ESPN: Manning Wants to Play 8 More Years

[Hostile]

Link

Updated: May 20, 2006, 9:18 AM ET
Manning wants to play eight more years

By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com

INDIANAPOLIS -- Eight years into his career and, according to the Peyton Manning personal vocational blueprint, the Indianapolis Colts' star quarterback has reached the halfway point of his NFL tenure.

Peyton Manning

Quarterback
Indianapolis Colts

Profile
2005 SEASON STATISTICS
Att Comp Yds TD Int Rat
453 305 3666 28 10 104.1

"Yeah, I guess that I'll be handing off on the 'stretch' play when I'm an old man, huh?" said Manning, laughing, as he referred to the Colts' staple running play. "It might take a little more to stretch when I'm 38 years old."
Manning reiterated, as the Colts began a three-day minicamp here Friday, that he wants to play eight more seasons. He initially revealed his desires to the Indianapolis Star.

If he follows that game plan, Manning will play through the 2013 season, when he will be 38. The Colts' star, who captured the league passing title each of the last two seasons, turned 30 in March. Eight more seasons, and a total of 16 for his career, would be one more year than his father, Archie Manning, logged in his career.

Manning is under contract through the 2012 season and, in the past, has acknowledged that he prefers to be a "Colt for life." Colts owner Jim Irsay has also indicated that he wants Manning, the first overall selection in the 1998 draft and the cornerstone for the transformation of the Indianapolis franchise into a perennial playoff contender, to play his entire career with the team.

The two-time most valuable player has dealt with some injuries in the past, but has remained relatively healthy, and has never missed a game. Manning has appeared in 108 straight regular-season contests, and started in all of them. Of the 4,449 passes logged by Indianapolis quarterbacks since his arrival, Manning has accounted for 97.4 percent of them. In three seasons, he took every snap.

"I've been lucky from a health standpoint, and I feel really good," Manning said. "The injuries I've had, we've been able to deal with them. I don't see, at least now, why I can't play 16 seasons."

Such a tenure, which seems reasonable given the physical condition in which Manning always keeps himself, is hardly unreasonable. It would mean Manning likely would challenge the league's passing marks, most of which are held by Dan Marino. Manning has completed 2,769 of 4,333 passed for 33,189 yards, with 244 touchdown passes and 130 interceptions. Double all those numbers and Manning would surpass Marino's current records for attempts, completions, passing yards and touchdown passes.

But more than records, of course, Manning wants the Super Bowl ring that has eluded him and the Colts. The team seems to have put behind it the gnawing loss to Pittsburgh in an divisional-round playoff game last year, and is poised to move ahead in 2006, but there are times Manning and others sneak a peek in the rear-view mirror.

"You'll be sitting watching [tape] and all of a sudden the playoff game will pop up and it kind of forces you to confront it again," Manning said. "But this is a really mature team. We've had some changes, but a lot of the guys here have been through it. We've just got to find a way to finish the deal. There's still time, with this group here, to finish what we want to accomplish."

One concession that Manning has made to age this year is in his offseason throwing program. Quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell suggested Manning rest his arm for a few months and, after the season, the Colts' star did not throw until May 1. For an acknowledged gym rat, and one of the NFL's hardest and most diligent workers, the withdrawal was a difficult one, and Manning allowed there were times he thought "they were going to have to put me in a straitjacket."

The time off, though, has served Manning well. In the Friday minicamp practice, he threw with velocity and, as always, great accuracy.

"Because I take so many snaps in the season, most of the snaps even in practice, this is probably a smart thing," Manning said. "You want your arm to be live during the season, and it feels really good."

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.

 

[THUMPER]

Interesting thought process that came to me as I was reading this article about how some of the most prolific QBs ever never won a championship. Think about it:

Dan Marino, Dan Fouts, Fran Tarkenton, Sonny Jurgensen, Y.A. Tittle, none of them won a title (in fact Fouts and Jurgensen never even played in a title game) yet they were all the most prolific passers of their day. Manning seems to fall into that same category, but why?

As I was thinking about the reasons why these guys never won a title the first thing that came to mind is that football is a team sport and therefore, no matter how great an individula player is, he can't win a title by himself. Yet all of these guys had star players on the team with them so what was the problem?

As I see it the problem is in how the teams are built around a single superstar player. You can do that in basketball and win titles as the Celtics did with Russell or the Bulls with Jordan but it doesn't always work as various teams found out with Wilt and Shaq. Although both eventually won titles it wasn't with their first team and didn't happen until they were part of a more complete team with other superstars.

NFL teams that build around one player tend to be one-dimentional and easier for the top teams to defeat as they only have to focus on shutting down one area. Teams that win championships are usually more complete teams with a balanced attack.

When you look at the Cowboys' SB teams (both in the 70s and in the 90s) they had excellent running games, outstanding, big-play passing games, attacking defenses, and solid STs. In 1971 we were basically a running team with a big-play passing attack. In 1977 we were more balanced with Dorsett and Newhouse running the ball and Staubach throwing to the Pearsons (Drew and Preston), DuPree, and Butch Johnson.

The same thing was true in the 90s when Emmitt was the rushing attack and Aikman had 3 excellent targets to throw to in Irvin, Novacek, and Harper. You might stop Emmitt but then Aikman would pick them apart, or they would shut down the passing lanes and Emmitt would run wild. There was simply no way to shut down everything and our defense was constantly attacking and forcing mistakes and turnovers giving the offense more chances to score.

I look at the Colts with Manning and you see a very solid running game with Edgerrin James (talking about in the past) as well as the most potent passing attack in the league with Harrison & Co. but they have never had that attacking defense that shut other teams down and forced turnovers. You also see an over-dependence on Manning at crucial times which has cost them in big games as teams KNOW what they will do and attack accordingly.

The conclusion: When you build your team around a single player you aren't likely to win the big games.

Thoughts?

 

[burmafrd]

Elway never won untill Davis was running the ball. Marino never won a SB as the Dolphins never had a running game. It takes a complete team to win the Title. Last year was the first time the Colts had a good D; but when it mattered they could not get it done. I do not see any changes this year- with Edge gone their running game will be less - and I do not see their D getting much better if any at all.

 

[ghst187]

Link

Updated: May 20, 2006, 9:18 AM ET
Manning wants to CHOKE eight more years

By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com

a more fitting title....?

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

I look at the Colts with Manning and you see a very solid running game with Edgerrin James (talking about in the past) as well as the most potent passing attack in the league with Harrison & Co. but they have never had that attacking defense that shut other teams down and forced turnovers. You also see an over-dependence on Manning at crucial times which has cost them in big games as teams KNOW what they will do and attack accordingly.

The conclusion: When you build your team around a single player you aren't likely to win the big games.

Thoughts?

Although it is very true you cannot deny the fact that when Peyton and the offense is on the field = they flat out choke, one or all. They choke.

Its funny you mention attacking defenses... because that is usually the problem with Indy... the opposing defense blast them and swarm.


Eight more years?...... thats alot of losing to not look forward to!

 

[Hostile]

Interesting thought process that came to me as I was reading this article about how some of the most prolific QBs ever never won a championship. Think about it:

The conclusion: When you build your team around a single player you aren't likely to win the big games.

Thoughts?

Great post Thumper. There's one more thing to consider about those players and their failure to win though. Each of them faced true dynasty like teams along the way that prevented them achieving that goal.

Unitas had the amazing Packers of the Lombardi era to contend with.

Tarkenton had the Steelers, and to even get to them he had to beat really good Cowboys and Rams teams.

Marino faced the 49ers at the beginning of their dynasty and an amazing rejuvenated Raiders before the Bills began to dominate the AFC.

Manning finally got past the Patriots, but the Colts fell victim to a team of destiny in Pittsburgh.

Timing is so crucial to success in the NFL. Look at Elway. Great QB for so many years. He needed Buffalo, Dallas, & San Fran to get out of the way before he could win one. If the Salary Cap hadn't come along perhaps Green Bay stays on top longer and he never wins it.

Lots of factors out there.

 

[THUMPER]

Great post Thumper. There's one more thing to consider about those players and their failure to win though. Each of them faced true dynasty like teams along the way that prevented them achieving that goal.

Unitas had the amazing Packers of the Lombardi era to contend with.

Tarkenton had the Steelers, and to even get to them he had to beat really good Cowboys and Rams teams.

Marino faced the 49ers at the beginning of their dynasty and anamazing rejuvenated Raiders before the Bills began to dominate the AFC.

Manning finally got past the Patriots, but the Colts fell victim to a team of destiny in Pittsburgh.

Timing is so crucial to success in the NFL. Look at Elway. Great QB for so manyyears. He needed Buffalo, Dallas, & San Fran to get out of the way before he could win one. If the Salary Cap hadn't come along perhaps Green Bay stays on top longer and he never wins it.

Lots of factors out there.

Good points Hos.

 

[tyke1doe]

It is my opinion that as soon as the Colts stop running the offense through Peyton Manning and run it through their running game, they'll win.

Peyton calls the plays, but he can't outthink defensive coordinators who study him and know his weaknesses.

And Tony Dungy is too laid back to reign in Manning.

Peyton needs a Jimmy Johnson and a capable running back to complement Manning and not make him the show.

 

[theogt]

Good Lord, he wants to own every single passing title.

 

[Future]

I think him putting a timetable on how long he wants to play right now is ridiculous. How does he know that 8 years from now he wont want to play another 2 years. Or in 5 years he might want to retire.