Quarterback, New Orleans
Age: 29
7th
season in pro football & with Saints
College: Mississippi
Height: 6’3” Weight: 200
Prelude:
Following an
outstanding college career that culminated in his finishing second in the
Heisman Trophy voting in 1970, Manning was taken by the Saints in the first
round (second overall) of the ’71 NFL draft. With a strong arm and excellent
mobility, he was moved directly into the starting lineup and led the Saints to
an upset win over the Rams in his first game, but the team was mediocre and he
suffered through far more defeats than victories. He was sacked a
league-leading 40 times and missed two games due to assorted injuries. Manning
led the NFL in pass attempts (448) and completions (230) in 1972, but again in
being sacked (43). Over the next few years, there were more low than high
points and injuries were factors again in ensuing seasons. Manning missed all
of 1976 due to a shoulder injury that required surgery and put his career in
jeopardy. He came back in ’77 to tie for fourth in the NFC in passing, although
an ankle injury again cut his season short.
1978 Season Summary
Appeared and
started in all 16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Passing
Attempts – 471
[3]
Most
attempts, game – 53 at Green Bay 9/10
Completions –
291 [2]
Most
completions, game – 33 at Green Bay 9/10
Yards – 3416 [2]
Most yards,
game – 344 at Pittsburgh 11/5
Completion
percentage – 61.8 [2, 1st in NFC]
Yards per
attempt – 7.3 [8, tied with Ken Stabler & Brian Sipe]
TD passes – 17
[7]
Most TD
passes, game – 3 vs. LA Rams 10/1
Interceptions
– 16 [18, tied with four others]
Most
interceptions, game – 3 vs. Philadelphia 9/17, at Dallas 11/19
Passer rating
– 81.7 [5]
300-yard
passing games – 2
200-yard
passing games – 10
Rushing
Attempts – 38
Most
attempts, game - 5 (for 48 yds.) vs. LA Rams 10/1
Yards – 202
Most yards,
game – 48 yards (on 5 carries) vs. LA Rams 10/1
Yards per
attempt – 5.3
TDs – 1
Awards & Honors:
NFC Player of
the Year: UPI, Sporting News
1st
team All-NFC: UPI, Sporting News
Pro Bowl
Saints went 7-9
to finish third in the NFC West, the franchise’s best record at the time.
Aftermath:
Manning
followed up with another Pro Bowl year in 1979, completing 60 percent of his
passes for 3169 yards and 15 touchdowns, although also 20 interceptions, as the
Saints reached .500 for the first time in franchise history at 8-8. However,
greater expectations for 1980 were dashed as the club dropped to a dismal 1-15,
although Manning achieved career highs with 3716 passing yards, 23 TDs, and an
81.8 passer rating. His performance dropped off significantly in an
injury-filled ’81 season and, losing his starting job to Ken Stabler, he was
dealt to the Houston Oilers early in the 1982 season. He was traded again
during the following year, to Minnesota, where he finished his career as a
backup in 1984. Overall, Manning threw for 23,911 yards (21,734 with the
Saints) with 125 touchdowns (all but ten with New Orleans) and 173
interceptions. He also rushed for 2197 yards and 18 TDs, averaging 5.7 yards
per carry. While Manning played for losing teams and never fully met
expectations as a pro, his sons Peyton and Eli went on to become noteworthy pro
quarterbacks.
--
MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or
Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or
USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football
Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press
International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league
itself). Also includes Associated Press NFL Offensive and Defensive Players of
the Year.
