What if Peyton Manning Went to the Jets PT1

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1997 Draft

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The 1997 draft is different, the Jets draft Peyton Manning. When it comes to the trade 8th overall the Buccaneers draft Warrick Dunn, 6th overall the Rams draft Orlando Pace, and the 12th overall pick the Seahawks draft Walter Jones. The rest of the draft is mostly the same with very few changes. Neil O'Donnell is traded to the 49ers in exchange for a 3rd round pick in 1998.

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1997 Season

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The 1997 season for the Jets go 10-6 with Peyton Manning winning ROTY and leading the Jets to the playoffs and AFC East division title. The Patriots become the 6th seed and go 10-6 and actually play the Jets, as for the Dolphins they go 9-7.

1997 AFC Playoff Standings

1. Chiefs

2. Steelers

3. Jets

4. Broncos

5. Jaguars

6. Patriots

Outcome

WCG1. Jets vs Patriots 21-17

WCG2. Broncos vs Jaguars 42-17

DVR1. Chiefs vs Broncos 10-14

DVR2. Steelers vs Jets 7-10

AFCG. Broncos vs Jets 24-10

1997-1998 SB

No changes Broncos win

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1998 Draft

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The 1998 draft has the Colts picking 1st overall, Ryan Leaf is drafted to be the teams QB. As for the Chargers they decide to tank at QB, and as for the 27th pick the Jets draft defeanive Jeremy Staat. Vinny Testaverde goes to the Detroit Lions.

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1998 Season

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The Colts go 2-14 with Ryan Leaf looking like a bust right away. The Jets and Manning go 13-3 thanks to Manning progressing with Bill Parcells deciding to stick around longer. As for the Detroit Lions they go 10-6 and sneak into the playoffs. San Diego goes 4-12.

1998 AFC Playoff Standings

1. Broncos

2. Jets

3. Jaguars

4. Dolphins

5. Bills

6. Patriots

Outcome

WCG1. Jaguars vs Patriots 25-10

WCG2. Dolphins vs Bills 24-17

DVR1. Jets vs Jaguars 34-24

DVR2. Broncos vs Dolphins 38-3

AFCG. Broncos vs Jets 23-13

1998 NFC Playoff Standings

1. Vikings

2. Falcons

3. Cowboys

4. 49ers

5. Packers

6. Lions

Outcome

WCG1. Cowboys vs Lions 7-24

WCG2. 49ers vs Packers 30-27

DVR1. Vikings vs Lions 10-14

DVR2. Falcons vs 49ers 20-18

AFCG. Falcons vs Lions 23-24

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1998-1999 SB

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The Detroit Lions on a cinderella run led by Vinny Testaverde and Barry Sanders make it to the Super Bowl against the Broncos. The Super Bowl is close with Testaverde and the Lions falling to the Broncos 16-13.

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1999 NFL Draft

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The Browns and Eagles still draft Couch and Mcnabb. The Colts draft Edgerrin James 2nd overall, and the Chargers 4th overall draft Daunte Culpepper to be the teams QB.

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1999 Season

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The Lions go 8-8 after Vinny Testaverde tears his achillies but the season is saved by Charlie Batch and Gus Frerotte. The Jets go 13-3 and win the AFC East again while the Colts go 4-12, the Chargers go 10-6 led by ROTY winner Daunte Culpepper, the Seahawks take the 6th seed over the Dolphins.

1999 AFC Playoff Standings

1. Jaguars

2. Jets

3. Chargers

4. Titans

5. Bills

6. Seahawks

Outcome

WCG1. Chargers vs Seahawks 34-17

WCG2. Titans vs Bills 17-16

DVR1. Jaguars vs Titans 19-21

DVR2. Jets vs Chargers 31-20

AFCG. Jets vs Titans 21-13

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1999-2000 SB

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After two straight years of heartbreak the Jets finally crash the Super Bowl against Kurt Warner and the Rams. The Super Bowl itself is a duel between two future HOF QBs Manning vs Warner. The Game comes down to a game winning field goal as the Rams walk it off and win the Super Bowl 27-24 Warner is the MVP.

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2000 Offseason

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The Colts after three losing seasons look to replace Ryan Leaf and HC Jim Mora is fired and in comes Herm Edwards while Bill Belichick goes to the Patriots. The Colts select Chad Pennington 5th overall to be the franchises new quarterback, as for the Patriots they take a 6th round pick named Tom Brady. Barry Sanders also announces he will be staying in Detroit.

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2000 Season

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The Lions with Testaverde go 10-6 and they make the playoffs. The Jets go 9-7 and miss the playoffs due to collapsing, the Colts go 10-6 with Pennington and snag the last wildcard spot. As for the Chargers they go 10-6 but miss the playoffs via a tie breaker. Minnesota without a top QB struggles and goes 6-10.

2000 AFC Playoff Standings

1. Titans

2. Raiders

3. Dolphins

4. Ravens

5. Broncos

6. Colts

Outcome

WCG1. Dolphins vs Colts 23-12

WCG2. Ravens vs Broncos 21-3

DVR1. Titans vs Ravens 10-24

DVR2. Raiders vs Dolphins 27-0

AFCG. Ravens vs Raiders 16-3

2000 NFC Playoff Standings

1. Giants

2. Buccaneers

3. Saints

4. Eagles

5. Lions

6. Rams

Outcome

WCG1. Eagles vs Lions 21-10

WCG2. Saints vs Rams 31-28

DVR1. Giants vs Eagles 24-10

DVR2. Buccaneers vs Saints 26-20

NFCG. Giants vs Buccaneers 10-12

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2000-2001 SB

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With Shaun King under center the Buccaneers hold their own but lose 28-16. The Ravens defense carries the team with SB MVP going to Ray Lewis. Tony Dungy is given extensions due to the SB run.

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2001 Offseason

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The Ravens pursue Brad Johnson and manage to secure him to a 3yr contract while Trent Dilfer is kicked to the curb and signs with the Seahawks. The Arizona Cardinals have the 1st pick and decide to draft Lenoard Davis, at 5th overall the Falcons select Michael Vick while the Chargers draft LaDainian Tomlinson 18th overall. With the 33rd pick the Browns go with a backup option at quarterback in Drew Brees, Quincy Carter goes to the Cowboys still. the Colts also get Reggie Wayne to give Pennington a top weapon.

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2001 Season

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The Jets with Manning and Parcells regress again going 7-9. As for the Colts with Chad Pennington and Reggie Wayne the Colts go 11-5 and clinch the 6th seed. Brad Johnson and the Ravens go 11-5 while securing the 5th seed while Miami is the 4th seed. Detroit goes 9-7 and steals the last wildcard spot over the Buccaneers. A new threat is emerging in the AFC led by Tom Brady.

2001 AFC Playoff Standings

1. Steelers

2. Patriots

3. Raiders

4. Dolphins

5. Ravens

6. Colts

Outcome

WCG1. Raiders vs Colts 38-24

WCG2. Dolphins vs Ravens 3-20

DVR1. Steelers vs Ravens 21-28

DVR2. Raiders vs Patriots 13-16

AFCG. Patriots vs Ravens 19-24

2001 NFC Playoff Standings

1. Rams

2. Bears

3. Eagles

4. Packers

5. 49ers

6. Lions

Outcome

WCG1. Eagles vs Lions 26-24

WCG2. Packers vs 49ers 25-15

DVR1. Bears vs Eagles 19-33

DVR2. Rams vs Packers 45-17

NFCG. Rams vs Eagles 29-24

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2001-2002 SB

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The Rams play the Ravens in a defensive showdown with neither QB playing great. In one of the worst Super Bowls ever the Super Bowl MVP goes to Marshall Falk who ran for just 54 yards along with 4 catches for 40 yards during a 11-10 victory. The Rams have cemented themselves as an NFL dynasty with two Super Bowls over three seasons.

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2002 Offseason  

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The Texans draft David Carr 1st overall, and at 21st overall the Lions draft Joey Harrington to develop behind Testaverde. As for the Rams Mike Martz is seen as a capable replacement for Dick Vermill. The rest of the draft is mostly the same with very few changes, Bill Parcells is given one more year to turn things around. As for Drew Bledsoe he goes to the Bills. Gruden remains in Oakland due to Dungy’s SB run in 2000.

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2002 Season   

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The Jets and Manning go 10-6 and bounce back to win the AFC East. The Ravens and Rob Johnson go 12-4 and clinch the AFC North while the Steelers go 10-5-1 and secure the 5th seed. Pennington and the Colts go 10-6 and secure the 6th seed. Detroit and Testaverde manage to wheel Barry Sanders to one last playoff dance at 10-6 but it’s clear that Sanders is done after 2002. Minnesota goes 5-11 and struggles with the QB position.

2002 AFC Playoff Standings

1. Ravens

2. Raiders

3. Titans

4. Jets

5. Steelers

6. Colts

Outcome

WCG1. Titans vs Colts 30-41

WCG2. Jets vs Steelers 0-31

DVR1. Ravens vs Colts 30-13

DVR2. Raiders vs Steelers 41-26

AFCG. Ravens vs Raiders 23-7

2002 NFC Playoff Standings

1. Eagles

2. Buccaneers

3. Packers

4. 49ers

5. Giants

6. Lions

Outcome

WCG1. Packers vs Lions 7-12

WCG2. 49ers vs Giants 39-38

DVR1. Eagles vs Lions 23-3

DVR2. Buccaneers vs 49ers 21-6

NFCG. Eagles vs Buccaneers 21-10

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2002-2003 SB

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The Super Bowl between the Eagles and the Ravens is tight thanks to two elite defense. Eventually Johnson and the Ravens coming out victorious 20-16. The Super Bowl MVP goes to Ray Lewis who had 6 tackles, 3 sacks, and 1 forced fumble on Mcnabb. The Ravens are a dynasty in the making.

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2003 Offseason

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Needing a running back the Lions at 21st overall select Willis McGahee to replace Sanders. Testaverde is given one more year before the keys are given to Harrington. The Vikings select Byron Leftwich 5th overall, while the Jaguars are forced to draft Kyle Boller, and Rex Grossman still goes to Chicago. Chris Simms is drafted by TB 95th overall to be a potential franchise QB.

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2003 Season

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With Daunte Culpepper the Chargers go 9-7 but miss the playoffs in a tightly contested AFC wildcard race. Detroit struggles and goes 7-9 with Testaverde being benched mid year for Harrington as the team flounders and misses the playoffs. The Jets go 12-4 and make the playoffs as a wildcard spot, Brad Johnson and the Ravens win an awful AFC North at 11-5. The Dolphins sneak into the postseason over the Chiefs who go 9-7 due to loosing to Ravens 9-6 in OT. Indy goes 7-9 due to injuries to Pennington as well. Drew Brees plays 6 games for the Browns with him showing flashes and being handed the keys to the team. Minnesota and Leftwich go 6-10 while the Jaguars and Boller go 4-12.

2003 AFC Playoff Standings

1. Patriots

2. Chiefs

3. Titans

4. Ravens

5. Jets

6. Dolphins

Outcome

WCG1. Titans vs Dolphins 24-6

WCG2. Ravens vs Jets 13-41

DVR1. Chiefs vs Jets 31-23

DVR2. Patriots vs Titans 17-24

AFCG. Patriots vs Chiefs 24-27

2003 NFC Playoff Standings

No Changes

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2003-2004 SB

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The Super Bowl is Chiefs vs Panthers with Kanas City coming out on top 24-21. Trent Green leads a game winning drive late and wins Super Bowl MVP along with Dick Vermill winning his 2nd Super Bowl since 1999.

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2004 Offseason

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Oakland has the 1st pick and drafts Robert Gallery still, as for the QBs a massive shift happens. With San Diego, already having a quarterback the Eli Manning trade never occurs meaning Manning is drafted 4th overall by the Giants, Phillip Rivers goes to the Steelers, and Ben Roethlisberger falls to Buffalo at 22nd overall. JP Losman is than drafted by the Cardinals 33rd overall. Brad Johnson stays in Baltimore due to the success they have had and he earns a 3 yr extension. As for Jeff Garcia he is the starter in SF.

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2004 Season  

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Baltimore and Johnson go 9-7 and miss the playoffs, the Chargers led by Culpepper finally break through going 12-4 and winning the division and becoming the 4th seed. The Jets and Manning go 12-4 and secure the 5th wildcard spot while Chad Pennington and the Colts go 10-6. Pittsburgh with Rivers and Maddox go 8-8 but are not ready yet, the division winner is a shocker as the Browns led by Drew Brees go 11-5 and win the North. Buffalo with Bledsoe benches him for Ben Roethlisberger who goes 10-6 and clinches the 6th seed via a tie breaker. In the NFC the Vikings with Leftwich go 7-9 with them narrowly missing the playoffs to the 8-8 Saints led by Aaron Brooks. Kurt Warner goes 8-8 with the Saints having been kept the starter due to being a two time SB champion, Eli Manning is the main starter in NY an struggles going 3-13. The 49ers go 2-14 in a nightmare season due to Garcia missing the year with an injury.

2004 AFC Playoff Standings

1. Patriots

2. Chargers

3. Browns

4. Colts

5. Jets

6. Bills

Outcome

WCG1. Browns vs Bills 20-13

WCG2. Colts vs Jets 20-31

DVR1. Patriots vs Jets 20-3

DVR2. Chargers vs Browns 21-24

AFCG. Patriots vs Browns 28-34

2004 NFC Playoff Standings

1. Eagles

2. Falcons

3. Packers

4. Seahawks

5. Rams

6. Saints

Outcome

WCG1. Packers vs Saints 17-21

WCG2. Seahawks vs Rams 20-27

DVR1. Eagles vs Saints 24-10

DVR2. Falcons vs Rams 47-27

NFCG. Eagles vs Falcons 27-10

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2004-2005 SB

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The Eagles play the Browns in a SB with it being a duel between Brees and Mcnabb, the Eagles get up early and nearly allow a Saints comeback before Brian Dawkins slams the door shut with an interception. The Eagles win the SB 27-22 Mcnabb is SB MVP. A possible dynasty is spoken with the Eagles organization as Mcnabb cements himself in the hall.

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2005 Offseason

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The Cowboys sign QB Drew Bledsoe, TO returns to Philly on an extension until 2010. Jeff Garcia signs with the Oakland Raiders on a 1 yr contract as a bridge gap starter.

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2005 Season

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The Eagles suffer a SB hangover and due to injuries go just 6-10. The Jets go 13-3 and win the AFC East, Cleveland and Brees go 9-7, New England missed the playoffs, Buffalo sneaks in at 11-5 as the 5th wildcard spot, the 6th seed goes to the Cheifs via a tie breaker, and the Bengals win the AFC North at 11-5. Minnesota with Leftwich goes 12-4 and win the North, Chicago becomes the 6th seed while Washington misses the playoffs. Chad Pennington and the Colts go 10-6, Jacksonville and Boller struggle going 8-8. Kurt Warner and the Rams go 5-11.

2005 AFC Playoff Standings

1. Jets

2. Broncos

3. Bengals

4. Colts

5. Bills

6. Chiefs

Outcome

WCG1. Bengals vs Chiefs 20-12

WCG2. Colts vs Bills 20-34

DVR1. Jets vs Bills 18-24

DVR2. Broncos vs Bengals 27-12

AFCG. Broncos vs Bills 24-20

2005 NFC Playoff Standings

1. Seahawks

2. Vikings

3. Buccaneers

4. Giants

5. Panthers

6. Bears

Outcome

WCG1. Buccaneers vs Bears 17-21

WCG2. Giants vs Panthers 0-21

DVR1. Seahawks vs Bears 20-9

DVR2. Vikings vs Panthers 3-29

NFCG. Seahawks vs Panthers 34-14

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2005-2006 SB

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The Super Bowl between the Broncos and Seahawks is close but Hasselbeck does just enough to get Seattle the win. Two late field goals put Seattle up 6 as the Seahawks defense clinches the franchise’s first Super Bowl with Shaun Alexander as SB MVP.

Part 1 Changes

1. Peyton Manning has a lot more playoff success early than he did with Indy

2. The Detroit Lions have sustained success and make a SB under Vinny Tesaverde along with Barry Sanders extending his stay. Testaverde is a multi time PB QB in Detroit, and CBPOTY winner

3. The Rams become a dynasty while the Ravens make three straight SB’s with Brad Johnson being the perfect QB for Baltimore.

4. Mcnabb and Reid win a SB

5. Tampa makes a SB early and Shaun King isn’t benched for Johnson

6. Kansas City wins a SB

7. Pennington has much earlier career success and is a PB QB.

8. Brady has 0 SB victories

9. The Manning Brady rivalry has more stakes.

10. The Bills find a great QB in Ben

11. The AFC East is a slaughter house with every team having a great QB excluding the Dolphins who have yet to find a sustained answer at QB.

12. Seahawks win a Super Bowl