Backup likely to replace Manning Colts expected to reduce playing time for QB after clinching AFC homefieldBy MICHAEL MAROT The Associated Press
Wed. Dec 16 - 4:46 AMINDIANAPOLIS — Curtis Painter has lived his NFL life in obscurity — like most of Peyton Manning’s backups.
He’s taken more questions than snaps this season, and spent more
time learning the complexities of the Indianapolis offence than
demonstrating his skills.
Those days may be about to end.
With Indy locking up the AFC South title, a first-round bye and
home-field advantage in the playoffs, Manning’s playing time will
likely be reduced over the next three weeks, putting Painter in the
spotlight as the Colts pursue perfection.
"I won’t put any added pressure on myself," Painter said Tuesday. "I
don’t think anything is going to change. But if I go in, I’m going to
be expected to play at a high level."
It’s a standard philosophy for unbeaten Indy (13-0), which has proved the mantra "next man up" can work.
Safety Melvin Bullitt has played the best football of his three-year
career, replacing 2007 NFL defensive player of the year Bob Sanders.
When projected starter Anthony Gonzalez went down with a knee injury
in the first quarter of Indy’s season-opener, the Colts turned to
rookie Austin Collie, whose 50 receptions are No. 3 on the team, and
second-year receiver Pierre Garcon, who needs 251 yards to reach 1,000.
Rookie cornerbacks Jerraud Powers and Jacob Lacey rank fifth and
sixth on the team in tackles after filling in for injured Kelvin Hayden
and Marlin Jackson, and linebacker Philip Wheeler has done a reasonable
job replacing Tyjuan Hagler, also sidelined with an injury.
But replacing Manning?
The three-time MVP has never missed a start in his 12-year career, a
streak of 189 regular-season games and 15 in the post-season, and he’s
not likely to miss one this year, either. Coach Jim Caldwell announced
this week that "healthy" starters would play Thursday night at
Jacksonville, though he hasn’t said whether they’ll be on a play count.
If the Colts follow past trends, Manning will play briefly in the final two games before being lifted.
That would make Painter the first rookie quarterback to enter a Colts game since Jim Sorgi in 2004.
No, it’s not the way Indy scripted it, but when Sorgi hurt his throwing shoulder in practice a month ago, Indy went to Plan B.
Painter was elevated to No. 2.
When Sorgi went on season-ending injured reserve last season, Painter was the only other active quarterback on Indy’s roster.
"It’s never good going on IR this time of year," Sorgi said
dejectedly Thursday. "You got through the whole season and this is my
time. But I’ve still got a job to do."
His task: Helping Painter, the former Purdue starter and Indiana
native, prepare for his NFL debut — whether it’s this week at
Jacksonville or next week in Lucas Oil Stadium against the Jets.
The longtime backup to Manning insists he can be an asset, and Painter will take all the help he can get.
"Simply having him on the sideline, whether it’s practice or games,
is valuable for me," Painter said. "He can explain what he’s doing, why
he’s doing it, he helps me out a lot."
So will Painter be effective when he finally makes it onto the field?
He hasn’t taken a game day snap since the pre-season. And while he
has impressed coaches in practice and meetings, the real test will come
when he starts throwing passes.
"He has certainly come along from a conceptual standpoint. He’s
spent a lot of time in the meeting room, preparing for each game,"
Caldwell said. "His grasp (of the offence) is improving, but the thing
that’s missing is his opportunity on the field. Until that happens, I
wouldn’t be able to give you a full sort of review on his progress."
The challenge isn’t just filling in for Manning.
It’s producing the expected results.
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