peytonmanning

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning has won his record-setting fourth NFL Most Valuable Player award.

Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star reports that Manning finished first in MVP voting by the 50-member Associated Press panel that chooses the award.

Manning also won the award in 2003 (sharing it with Steve McNair), 2004 and 2008. Brett Favre is the only other player to win the award three times. Five players - Jim Brown, Joe Montana, Johnny Unitas, Kurt Warner and Steve Young - have won it twice.

Manning had a career-high 68.8 percent completion rate, with 4,500 passing yards and 33 touchdowns.

The Colts posted just the third 14-0 start in league history this season and set an NFL record with 23 consecutive regular-season wins. Jim Caldwell has worked with Peyton since 2002 when he was the Colts Quarterbacks coach.

“He's been such a highly accomplished performer year-in and year-out,” Caldwell said earlier in the week. “Just when you think you've seen his best, he improves upon it. This year is one of those when you look at his numbers and how he's been able to play consistently well over a long period of time.

“It's been remarkable. He keeps getting better. He just has an innate sort of will to excel. He never gets bored with it. That, I think, is highly unusual.''