AFC | Peyton Manning picks up 3rd MVP award

NEW YORK — Peyton Manning took a different approach to earning a record-tying third Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player award.

The Indianapolis Colts quarterback got hurt, struggled when he came back, then lost a bunch of games. Hardly vintage Manning.

But when he rediscovered the touch that has made him one of football's dominant players for a decade, Manning and the Colts were virtually unstoppable.

Now Manning can tell Brett Favre to move over and make room for him atop the roster of MVPs.

"I really feel like it's a team award," Manning said Friday, a day before his Colts meet the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the playoffs. "Just what our team went through this year and the way we responded and bounced back to a little bit of football adversity at the beginning of the season, being 3-4.

"It's been the most rewarding regular season that I've been a part of in my 11 years, and I have to believe a lot of the other players and even coaches might feel the same way."

Manning received 32 votes in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL. He also was the league MVP in 2003, when he shared it with Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair, and in 2004.

Favre, then with Green Bay, took MVP honors in 1995 and '96 before sharing it with Detroit running back Barry Sanders in 1997.

Manning finished far ahead of Miami quarterback Chad Pennington and Atlanta running back Michael Turner, each with four votes.

Manning and the Colts face a familiar foe today in the Chargers — the teams will be playing for the fourth time in two seasons today.

And after fighting week-by-week to stay alive in the playoff chase, the Colts (12-4) and Chargers (8-8) should be acclimated to the pressure accompanying their wild-card showdown at Qualcomm Stadium.

"You've got two teams that have been in very similar situations, that we've essentially been playing elimination games these past five, six weeks," Manning said.

Coaching roundup

The New York Jets met with assistants Bill Callahan and Brian Schottenheimer on Friday for the team's coaching vacancy, kicking off the first round of interviews as they seek a replacement for the fired Eric Mangini.

New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will interview with the Jets today. Spagnuolo, who had meetings about the Cleveland and Detroit openings on Thursday, will also talk to Denver today about the job vacated this week by Mike Shanahan.

Broncos owner Pat Bowlen then will travel to Boston to interview Patriots assistant Josh McDaniels, who interviewed Friday with Cleveland owner Randy Lerner. Lerner was also scheduled to meet with Browns defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, and interview T.J. McCreight, Cleveland's director of player personnel, about Cleveland's opening at general manager.

Tampa Bay assistant coach Raheem Morris is the first candidate who will travel to Denver for his shot at the Broncos job. He'll interview at team headquarters on Wednesday.

The Broncos also are reaching out to other coaches to gauge interest in one of the league's prime jobs. High atop the wish list is believed to be Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who is preparing his second-ranked Sooners to face No. 1 Florida in the BCS championship game in Miami on Thursday.

Notes

• Buffalo S Ko Simpson was arrested outside a bar in Rock Hill, S.C., after he refused to leave officers alone as they arrested another man, according to a police report.

Simpson was in a car that was speeding through a parking lot around 2 a.m. New Year's Day. The driver and another passenger in the car were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after they yelled and cursed at police, according to the report.

Simpson then began yelling at officers, saying "I'm Ko Simpson with the Buffalo Bills. I am worth millions!" The officers arrested Simpson because they feared his screaming might cause the large crowd that gathered to turn against them, police said.