NEW ORLEANS, THUNDER BAY – Sports – The NFL Game of the Year set to go! New Orlean’s is playing host to the football party of the year. Last night the Baltimore Ravens and San Fransisco 49ers prepared for today’s Super Bowl. The NFL handed out awards to its top players.

2nd Annual NFL Honours

NFL fans have spoken. Fans chose Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, and Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson as the FEDEX AIR & GROUND® NFL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR.

The 10th annual award were announced during the “2nd annual NFL Honors” show in New Orleans. The awards are a culmination of weekly awards. The awards are presented by FedEx (NYSE: FDX).

Voting gives football fans the chance to honor stand-out quarterback and running back performances. The winning players efforts earn charitable donations for the winning players’ cities.

Denver’s Peyton Manning registered single-season franchise bests in passing yards (4,659), touchdown passes (37) and passer rating (105.8) in his first season with the Broncos.

Manning’s thirty-seven touchdown passes and 105.8 passer rating led the AFC in 2012. 

In Week 17, Manning posted his 73rd career game with three or more touchdown passes. The moved Manning past Brett Favre for the most touchdown passes in NFL history.  

Manning surpassed the 4,000 yard mark for the 12th time in his career to expand his NFL record for 4,000-yard seasons.  Manning, who was selected as the AFC’s starting quarterback for the 2013 Pro Bowl, led the Broncos to a 13-3 record and an AFC West crown.  

He was nominated for FedEx Air Player of the Week five times, winning once.  Manning has been named FedEx Air Player of the Year twice before (2003, 2004). 

Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson rushed his way into the history books finishing the year with 2,097 yards rushing.

This was the second-most in league history. Peterson was just nine yards shy of breaking Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson’s NFL record. Peterson was second in the NFL in carries (348).

Peterson has tied Earl Campbell for the most games with at least 150 rushing yards in a single season (seven). Peterson scored 12 touchdowns on the ground and led the NFL in yards per game (131.1).  

Peterson accumulated 1,313 yards in eight games (Weeks 7 through 15), the most over any eight-game span in a single season in NFL history.  Selected as the NFC’s starting running back for the 2013 Pro Bowl, Peterson was nominated for FedEx Ground Player of the Week seven times, winning three times.  This is the second time Peterson has been named FedEx Ground Player of the Year (2008).

Super Bowl XLVII starts at 6:30PM EST.