pass-rush help in the worst way. They are another year away from competing -- at least.
	32	Rams · Trends	32
	They have a huge decision at the top of the draft: Do they take a quarterback or do they solve that by acquiring Michael Vick? We'll see.