| There's a big difference between Peyton Manning | | | | everybody's on the same page in this building." |
| speaking up about an internal problem with the | | | | That's what Manning told reporters the other day. |
| Indianapolis Colts and Terrell Owens complaining | | | | It's particularly disconcerting because that kind of |
| about the way the game plan was conceived and | | | | thing is just not in Manning's personality. It must |
| implemented with the Dallas Cowboys. You can | | | | be pretty bad there. |
| send a guy like Owens away and survive. But as | | | | The Colts are part of a trend that no doubt will |
| Manning goes, so go the Colts. I would not expect | | | | continue, in which a coach who knows he is |
| a Matt Cassel-like scenario regarding Jim Sorgi, so | | | | leaving will designate a successor ahead of time, |
| if the Indy quarterback took flight, this franchise | | | | and who will take over when the time comes, |
| would, for the time being anyway, be lost. | | | | affecting what is hopefully a seamless transition. |
| Manning is obviously like a coach on the field. In an | | | | In this case it is Jim Caldwell, the former head |
| era where quarterbacks get the plays from the | | | | man at Wake Forest, who spent seven years as |
| sidelines, which in turn has received them from | | | | an assistant head coach under Tony Dungy. But |
| upstairs, he comes the closest to a complete field | | | | Caldwell's staff is in a state of flux. Offensive |
| general, in the tradition of a Johnny Unitas or Joe | | | | coordinator Tom Moore, who has done such a |
| Namath. Manning comes to the line of scrimmage | | | | great job with Manning, and Howard Mudd, the |
| in the Colts' no-huddle offense with a few | | | | offensive line coach, have stepped down because |
| different play possibilities that are piped in to him, | | | | of issues with the way their pension plan has |
| then examines the defensive alignment and more | | | | been re-structured, and although they can come |
| or less decides which play is going to be run. It | | | | back to become "consultants," which is owner Jim |
| can be argued that he is in more command of his | | | | Irsay's intention, that will not happen until August |
| offense than any NFL quarterback in recent | | | | 2, and that still is uncertain. |
| years. With his football pedigree, and his undeniable | | | | Maybe this was unforeseen, but that's the way |
| instincts, there is little doubt that last year's Most | | | | things work in the NFL, one supposes. The guy on |
| Valuable Player could call all the plays in the huddle | | | | the hot seat is Caldwell, who was 26-63 in his only |
| (or at the line of scrimmage, as it were) if he had | | | | stretch as a head coach with the Demon |
| to. | | | | Deacons and is much more dispensable than his |
| That's why it is so important that the coaching | | | | quarterback. The assistants, especially Moore, who |
| staff keep up with him, rather than the other | | | | had a magical relationship (eleven years) with |
| way around. And that is why fans of the Colts | | | | Manning, would have been pillars the new coach |
| have to be disappointed in what they have heard | | | | could lean on. But at this point, who knows? |
| from their peerless leader at the beginning of | | | | This is the kind of thing that sometimes |
| "organized team activity" (OTA) this past week. | | | | transforms a team from division front-runner to |
| "I think the communication has been pretty poor | | | | one fighting for its wild card life against the Titans, |
| in my opinion. Somebody says one thing, then | | | | Jaguars and Texans, in a very tough AFC South. |
| somebody else says another thing. I'm not sure | | | | |