So rather than discussing the NFL's version of an all-star game, I'm going to name my team of the year: one player at quarterback, running back, offensive line, wide receiver, defensive line, linebacker, cornerback, and safety. If I have enough energy at the end, I will even throw in a head coach for my partial team.

Okay, here we go. Form an orderly queue at the bottom of this page to register your complaints. My first pick is bound to provoke a response or two.

I thought long and hard about this premier position in the NFL. There is no doubt this is going to create some debate because Tom Brady is going to be the runaway winner for the NFL Most Valuable Player voted on by members of the Associated Press in the United States.

Brady was excellent throughout the regular season, setting a new mark for greatness by throwing 335 passes in a row without an interception. He ended the year having hit on 324 of 492 attempts for 3,900 yards, 36 touchdowns and four interceptions. That is truly incredible.

But he was one and done in the play-offs and disappointed during the loss to the New York Jets, albeit on a badly-injured foot.

The Packers have been in must-win mode for about five weeks now and, but for a shaky second half in Chicago in the NFC Championship game, Rodgers has been playing out of this world.

He is at the very top of his game and boasts a strong arm, accuracy and intelligence to match Brady. But where Rodgers has the edge is in his ability to scramble away from pressure and pick up valuable yardage downfield.

Time and again in recent years, Rodgers has proven the Packers were right not to bring back Brett Favre after he decided against retiring in 2008. A week on Sunday, we get to see if he can match Favre's career Super Bowl wins total in just his third season as a starter. This guy is now firmly in the elite group of NFL quarterbacks and just edges Tom Terrific, particularly given the fact I had the luxury of picking these winners deep into the post-season.

Running Back: Arian Foster - Houston Texans

Honourable mentions go to Kansas City's Jamaal Charles, Atlanta's Michael Turner and Jacksonville pocket rocket Maurice Jones-Drew, but Foster gets the nod for winning the NFL rushing title in just his second season.

While the frustrating Texans were up and down, Foster was the model of consistency. He opened with a bang, rushing for 231 yards and three touchdowns against the Indianapolis Colts in week one and ended with 180 on the ground against the Jaguars in Houston's final game of the season. He was also excellent in between.

Foster also showed he could catch passes out of the backfield, making him the complete package. With a promising mix of speed, vision and power, he can dominate for many years to come.

Offensive Line: Jake Long - Miami Dolphins

As Miami's season began to unravel down the stretch, Long remained an ever-present up front despite suffering knee and shoulder injuries that could have ended his campaign. Miami's quarterbacks may not be worth protecting, but Long does his job to perfection and has now started all 16 games for three seasons in a row.

I could easily have gone for Atlanta's Roddy White, who led the NFL with 115 catches, or the emerging Brandon Lloyd of the Denver Broncos. I could even make a case for the always-dominant Andre Johnson, of the Houston Texans.

But the one who stands above all others is Reggie Wayne, of the Indianapolis Colts. No receiver was more important to his team or his quarterback this season.

Wayne was targeted 175 times and caught 111 passes - both AFC highs - and he has now caught more than 100 balls in three of the past four seasons. I marked him down for making just one catch in the play-offs but no other wideout dominated the post-season enough to overtake Wayne.

Tight End: Jason Witten - Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys endured a rough 2010 campaign that cost head coach Wade Phillips his job, but Jason Witten was a consistent star performer in Dallas. Despite playing with a backup quarterback for much of the year, Witten consistently got open and caught 94 passes for 1,002 yards and nine touchdowns.

Defence

Defensive Line: Julius Peppers - Chicago Bears

You would have expected Peppers to shine in 2010 given that he was being paid close to $1m per game. His impact on the Bears does not show on the stats sheet as he recorded just 54 tackles and eight sacks. But he was constantly double-teamed, allowing others on the Chicago defensive line to enjoy career years (that's you, Israel Idonije). Athletic, quick and strong, Peppers was virtually impossible to block this season.

This is a tough one as inside and outside linebackers are very different beasts and their positions are very different. A defence cannot operate without a sure-tackling middle linebacker such as Ray Lewis or Patrick Willis, but it is only natural that your attention gets drawn to the playmaking pass-rushers who dominate from the outside.

Cameron Wake burst onto the scene as a pass-rushing force for Miami and James Harrison remains an intimidating enforcer for the Steelers, but Matthews gets my vote because he can do it all.

Matthews uses blazing speed to make plays all over the field. The son of the former Cleveland Browns linebacker bearing the same name recorded 60 tackles, 13.5 sacks and one interception returned for a touchdown against the Cowboys. Look for this explosive defender to have a big day against the Steelers in the Super Bowl.

Cornerback: Darrelle Revis - New York Jets

If you base these awards purely on statistics, Revis doesn't get a look-in because he did not record a single interception this season. Rather than a negative, that is a reflection on the level of dominance he holds over the rest of the NFL.

Quarterbacks are too scared to challenge Revis and he can shut down one half of the field for an entire game. Most of the best receivers in the NFL go missing on Revis Island. During a stretch in the middle of the season, Revis limited Greg Jennings, Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson and Terrell Owens to a combined nine catches for 74 yards.

Revis is not only the best cornerback in the NFL today, he is well on his way to becoming one of the greatest in league history. The Hall of Fame beckons.

When healthy and on top of his game, Polamalu is one of the very best players in the NFL, regardless of position. Time and again he has made big plays for the Steelers and facing Pittsburgh's defence was a very different proposition whenever Polamalu was missing through injury in 2010.

Polamalu is a physical freak. He can play close to the line of scrimmage and hit with the power and force of a linebacker, but he can also race downfield and easily keep pace with some of the best receivers in the game.

If the Steelers win next weekend's Super Bowl, I would expect Polamalu to have stepped up and made several big plays along the way.

Head Coach: Raheem Morris - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In just his second season, Morris turned around one of the youngest teams in the league. His Buccaneers went from 3-13 in 2009 to a 10-6 mark that left them frustrated at missing the play-offs in 2010. Morris' Bucs became the first team since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 to start 10 rookies and post a winning record. The head coach and his team are well worth watching in 2011.

So that's my team of the year. Who makes yours?

The Green Bay Packers meet the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV on Sunday 6 February. Watch the game live from 2245 GMT on BBC ONE and the BBC Sport website (UK only).Listen live on 5 live sports extra from 2220 GMT, and on 5 live from 2330. You can also follow the live text commentary on the BBC Sport website.

Cutler survived a bumpy ride earlier in the year but with Christmas Day just around the corner, he has certainly delivered the goods.

What else would you expect from a man born in Santa Claus, Indiana?

Cutler joined the Bears in a much-publicised trade with the Denver Broncos in 2009 but was mostly terrible in his first season with Chicago, throwing 26 interceptions in 16 games as he forced one ill-advised pass after another.

Jay Cutler has had a very productive second season in Chicago. Photo: Reuters

He has certainly improved in 2010, although he is still prone to making the odd mistake from time to time.

Cutler has completed 61.7% of his passes for 2,891 yards and 20 touchdowns this season. Those are not staggering numbers, but they are pretty decent considering he has been sacked 44 times behind an offensive line that remains a work in progress.

For Cutler, just getting onto the football field each weekend remains a considerable achievement. He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2008 and can often be seen on the sidelines carrying a small black pouch complete with a glucose meter and testing strips.

While most quarterbacks around the NFL are going over plays or taking a well-earned break on the bench between drives, Cutler is often seen drawing blood from his fingertip to test his blood sugar levels.

Despite a condition that initially left him constantly weak and tired, Cutler feels in good health and refuses to let it have an impact on his life as a professional sportsman. And while he can be a spiky character at times, his perseverance and determination makes his success in 2010 all the more enjoyable to witness.

And if you believe in Christmas miracles, the Bears might just be the team you'll want to pin your hat on when the NFL playoffs begin.

Lovie Smith's men won just seven games last season and the head coach entered 2010 firmly on the hot seat and running out of time to impress.

With two games still to play, the Bears have already secured 10 wins and the NFC North Division title. Now they are playing for a first round bye in the playoffs, which would significantly improve their chances of reaching Super Bowl XLV in Dallas.

Chicago's quest for a strong finish begins on Boxing Day as they take on a playoff-bound New York Jets squad buoyed by their victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Jets will present a real challenge for the Bears but Chicago boasts the very dangerous combination of having been both lucky and good for much of this season.

They only just edged past Detroit in week one when a disputed touchdown catch by Lions' wide receiver Calvin Johnson was overturned, handing Chicago victory inside the final minute. They lost Cutler to a concussion in week three but week four did not present any challenge at all as they took on the league-worst Carolina Panthers. Talk about good timing.

During the second half of this season, Chicago's aggressive defence has feasted on a pair of third-string quarterbacks in Tyler Thigpen and Drew Stanton, resulting in victories over the Miami Dolphins and Lions respectively.

And last week, the Bears were able to make life a living hell for rookie quarterback Joe Webb as he replaced the injured Brett Favre for the final two and a half quarters of Chicago's 40-14 thrashing of the Minnesota Vikings. That was also game in which the Vikings were without injured star running back Adrian Peterson.

Chicago's defence is extremely strong at the best of times but they have been able to play at an even more dominant level due to the quarterback struggles endured by some of their opponents this term.

Lovie Smith has led the Bears to the playoffs this season. Photo: AP

The free agency arrival of star defensive end Julius Peppers has made a great deal of difference to the defensive line and has helped create chances for fellow end Israel Idonije to produce a career year in the Windy City.

Behind that pair lurks one of the NFL's most dominant linebackers of the past decade in Brian Urlacher, who is proving he still boasts considerable playmaking skills despite being in his 11th season.

He is ably supported by Lance Briggs and this is a unit that will keep hitting hard and often throughout the post-season.

Talking of the playoffs, I'll be back in the first week in January, by which time the post-season line-up will be settled (there are still nine of the 12 places up for grabs) and myself and Greg Brady will be preparing to provide live commentary of one of the wild card round contests.

Until then, thanks for reading this weekly offering in 2010. Your input is always much appreciated (most of the time, anyway!). Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Week 16 on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

The Bears have won six of their last seven and are reigning NFC North champions. Yet they enter this Boxing Day game against the Jets far from heavy favourites. It should be a hard-hitting affair as Greg Brady and I present the action from Soldier Field from 1745 GMT on Boxing Day.

The reason for any form of doubt around the Bears? A week 14 shellacking at the hands of the New England Patriots that took some of the shine off a strong second half of the season.

But during that seven game run, the Bears have produced some big wins (most notably against the Philadelphia Eagles), Mike Martz has shored up the pass protection for Cutler and the rushing attack is beginning to show signs of life with Matt Forte and Chester Taylor sharing the load.

That improvement - coupled with homefield advantage and a desire to clinch a first round bye in the playoffs - should be enough to see the Bears edge past New York. But they will have to work very hard indeed to see off the visitors.

I paced up and down the 50-yard line, shuffled my feet and kicked up hundreds of tiny black balls that make up your standard Astroturf field. As I killed time waiting to conduct a television interview, I took a moment to think about how lucky I was to be in that position.

Not just because I was in America interviewing a legend of the game's modern era, but more because I had been granted some rare one-on-one time with a man who is traditionally about as comfortable in front of a television camera as a cockroach on I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

The opportunity was so rare that I was ushered (that should read hurriedly shoved, if I'm honest) inside the stadium to conduct the interview on the field, rather than on the adjacent practice site outside - which would have been in full view of the American media covering the New England Patriots' training camp.

Bill Belichick has enjoyed huge success as Patriots Head Coach with Tom Brady as his quarterback. Photo: AP

As head coach Bill Belichick strolled out onto the field looking as scruffy as always, I half expected to be given a series of bog-standard answers by the man who gives very little away.

And even though I tried to go all Jeremy Paxman on him at times, I have to admit I did not uncover any mind-blowing secrets or create any earth-shattering headlines. I couldn't even get him to venture a guess as to whether quarterback Tom Brady would end up in the Hall of Fame, which I would have thought was a fairly safe bet.

But it was fascinating to spend even a relatively short amount of time with the coach who led New England to three Super Bowl titles in four seasons from 2001-2004. It was clear that he is a man who is all business - he lives and breathes American football and very little else seems to matter to him.

And this season, Belichick might be doing the best job of his career with a Patriots team that boasts a record of 10 wins and two losses heading into Sunday's encounter with the Chicago Bears - a game that can be heard live on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra as Arlo White and Greg Brady call the action from Soldier Field.

The Patriots are a long way from being the most talented team in the NFL this season, yet they boast the league's best record. Much of that is down to Belichick's leadership and the outstanding play of Brady, but some of the success is down to some shrewd personnel moves.

Fed up with consistent soft running by incumbent starter Laurence Maroney, Belichick traded him to the Denver Broncos in September and turned the rushing attack over to the unheralded pairing of BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead.

Both men entered the NFL as free agents and the latter was cut by the New York Jets this summer. Together, they have combined for 229 carries for 1,054 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. In Denver, Maroney has stumbled to a grand total of 74 yards on 36 attempts.

The Patriots finished last season knowing they were in desperate need of a tight end. And while some teams in their division have struggled to find an elite player at that position for many years, most notably the Buffalo Bills - New England found two in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

Those young rookies hit the ground running from day one and have combined to catch 65 passes for 835 yards and 10 touchdowns, instantly earning Brady's trust.

Belichick made the biggest headline in October when he traded star wide receiver Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings, who promptly cut him loose just a few weeks later. And while the New England passing attack has rarely missed a beat since (thanks in part to the return of Deion Branch from Seattle), Moss has caught just 18 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns in the last eight weeks.

Defensively, Belichick has made moves to get younger on that side of the ball and while this is very much a work in progress, there are signs that some youthful cornerstones are in place in the form of linebacker Jerod Mayo, cornerback Devin McCourty and safety Brandon Merriweather.

What has been clear in 2010 is that Belichick is not about to rest on his laurels and he is a long way from being satisfied with his body of work in the NFL.

Belichick has won three Super Bowls with the Patriots. Photo: Getty Images

It was a classic move aimed at reminding his players not to live in the past. There would be no sense of satisfaction having already won a hat-trick of Super Bowls - Belichick wanted his team to be hungry for more glory.

When pushed on why he had made such a move, Belichick simply stated that "walls needed painting".

But it was a smart move by a coach who is the embodiment of the type of player he brings through the door at every given opportunity.

Belichick is intensely intelligent when it comes to football tactics and man motivation, he is tough to the point of being harsh and unforgiving at times and he insists that the team comes first above everything else.

It's the same way with many players who have been successful in Boston during the Belichick era. Size, strength and speed are important in today's NFL but if you land in New England, you can also get by if you have toughness, intelligence and a team-first attitude.

As a result, the Patriots have always been one of the most intelligent and disciplined teams in the league during Belichick's reign. And they have rarely been reliant on one player - even when Brady was lost for the season in 2008, they managed to scrape together 11 wins by rallying around a back-up quarterback with no starting experience in Matt Cassel.

This is a team that has built a tradition of winning and these Patriots appear ready to make another Super Bowl charge, proving just how far great coaching and a star quarterback can take a team in the NFL.

Belichick really is the NFL's version of Manchester United's Alex Ferguson. Both are gruff, grumpy, not the most media-friendly guys and not afraid to ship out problematic players for the good of the team. And both have been hugely successful.

Week 14 on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

We have a double-header on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra from 1745 GMT on Sunday. Nat Coombs and I will bring listeners coverage of a fascinating encounter between the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings before handing over to Greg and Arlo in the Windy City.

The Vikings have been a much tougher proposition in recent weeks under interim head coach Leslie Frazier but there are concerns over the health of Brett Favre, who is battling a pretty serious shoulder injury. That will not be good news against a New York defence that has already knocked five quarterbacks out of games this season. This might be the week Minnesota turns to the more mobile and considerably younger Tarvaris Jackson.

I think the Giants will edge a close encounter in Minneapolis, while New England will continue their AFC East-leading pace with a big road win against the Bears. That should be another hard-fought game, but I think Brady and the Patriots will have too much class in the end.

And that seems to be something I have written quite a lot in recent years. That is one of the beautiful things about the NFL - you always get a pretty crowded and hotly contested race to the Super Bowl.

It is amazing that with just over a month to go in a 32-team league, there are 18 clubs who are either leading their division or are within one game of being in first place. There is no clear favourite to play in the title showdown in Dallas in February and even fancied teams can get knocked off every now and then.

If one team encapsulates the unpredictable nature of the 2010 season, it is the New York Giants.

Both Manning and Jacobs have struggled to find consistently good form this season. Photo: AP

One week they're awful, the next they look like Super Bowl champions-elect, and then they slide back into mediocrity and threaten to fall out of the playoff race all together.

As they stand right now, the Giants are in pretty good shape with a record of seven wins and four losses. That is good enough for a share of first place in the NFC East Division but it has been far from smooth sailing for coach Tom Coughlin's men.

The Giants suffered a sloppy and mistake-filled end to 2009, losing eight of their last 11 games after opening the year with five straight victories.

Discipline problems looked set to rear their ugly head again early this season as the Giants struggled to a penalty-filled week one victory over the Carolina Panthers before hitting the self-destruct button during a week two thrashing at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts.

That was followed by a disappointing week-three loss to the Tennessee Titans and it appeared as if the Big Blue were going to suffer another frustrating year.

But Coughlin is one of the better coaches in the NFL and he got his players straightened out. The Giants went on a five-game winning run and were proclaimed as Super Bowl favourites in November.

Of course, that put the mockers on New York and they suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. But for a late comeback against the Jacksonville Jaguars last weekend, the Giants would have dropped three straight.

So you can see why this is a tough team to work out as the playoffs draw ever nearer.

Quarterback Eli Manning perfectly demonstrates the Jekyll-and-Hyde nature of the Giants. He is a tough, strong-armed and gutsy player who can give them a lot of highs. He has thrown for more than 20 touchdowns in each of his six seasons in the NFL and that is no mean feat.

But with Manning there are lows to go alongside the highs. He has thrown 16 interceptions this season and needs to take better care of the ball. There were encouraging signs for the Giants last weekend as he did not toss an interception against the Jags.

But he needs to produce more games like that and must not make the kind of mental errors that have dogged his career with some regularity. In 2007, Manning threw 20 interceptions in the regular season but was virtually perfect in the playoffs, leading New York to an upset win over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Interestingly, the Giants have asked Manning to go back and study film from that Super Bowl run in order to eliminate some mistakes from his game. We will see if that makes a difference in the coming weeks but I will need to see it to believe it. Manning definitely has the talent - he just needs to be more consistent.

There are also pluses and minuses at the running back position. Ahmad Bradshaw is young, exciting and has the pace and power to take every ball to the endzone. But he is fumble-prone and lost his starting job last week because he couldn't be trusted to hang on to the ball in crucial situations.

Bradshaw may be approaching the key milestone of 1,000 rushing yards for the season but until he can figure out his fumble problems, he will make Giants fans nervous, particularly with the balls now being a little slicker and harder to handle in the cold weather. And, of course, every defender in the league knows he is capable of putting the ball on the ground when under pressure.

The Giants will still use Bradshaw and former starter Brandon Jacobs in equal measure because they provide a useful one-two punch. Bradshaw has younger legs and speed, while Jacobs is big, powerful and tough to bring down.

The problem with Jacobs is that he is prone to sulking, sideline outbursts and finding trouble.

When he was demoted in favour of Bradshaw at the start of the season it would be fair to say he didn't take the news too well. Against the Colts, he has a hissy fit, threw his helmet into the crowd, was benched by Coughlin for the remainder of that game and fined $10,000 by the NFL.

Against Philadelphia two weeks ago, Jacobs made obscene gestures to the Eagles fans ahead of the game and was involved in arguments with the opposing supporters. That cost him another $20,000 in fines from the NFL.

If he can get his head on straight, Jacobs can be a force of nature in the backfield. But all too often he has been banged up and slowed by injuries. That's why Bradshaw - fumbles and all - will remain a focal point of the ground attack.

Injuries have hit the Giants along the offensive line and they are also going to be without wide receivers Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith for another couple of weeks. But when those guys are healthy again and ready to line up alongside Mario Manningham and tight end Kevin Boss, Manning has plenty of targets and can spread the ball around as the Giants make a playoff run.

Defensively, new coordinator Perry Fewell has lit a fire under a unit that performed poorly in 2009. The Giants are deep along the defensive line and the likes of Justin Tuck and London-born Osi Umenyiora can really make life hell for opposing quarterbacks. They bring a great deal of speed and athletic ability to their defensive end positions.

While Manning and the offence get a lot of attention, it could be this defensive unit that powers a run to the post-season.

The Giants are far from perfect. They blow hot and cold and they struggle to find true consistency. But even with his interception problems, they have a playmaking quarterback in Manning, offensive weapons around him, dominant performers on defense and they are well-coached.

In today's NFL, that might just be enough to be considered a serious contender.

Week 13 on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

It's an early start on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra this Sunday as we're on air from 1800 GMT, due to the Ashes Test starting later that evening. And we will catch up with two teams very much in the thick of the NFC playoff race as the San Francisco 49ers visit the Green Bay Packers.

Despite only having four wins to their name this season, the 49ers are just one game out of first place in the miserable NFC West. They will lean heavily on veteran running back Brian Westbrook this weekend as Frank Gore is gone for the year with a hip injury.

The Packers have seven wins this term and are one game behind the Chicago Bears in the NFC North. They are clearly the more talented of these two teams and I think Aaron Rodgers at quarterback gives them an edge most weekends.

I see the Packers taking this game to keep their division title hopes alive, consigning San Francisco to the also-rans department in the process.

And there were few people in the United States who felt sorry for the departing coach, who clearly put the needs and wants of an individual above those of his team this season.

By allowing quarterback Brett Favre, 41, to skip most of training camp before returning for a second year with the Vikings, Childress blatantly stated that his team would operate with very different rules for its star players.

That must have led to some resentment in the Vikings locker room this summer. While most guys were sweating it out in the unforgiving heat, Favre was biding his time and waiting for the right moment to make yet another heralded return to the NFL.

Brett Favre has had a poor season, throwing 17 interceptions and he ranks 31st out of all quarterbacks in the NFL. Photo: AP

Tarvaris Jackson spent the early part of training camp handling the majority of snaps from the quarterback position, yet he knew in his heart of hearts that he had no shot at landing the job come opening weekend. He was simply keeping the seat warm for Favre, who showed his age this year by becoming the only playing grandfather in the NFL.

While not all the blame should be placed on Favre's shoulders, it is clear that his return has been an unmitigated disaster. The Vikings have opened the year with three wins and seven losses and they need some kind of early Christmas miracle in order to reach the playoffs.

Their fall from grace has been quite startling given that they were a play or two away from representing the NFC in last year's Super Bowl, falling to the eventual champion New Orleans Saints in overtime at the semi-final stage.

The Vikings are in turmoil now and they have been ever since Favre returned. They sorely missed star wide receiver Sidney Rice (hip injury) for much of the campaign although he is fit again now, they made an ill-advised trade for troubled receiver Randy Moss that never worked out, the offensive line has been shoddy, the defence has taken a step back from a year ago and it was clear that Childress had lost the locker room.

There were whispers coming out of Minnesota that the head man was "hated" and some unnamed players had even resorted to calling him 'Bald Clueless'. With that kind of vitriol leaking out of the Vikings locker room, there was no way Childress could stick around.

The man who inherits this mess is defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, who will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

Frazier is highly regarded in NFL coaching circles and it is very likely that Vikings owner Zygi Wilf wanted to get him into the top role before this season ended and he left for other opportunities around the league.

Of course, the Vikings have to go through a formal interview process at the end of the year but this is clearly Frazier's job to lose. If he can light a fire under this under-achieving team in the final six games of the year he will win the job for the long term.

And now we will get to find out if Frazier has the steel required to be an NFL head coach because I think a case could be made for sitting Favre down for the remainder of the season. That move, in itself, would probably prompt another retirement because it would be something Favre's ego would simply not accept.

For a start, Favre has not exactly shown himself to be a team player, in my mind. After the most recent loss to his old team, the Green Bay Packers, last weekend, Favre hinted that he would "go home and re-evaluate" his short-term future.

That's hardly the kind of talk you would want to hear from the supposed leader of your team. There have been too many times this season where Favre has sat before the media at post-match press conferences and clearly felt sorry for himself. But he has never fuelled speculation that he would walk out and leave his team-mates to play out the remainder of a lost year.

Favre will not be coming back in 2011. His body is simply too battered and there is too much mileage on the clock.

So where is the harm in seeing if Jackson can be the long-term answer at quarterback? If he is not, at least the Vikings know where they stand heading into the off-season and they can potentially target one of the high-profile quarterbacks coming out of the college ranks (Andrew Luck of Stanford or Jake Locker at Washington).

In the next six weeks, playing Favre does nothing to help the Vikings in terms of their future. At least by playing Jackson you find out - one way or the other - if there is anything to suggest he should be the man in 2011.

Jackson has only thrown six passes for the Vikings this season. Photo: AP

But does he?

Favre is among the lowest-ranked quarterbacks in the NFL this season (ranked 31st) and he leads the league with 17 interceptions. Add in the fact that he can barely move behind a leaky offensive line and you could definitely make a case for experimenting with the younger and much more mobile Jackson.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that any other quarterback in the league would have been benched by now for playing as badly as Favre.

It has been clear in recent seasons that Favre has great difficulty walking away from the game he loves. Now, that decision needs to be made for him and Frazier needs to call time on a career that was great for many seasons but has simply gone on one year too long.

Week 12 on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

We have a must-win game for two AFC teams on the edge of the playoff race right now as the Oakland Raiders (5-5) play host to the Miami Dolphins (5-5) from 2100 GMT on Sunday.

Both clubs have concerns about their quarterback play at the moment as Jason Campbell and Bruce Gradkowski have failed to shine for the Silver and Black, while Tyler Thigpen has blown hot and cold in relief of the injured Chad Henne.

Henne has been working in practice with a rather bulky knee brace on his injured leg this week but his status for the immediate future remains unclear.

With both teams unsure about their passing attacks, they could turn to the ground on Sunday and there I would have to give the edge to the Raiders. Darren McFadden is enjoying a career season in Oakland, while Miami's running game has all but disappeared in recent weeks. That could be the difference between the teams and lead to an Oakland victory.

As we all suspected heading into 2010, the race to reach Super Bowl XLV in North Texas (why it is not officially labelled as a Dallas Super Bowl is beyond me) is going to feature many teams.

And the eventual winner may be hiding somewhere in the middle of the pack right now. When teams are as closely matched as they are in the NFL at the moment, it can often be the club that gets hottest at the right time who emerges with the big prize.

There have been some high-profile casualties this season as the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals and San Diego Chargers have combined to post a record of nine wins and 20 losses. It bears repeating that these four teams reached the final eight on the road to last year's NFL title game.

Peyton Manning is having another exceptional season for the Colts

By contrast, one fancied club still very much in the race in 2010 are the Indianapolis Colts and, given the injuries they have suffered on both sides of the ball, that is a glowing testament to how important quarterback Peyton Manning is to that franchise.

I think the Colts could lose just about anyone else on their roster and Manning would give them a chance to win every weekend. But if number 18 goes down, with all due respect to backup passer Curtis Painter, they are done. The loss would simply be too much to overcome.

But with Manning at the helm, the Colts have shown they can withstand a variety of key injuries and still sit atop the AFC South Division with a 5-2 record.

At various times this year, Indianapolis have been without starting running back Joseph Addai, valuable wide receivers Austin Collie, Anthony Gonzalez and Pierre Garcon and perhaps, most damaging of all, perennial Pro Bowl tight end Dallas Clark has been lost for the season with a wrist injury.

The four-time league Most Valuable Player has thrown for 2,184 yards, 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions. That is scarily good.

With so many young and inexperienced players around him, it helps that Manning is the most intelligent quarterback in the NFL. .

So many quarterbacks in the NFL today are puppets for their offensive coordinator and head coach. They are given the play from the sidelines and are expected to run it to perfection. Some of the biggest names in the game - Tom Brady and Brett Favre - take the majority of their instructions from the sidelines and only rarely change the play at the line of scrimmage.

Not Peyton Manning and these Colts.

On any given play, Manning will be given two and sometimes three plays from the sidelines. He has the freedom to change anything he wishes but if he likes those options, he will call all three in the huddle and then tell his team-mates to await instructions at the line of scrimmage.

To be able to do that is an incredible luxury and affords the Colts an offensive advantage that no other team in the NFL is able to enjoy.

But what also makes Manning one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time is his ability to get the best out of those around him.

There are quarterbacks in the NFL who would not react the same way as Manning if they lost a star wide receiver. Many of them would go to the next veteran in line rather than put their trust in someone they have rarely worked with in the past. They would certainly not immediately turn to an untested youngster.

Manning does that whenever necessary.

During a Week 3 win over the Denver Broncos, Manning was playing without the injured Garcon, which meant Blair White was thrust into the action having only just been promoted from the practice squad. An undrafted rookie out of Michigan State was about to play alongside a true legend of the game.

Manning couldn't have cared less where White had come from - he was going to give the youngster a chance. If he was open, Manning was going to find him and he wasn't going to shy away if White dropped a couple of passes.

White responded to being given such an opportunity and played a key role in the 27-13 win, catching three passes and scoring a crucial touchdown.

We know all about Manning's arm strength and accuracy, but it is his desire to win, his trust in the young targets around him and his intelligence which has driven the Colts through what could have been a rocky first half of the season.

It has not always been easy this term, but Manning gives the Colts a chance to win every time he steps on the field. That's about as good a definition of greatness as you're likely to find.

Week 9 on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

We will bring listeners live action from the Colts' visit to the Philadelphia Eagles on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra from 9pm on Sunday and we couldn't have two more different quarterbacks going head to head.

Michael Vick is set to return for the Eagles and while he boasts sprinter's speed and breathtaking moves, Manning resembles a giraffe on ice when he attempts to scramble downfield.

That is not Manning's strength, of course, and he will be licking his lips at the prospect of taking on a secondary that was shredded by the Tennessee Titans two weeks ago.

Vick could also find the going tough against the Colts. Indy has a defense which can get man-handled at times, but what they boast in abundance is speed. And that is something you need to defend the most electrifying quarterback in the NFL.

I try not to bet against Peyton Manning too many times and, for that reason, I'm going for the Colts to win what should be a close-fought contest.