CARLOS BARRIA / Reuters

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning talks with Tiger Woods after Manning's game against Miami Dolphins on Sept. 21.

One of the great things Manning has done is set the bar for NFL quarterbacks so high, it’s really in a golden era. Aside from Manning, Donovan McNabb and Tom Brady, the younger crew of QBs — Carson Palmer, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Jay Cutler, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco and even rookies Mark Sanchez and Matthew Stafford — spring from the Manning style.

“I think a lot of these young quarterbacks have emulated the standard Peyton and Tom (Brady) have set,” Dungy says. “You’ve seen it in the colleges with spread offenses, with training guys to be leaders and coming in with the idea they should be in control of the offense.

“You see the offseason programs in May and June and the extreme refinement of the passing game,” Dungy continues. “Young quarterbacks have more opportunity to see things and work with receivers and I think Peyton Manning is a big part of that, with people knowing about the time Peyton spends with his receivers. The development continues to go higher and you see the Staffords and the Sanchez’ come in and be able to do a nice job because they do the same thing in terms of knowledge and preparation.”

The marketing of Manning has also been a masterstroke.

From his hysterical Saturday Night Live appearance in 2007 to his equally entertaining spots for MasterCard and DirecTV, Manning’s disarming personality and self-deprecating sense of humor have pulled back the curtain of intensity he shows on the field.

“I tell people that the Peyton Manning you see in the commercials is more like the real Peyton Manning than the guy you see on the field for those three hours,” Dungy says. “He is very competitive, there’s no doubt about it. When that whistle blows, he kind of morphs into that totally focused guy. But he’s a fun guy to be around. He’s a practical joker. He is a very good teammate, a good communicator. He has that loose fun aspect, he’s not afraid to poke fun at himself, all the things you see in those commercials, that’s who he really is.”

Colts teammate Kelvin Hayden attests to that, saying, “As a rookie I didn’t know what to expect from a guy of his caliber. I walked into the locker room and he was one of the first guys to greet me. That says a lot about him. Then for him to invite me over to his house as he did, it just shows the way he carries himself. He’s a great leader. A great teammate. It all rubs off on everyone else. Because of the way he approaches things — here early, one of the last ones to leave — that sets the tone. It reflects the attitude.

He’s a down-to-earth guy. He has a sense of humor and deals with everybody equally. If you have any doubt how to do your job, just watch someone like Peyton.”

We’re watching. And, finally, we’re all just enjoying it.

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