http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10869075/

Let’s face it: Peyton can’t win when it counts
Manning never wins big games due to questionable decisions, poor passion




Bob Cook


If Peyton Manning is considered such a great decision-maker at quarterback, then how come he left Sunday’s playoff game on the lap of his idiot kicker?

Because it’s the playoffs.

It turns out Manning can’t only blame Tom Brady for his inability to win in the postseason, or at least against a team that puts up a rumor of a defense. As Sunday’s 21-18 loss to Pittsburgh proved, Manning just can’t put together a consistently good game when the season gets to one-and-done. This loss was the worst of them all — not only because it erases the glory of the Colts’ 13-0 start, but also because the Steelers (and the replay official) in the fourth quarter did about everything they could to give the game to Manning, and he wouldn’t take it.



You might say, wasn’t it Manning who rallied the Colts to a near-victory? Wasn’t it Mike Vanderjagt — whom Manning called not only an “idiot kicker,” but also a “liquored-up” idiot kicker, at the 2003 Pro Bowl after Vanderjagt ripped Manning (and Colts coach Tony Dungy) as too unemotional — who missed a game-tying 46-yard field-goal with 21 seconds to go?

Well, yes. But Manning, starting in college at Tennessee, has made a habit out of digging a huge hole early in big games, then rallying just enough to lose respectably and stay title-free.

(It’s been often noted that Tennessee won a national title the year after he left, under the comparatively ordinary Tee Martin, who has played all of three NFL games.)

And near game’s end against Pittsburgh, Manning, famous for getting the final say on play-calls at the line, made a dubious decision that nearly killed the Colts and also put Vanderjagt in the position of doing what only Adam Vinatieri seems able to do — make a 40-plus-yard field goal late in a tight game. (Ask Herman Edwards, Marv Levy and Marty Schottenheimer about that one.)

This is a good time to point out that for all the abuse the Indianapolis defense has taken over the years, in the playoffs it generally improves while Manning struggles. Look at some playoff scores: a 19-16 home loss to Tennessee in 1999; a 23-17 loss at Miami in 2000; a 24-14 loss at New England in 2003, and a 20-3 loss at New England last year. The defense had its troubles, particularly in stopping the run, but all things considered, it at least kept the score low enough to give Manning some help, which he hasn’t taken.


Manning is 3-6 in the playoffs; in the three wins, the Colts averaged nearly 43 points, and in the six losses, they averaged about 13. Manning makes it worse by not adjusting his play-calling to find ways to sustain long drives when it’s clear the defense is wheezing.

Maybe part of Manning’s problem is that he seems to treat playoff games with the same intensity as regular-season games. He only brings the level of urgency in a win-or-out situation when it’s late — such as when he waved the punting unit off the field near the end of the third quarter on a fourth-and-2 in Colts territory. Manning completed a pass to Brandon Stokely to get the first down. Yet where was that fire earlier in the game?

Maybe Vanderjagt is right that Manning — and Dungy — lack intensity. You mean Dungy really was going to punt on fourth-and-short, from anywhere, with his team down 21-3 late? (Lest you think I’m being heartless for going after Dungy and the Colts after the recent suicide of Dungy’s oldest son, I repeat: this tendency is not new.)

Perhaps that lack of intensity explains why Manning fails against a defense with some level of talent.

Or maybe it’s more of a lack of confidence, in himself, and his teammates.

For all of Manning’s famed improvisational skills in play-calling before the snap, Manning loses all composure if the play doesn’t develop as planned after the snap. It’s not just that Manning is not very mobile.

It’s that the offense is based on timing, and any disruption of timing sends Manning into a panic. It also turns him against his teammates.

Rather than try to inspire his Colts when they’re behind, Manning tends to go into a shell and wonder why everybody else is screwing up.


“I’m looking for a safe word here, I don’t want to be a bad teammate,” Manning told reporters after being asked about Indianapolis’ blown blocking assignments. “Pittsburgh gave us trouble and put us in some situations we’re not usually in.”

Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter was right — the Colts are a finesse team, only able to win by trickery.

Manning took his first snap Sunday with the Colts down 7-0, and he started pushing the panic button immediately. Manning chicken-danced his team to eight passing calls and only three runs. Sure, Edgerrin James ran for only five yards, but the passing plays weren’t any better. Manning, pressured relentlessly by the Pittsburgh line and some combination of blitzers, completed only two-of-six first-quarter passes for 37 yards, and was sacked twice for 17 yards.



(Recall that Pittsburgh already lost 26-7 at Indianapolis in the regular season, so the Steelers knew they had better jump ahead early, or else Manning would settle into a groove.)

Manning clanked three more passes in the second quarter before deciding maybe running might be worth a try. James ran seven times for 42 yards, the threat of his legs helping Manning go 6-for-6 for 49 yards, as the Colts drove from their own 2 for a nine-minute, thirty-second drive.

Alas, a James Mungro touchdown run got called back because of left tackle Tarik Glenn’s false start penalty, and the drive stalled at the Steelers 2, forcing a Vanderjagt field goal with 1:20 left in the half.

Manning started the third quarter like he started the first — he stunk.

The Steelers’ final touchdown was set up by a “drive” that started at the Colts’ 9, and went clank, clank, sack, with the ensuing punt giving the Steelers only 30 yards to go to the end zone and take a 21-3 lead.

Manning’s 50-yard pass-and-run to tight end Dallas Clark finished his “get-the-punt-team-off-the-field” drive to close the margin to 21-10.



But cutting the deficit to 21-18 only came thanks to a dubious replay reversal of a Troy Palamolu interception. Getting into position for the field goal came only because the Colts’ Gary Brackett forced a Jerome Bettis fumble near the goal line with 1:20 to go, a fumble cornerback Nick Harper returned to the Indianapolis 42. Manning was getting gold and frankincense, with myrrh was on the way, yet he wasn’t willing to accept his heavenly gifts.

With 31 seconds left, Manning had the Colts on the Pittsburgh 28, second down and two yards to go, with two timeouts. Manning’s pass to Reggie Wayne in the end zone was broken up. Not a terrible decision — go for a touchdown and see what happens.

But on third-and-2, with 25 seconds left and two times out, Manning threw an out to Wayne that was nearly intercepted. The question is, why throw that pass? Manning could have run James out of the shotgun to pick up enough for the first down, particularly with Pittsburgh playing for a pass, then call a time out. The Colts could have run another play or two — maybe another crack at the end zone, or more James runs to make for a closer field goal, plays run to where Vanderjagt was most comfortable kicking.

While Vanderjagt hadn’t missed a kick at home this year, his better days are behind him. Having James run might have seemed conservative, but the time for another pass play was after picking up the first down. At the least, that would have gotten the Colts closer to the goalpost. A 46-yard field goal is no chip shot. Especially not the way Vanderjagt pushed it.

Vanderjagt legitimately should have walked off the field and kept on walking out of the RCA Dome, all the way to his native Canada, after missing a game-tying kick that badly. But the blame for the loss, again, falls firmly on Manning, who once again underperformed when the season was on the line.

Maybe the Colts need to sign Tee Martin to finally get over the hump.





Controversial calls in Steelers-Colts playoff game

What's the catch?
On first-and-10 from the Indianapolis 44 with 5:33 left, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning threw to tight end Bryan Fletcher near midfield. Troy Polamalu stepped in front, caught the ball, tumbled with it in his hands and lost it when got up to run. The Colts challenged the play, which was reversed by referee Pete Morelli even though it appeared Polamalu had possession.

Manning then drove the Colts for a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to make it 21-18.

Morelli said: “I had the defender catching the ball. Before he got up, he hit it with his leg with his other leg still on the ground. Therefore, he did not complete the catch. And then he lost the ball. It came out, and so we made the play an incomplete pass.”

Might as well jump
On fourth-and-inches from the Pittsburgh 48, two Colts defensive lineman ran across the line of scrimmage, pointing at the Steelers as if one of the linemen moved. The officials stopped the game, but called no penalty. Replays appeared to show Alan Faneca barely flinched. But Steelers coach Bill Cowher argued the Colts made contact with the linemen, which would have forced an offside call and a first down. Instead, Ben Roethlisberger ran a quarterback sneak for a first down, which allowed Pittsburgh to use another 5:02 before punting.

Run the interference
On third-and-2 from the Pittsburgh 28 with 25 seconds left, Manning threw to Reggie Wayne in the corner of the end zone, but the play was broken up by rookie Bryant McFadden. Wayne tried going over McFadden for the catch, and Manning was hoping for pass interference — but no penalty was called. The Colts tried a 46-yard field goal, which Mike Vanderjagt missed wide right.




Bob Cook is a contributor to NBCSports.com and a free-lance writer based in Chicago.

It's true, Inspiring your teammates would be much better than trying to blame others and acting like a big crybaby.

I'm glad people are taking notice of the terrible calls made in the game, no matter which team they were against.

this guy is right, i wish he did a better job with the article but his point is made.

i guess, but it seems like his o-line just collapsed around him the whole game.

Agreed.

uhh, it's football.....thats what happens, thats what an NFL QB has to deal with week in and week out.

And this is why Peyton needs to learn to be able to pass on the run and under pressure better. He can't rely on his O-line to be a security blanket every play.

You need to cut the guy a little slack. I'd say 3/4's of the times he was sacked he was ambushed and had less than 2 seconds to get rid of the ball. I have no bias on the issue so it's not like I'm trying to defend him.

He obviously isn't very good when the pressure is on, but Pittsburgh's D deserves some serious props.

Is it just me or does this guy seem to have it out for Manning? I agree that Manning has yet to prove himself in the big game, but this was a pretty vicious attack.

I agree with that

It kind of pained me to watch the Colts go down today. Manning has kind of become the Phil Mickelson of the NFL.

The author of this article was an AWESOME quarterback in pee-wee.

didnt horseface have to wait till he was 35 to make it the big dance?

Peyton Manning is the Dan Marino of his era. Whiny, pretentious, blames others, but a good QB who won't win a Superbowl.

Marino had some shitty teams around him and is still considered the best QB of all time by most. Peyton Manning has the best team in football around him (and arguably the best football team of this decade) and he still can't win.

"I'm trying to be a good teammate...but we had some protection problems."-Peyton Manning, 1-15-06

No, actually you're not trying to be a good teammate. Good luck with your "protection problems" next season. I'm sure your OL appreciated this comment.

Oh, and THIS JUST IN BASED ON THE OUTCOME OF THE GAME:

The NFL is looking into a rule change that will require all defenses to count to "10 mississippi" before they blitz.

That was pretty weak. As the team's leader its his responsility to keep the team together and not allow finger-pointing, much less do it himself. A good teammate wouldn't make mention of something like this at all. I thought he had a little more class than that.

Name one rb thay dan marino had on his team in his 17 years? Terrible comparison, sorry.

As for the article, i called that this would happen at halftime of the game. It is always mannings fault when the colts lose in the playoffs. I'm not that a particluar fan of mannings, but it is complete bullshit.

Parmaleeeee!!!