Manning adjusting to Colts’ shaken foundation

INDIANAPOLIS – During an unusually quiet three days of minicamp practices by the Indianapolis Colts, the only remarkable noise was a single voice – clearly audible from its combination of volume, distinctive Louisiana twang and angst.

Quarterback Peyton Manning(notes) is entering his 12th season and sounds anything but satisfied at age 33, even though he’s coming off his third Most Valuable Player award, has one Super Bowl win and could eventually break the career TD pass record. In fact, there have been moments this offseason when he has sounded downright nervous.

This is what happens when a football junkie like Manning – a man obsessed with detail, preparation and consistency of approach – has his world disturbed. Manning is addicted to football the way Amy Winehouse devours all sorts of substances.

Make one thing clear: this is a good thing. This is not only what makes Manning great, it makes the Colts great. Manning held private throwing sessions in May with the guys who figure to be the third, fourth and fifth receivers on the depth chart. That’s a big reason why Manning rebounded at the end of last season after a rough start caused by his recovery from two surgeries to deal with an infection in his knee.

“I still think, as a quarterback, your No. 1 job is to be the best quarterback you can be,” Manning said. “That is certainly what I have focused on this offseason, to do my job at a high level. The things I’ve really focused on is getting my timing down with those new receivers. That’s really been my focus, trying to get my timing with Pierre Garcon(notes) somewhat close to what I had with Marvin Harrison(notes) or Reggie Wayne(notes).”

This year, the problem for Manning is that the foundation of the Colts has been shaken. Not destroyed, but upset enough that the cracks are visible enough to cause concern. Gone is head coach Tony Dungy, replaced by Jim Caldwell. Gone, at least for the time being, are the only offensive coordinator (Tom Moore) and offensive line coach (Howard Mudd) Manning has ever had, although both are expected to return for training camp. Both were forced to retire because of pension issues, but are expected to come back as consultants.

Most of all, finally gone is Harrison, a guy whose play had suffered significantly over the past two years because of knee problems. Still, Harrison was a known quantity, a guy Manning could depend upon to run routes a certain way. While Harrison and Manning didn’t have a perfect working relationship, rarely have two players known each other so well.

Now, Manning has to recreate that with third-year man Anthony Gonzalez(notes) as his No. 2 wideout and whichever receiver wins the third job from among Garcon, Austin Collie(notes) and Roy Hall(notes). That is why during the early days of June, the season still more than three months away, he’s yelling instructions at his youngish receiving corps and holding private throwing sessions with them.

“Get your head around,” Manning repeatedly said.

That bit of instruction is a traditional refrain from any veteran quarterback to a young receiver who’s trying to adjust to the speed of the game. Dan Marino used to yell the same thing. Marino would then put an exclamation point on it by either saying his receivers better be like Linda Blair in the “Exorcist” or wing a throw off somebody’s helmet to make the message clear.

“I get it, don’t have to tell ‘em twice if you do that,” Manning said when told of Marino’s literal and figurative target practice on the cranium. Manning smiled a little at the thought, although it’s unlikely he’ll go that far to embarrass a teammate.

“When you work with Peyton, he expects you to know everything just as well as he does, which kind of isn’t possible,” Hall said. “He’s been here so long, studying the playbook, watching every detail. As much as you work, you can’t outwork him.”

Hall got a taste of that during a recent private morning throwing session. At these moments, Manning likes to work one-on-one with his receivers rather than have them show up in a group. It helps him focus on the subtle nuances of each player, how they run routes and get in and out of their breaks.

At one point, Hall was running a route about 15 or 20 yards down field. From that distance, Manning could tell Hall was a half yard off his mark.

However, the receivers are not the only ones who have been under scrutiny.

Two weeks ago, Manning suggested that there seemed to be differing messages from different coaches, which could have been interpreted as a swipe at Caldwell.

“I did not perceive it that way and I’m certain he didn’t intend for it to be taken that way, either,” said Caldwell, a first-time NFL head coach. “But it was one of those things, I don’t care if it’s in a family or whatever, you’re going to have some situations where things probably need to be talked out and discussed. There may have been a little bit of frustration because of a bit of uncertainty … there were a lot of things that require questions and we talked it out and hopefully alleviated some of that uncertainty.”

The reality is that Manning was doing the same thing with the coaching staff as he did with Hall and his other new receiver. In Manning’s world, the goal is perfection and he’s willing to put in the work to make it happen. He just wants the same level of commitment from everyone. Fact is, Manning demands it.

“There is no question that we’ve had great stability around here for a long time. It’s something that you never take for granted having the same line coach, the same coordinator and the same players,” Manning said. “Change is a part of it and we’ve dealt with changes and challenges in the past, and that’s something that we’re prepared to deal with now. We’re going to approach it with a good attitude and try to make the best out of the situation.”