NFL regular seasons, like games, are divided into four neat chunks, meaning it's time for our King Sport First-Quarter Awards:

• MVP/Offensive Player

of the Year -- Peyton Manning, Colts QB: Has begun a season with four consecutive 300-yard games for first time in historic career, and his team is 4-0. Contending: Saints QB Drew Brees, Vikings QB Brett Favre, Giants WR Steve Smith.

• Defensive Player of the Year -- Jared Allen, Vikings DE: Has NFC-leading 6.5 sacks for 4-0 Purples. Contending: Saints FS Darren Sharper (5 picks, 2 TDs), Broncos OLB Elvis Dumervil (NFL-leading 8 sacks), Jets CB Darrelle Revis.

• Coach of the Year -- Josh McDaniels, Broncos: Rookie coach inherited a team in disarray, traded Jay Cutler, endured the Brandon Marshall mess and has Denver 4-0. Contending: 49ers' Mike Singletary, Vikings' Brad Childress, Jets' Rex Ryan.

• Rookie of the Year -- Mark Sanchez, Jets QB: Starting at that position in that market gets him the most attention, so if Jets win, he wins. Contending: Vikings WR/KR Percy Harvin, Lions QB Matthew Stafford, Rams MLB James Laurinaitis.

• Happiest fans -- Broncos: Denver ended last season in disarray, changed coaches, traded its star quarterback and now is 4-0. Contending: Bengals, Jets, Saints, Vikings, Lions (hey, 1-3 looks sweet after 0-16), 49ers.

• Saddest fans -- Titans: From 13-3 to 0-4. Oy. Contending: Cardinals, Panthers, Redskins, Browns, Cowboys, Chiefs, Raiders, Buccaneers, Rams.

• Dolphins MVP -- Ronnie Brown, RB: Third in NFL with 369 rushing yards to lead top-ranked ground game. Also four TDs, and still the Wildcat master. Contending: QB Chad Henne if Miami plays into, or even close to, the playoff picture.

Scatter-shooting the league at the quarter turn:

• Perfect Season Dolphins on early alert!: The five teams at 4-0 (Broncos, Colts, Giants, Vikings, Saints) ties the most ever, matching 1969 and 2003. Conversely, six teams are winless. So much for parity!

• Hope lives, Miami: Ten teams that started 1-3 have made the playoffs this decade, most recently the Vikings last season.

• Misery loves company: Tennessee's fall from grace has plenty of precedent. Thirteen of the 51 teams to finish 13-3 or better since the 1978 advent of the 16-game schedule had losing records the following year. The steepest fall: the Bears going from 13-3 in 2001 to 4-12 in '02.

• Miami bucking pass trend: Dolphins leading NFL

in rushing counters a general move to the air. This season has set a record for most passing yards through four weeks. And

300-yard passers are 18-7.

• Happy birthday, Brett: Minnesota's Brett Favre turns 40 on Saturday. Most starts by a quarterback 40 or older: 25, by Warren Moon and Vinny Testaverde.

• The 100-plus club: Peyton Manning's 69 games with a passer rating of 100 or more ranks third all-time behind Favre (96) and Fran Tarkenton (74). Dan Marino had 67.

• Can't spell fail without F-L-A: The Dolphins, Bucs and Jaguars are 3-9 combined. The state teams have failed to make the playoffs the same year only three times since Jacksonville became a franchise in 1995. Worst combined record of the three: 18-30 in 2004 and '06.

• New York, New York: Giants and Jets are a combined 7-1, Yankees are the best team in baseball, and Knicks don't suck yet because the NBA season hasn't started. Heady times for the NY crowd! Got us wondering what has been the Giants' and Jets' best combined record in the era of the 16-game schedule. Answer: 24-8 in 1986. Only twice since then (2002, '06) have both teams made playoffs.

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