Nobody had thrown 31 touchdown passes in nine games before, so this is new territory for Peyton Manning and everybody who’s watching him.
“Oh my gracious, it’s ridiculous,” said a scout who has followed the Indianapolis Colts. “I’m watching the tape and I might as well get a bag of popcorn and a soda because it’s like a circus. I have never done a team with grades this high.”
Manning’s numbers already have outdistanced those from his entire 2003 season, when he was the league’s co-MVP with Steve McNair. This season he’s sharing space only with Dan Marino, who threw 48 touchdown passes in 1984.
Colts general manager Bill Polian, while conceding, “We’ve been pretty good,” still wonders whether Manning and his targets are better than Jim Kelly and the Buffalo Bills teams Polian helped build. Kelly took the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowls.
“That’s the only one I can compare it to,” Polian said. “In our mind’s eye, the ball never hits the ground, and Jimmy never throws an interception.”
Sean Salisbury, ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback, maintains Manning is playing better than any quarterback ever.
What do the Bears do Sunday if they don’t want to sit back and enjoy the show? Defensive coordinator Ron Rivera mentioned snow. Wind, rain or fog also would fit nicely into the game plan.
Jacksonville developed the human defense that worked best. The Jaguars’ offense controlled the ball for 34 minutes, playing keep-away. Counting on the Bears’ offense to slow down Manning is a sobering prospect.
Houston Texans defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, the former Colts coordinator, broke tendencies last Sunday, giving Manning new looks to shout out from his familiar perch overlooking the line of scrimmage. The result: five touchdown passes among his 18 completions.
“They thought they were going to come in and fool him and they didn’t fool him,” Polian said.
Manning has the advantage of facing a Bears defense Sunday that’s similar to the Colts defense he sees every day. Colts coach Tony Dungy gave Bears coach Lovie Smith his first NFL job.
Manning used to be part of “The Triplets” with Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James. They have multiplied to The Septuplets. Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Stokley have 47, 41, and 41 catches, respectively. Manning has tight ends Marcus Pollard and Dallas Clark, with 34 catches and 10 touchdowns between them. James has 30 catches and a 4.5-yard rushing average to set up the devastating play-action.
The Colts put Stokley in the slot to make defenses think pass, then Clark in the slot to make them think run. They pass long, intermediate and short.
“Not everybody can do all three levels and do it well,” the scout said.
“We have so many weapons that just their presence does so much,” Manning said.
Much is based on timing, so defenses try to get physical and throw the Colts off. But Manning and his receivers adjust their routes and there’s simply too many potential fly patterns to swat.
That leaves pressure, which suddenly has become a Bears’ specialty.
“At some point, somebody is going to have to get some pressure and get this guy out of the pocket,” the scout said. “If he sits back there and no one is in his face, he could throw 10 touchdowns.”
Bad news. Manning has thrown 296 passes and has been sacked only six times.
What about the red zone? Don’t defenses usually have an advantage inside the 20? Aren’t the Bears pretty decent inside the 20?
The Colts have scored 26 touchdowns in 34 trips (76 percent) into the red zone, leading the NFL. Last year they were only a little better than 50 percent, so they clearly have worked on it.
“I would say it’s almost exceeded our expectations a little bit,” Manning said. “There’s no question that’s something we talked about in April. We talked about running the ball down there, and we have done that. Even though we haven’t had many touchdown runs, we can the move the ball down closer and closer, and the threat of the run has given us some good coverages to throw the ball.”
The Colts are the second-youngest team in the league behind the Bears. Dungy is confident his defense will improve by the week.
Polian believes Manning is “a completely different quarterback” than he was before Dungy arrived in 2002.
“He felt like he had to score a touchdown on every play,” Polian said. “We were in a shootout virtually every game. Tony convinced him the defense would improve and we would be able to stop people and turn the ball over and he should take what the system dictates.
“He has.”
Manning says he doesn’t think about Marino’s records much.
“I’m trying to do my part and get us back on a win streak and get us going,” he said. “Certainly, I am aware we’re throwing the ball pretty well right now.”
Peyton’s place in history
Through nine games, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is having one the most complete seasons the NFL has seen and is on pace to break the season record for touchdowns.
MANNING’S 2004
COMPLETIONS
Current stats: 197
Season (proj.): 351
NFL record: Rich Gannon (Oakland), 2002 418
PASSING YARDS
Current stats: 2,749
Season (proj.): 4,893
NFL record: Dan Marino (Miami), 1984 5,084
TOUCHDOWNS
Current stats: 31
Season (proj.): 55
NFL record: Marino, 1984 48
