Three Dog Night had it right.

“One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.”

For example:

One Lego isn’t enough to do anything with.

Good luck processing all that alcohol you love to drink with one kidney.

Would you rather be part of The Million Man March, or The One Man March?

Poker or Solitaire?

I really learned about the “loneliness of one” back in the day when I got stood up for a date, and could only be comforted by a Maxim with hottie Laura Prepon as the cover girl.

And I can think of 2 very prominent quarterbacks that know this now as well.

Jimmy Clausen and Peyton Manning.

Both did everything they could to help their team win (Peyton to a much greater extent-he almost won them all).

Both had teams that were developed singularly around them-live or die by their smarts, ability to read defenses, and their arms.

Both had teams that would be significantly worse off without them (no playoffs for the Colts without Manning, possibly no wins for ND without Clausen).

But, it is just too much to ask for one individual to do the work of twenty-two.

How many times did Jimmy Clausen throw for over thee hundred yards, sometimes making it look like a playground game, tossing it up time and again to Michael Floyd and Golden Tate, only to have his defense give the game away?

How many times did the Irish abandon their running game, just to keep putting the ball in Clausen’s hands, even when the opposing defense could drop 8 into coverage?

How many times could Manning be expected throw for 377 yards, and three touchdowns in a half without making a single mistake?

How could the Colts win a Super Bowl with Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark being the only other offensive players that have a name, and a defense that is built to be their best when up by four touchdowns? (They seriously built their defense around the premise of being ahead in all games thanks to the quick-strike ability of Manning.)

How many times did both of these quarterbacks have to be perfect? (Answer: every game).

They had absolutely no one else to trust with the game on the line.

And that is just too much to ask of anybody. And why the burden of winning (often) is just too much for one man to bear.

Just ask Peyton or Jimmy.