INDIANAPOLIS — It will be the ultimate game of chicken: Peyton Manning versus a Jets defense bent on disguising its coverages and blitzes throughout four quarters of organized chaos.
Carson Palmer and Philip Rivers couldn’t solve the riddle the Jets defense presents. But baffling Manning, perhaps the smartest and most talented of all NFL quarterbacks, will be the supreme challenge for coach Rex Ryan and the Jets in tomorrow’s AFC title game.
“His brain operates at a little different speed than most,” Colts coach Jim Caldwell said of Manning. “He is one of those guys that can kick it into high gear.”
There might be no team better equipped to solve the Jets than the Colts. Their offense is built on making a defense reveal its intentions with Manning deciphering every flinch, and changing plays at the line of scrimmage accordingly. It’s essentially a two-minute offense without the quick pace for the entire game.
“Guys are comfortable with the calls,” Manning said. “Guys know kind of where to line up and we are able to run a lot of plays quickly. But it still comes down to the execution of it. Just because you know where to line up and you know the plays, you still have to go out there and do it — get open vs. man coverage and protect.”
Manning had completed 14 of 21 passes for 192 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions when he left the Dec. 27 game against in the Jets in the third quarter with a 15-10 lead. He seemed headed toward a typically productive outing for a quarterback that passed for 4,500 yards and 33 touchdowns during the regular season.
If getting some early schooling on the Jets is an advantage, Manning isn’t tipping his hand.
“Each game kind of takes on a new identity,” the four-time NFL MVP said. “Sometimes there will be an injured player back. Sometimes they will play an entirely different defense. You just never know. You truly have to prepare for the game plan and be prepared to adjust throughout the game, and you better be on top of it every single play.”
Every single play figures to be a game within the game with Manning and the Jets making calls and counter calls as the play-clock dwindles.
“If you change three times, he may change it a couple,” Caldwell said of Manning. “It’s like [offensive coordinator] Tom Moore used to say, ‘We don’t care what you line up in, as long as we have the last word.’ ”
The Colts know the communication between the quarterback, offensive line and receivers must be precise against the Jets, whose multiple fronts figure to keep Manning guessing until the snap.
“The Jets can give you a 3-4, a 33-prevent or a four-down look,” center Jeff Saturday said. “It all looks exactly the same. The personnel can be completely different, but guys are lined up generally in the same area. Whatever 18 [Manning] likes to do in each look, that’s the look he’ll call and we’ll block what he gives us.”
The Jets don’t necessarily need to sack Manning, but they must bring enough pressure to make him hurry his throws. But that’s what every team that faces the Colts has tried to do without much success.
“As you prepare for us each week, you may think you have the perfect defense called up,” Saturday said. “Peyton might see something that keys him off to changing the play and doing something different. I think both teams are going to do what they do. They’re going to be aggressive; we’re going to be aggressive. Ultimately, it’s going to break down to who’s the most effective, and who does the things that they’ve done throughout the season to get here.”
By the numbers A look at some relevant stats for Colts quarterback Peyton Manning:
8-8 Manning’s playoff record. Four of those wins came during their Super Bowl run following the 2006 season.
6-2 Manning’s record against teams coach Rex Ryan was a part of, including this year’s 29-15 loss in Week 16 in Indy.
192 Consecutive games started (most by QB to start career). Second all-time among quarterbacks (Brett Favre, 285).
668 Completions to receiver Reggie Wayne, who just trails former teammate Marvin Harrison (953).
3 Completions to Wayne in the Jets’ Week 16 win in Indianapolis, though many Indy starters were pulled in third quarter.
1 Super Bowl ring won by Manning.
2 Times Colts have earned home-field advantage under Manning.