Manning takes blame on interceptions
Looking at the stat sheet and/or the scoreboard, its easy to look at the Patriots’ 31-28 victory over the Colts today and flash back to some of the teams’ battles in the early years of the New England dynasty.
Tom Brady had a coldly efficient game, completing 18 of his first 20 passes en route to a 19-of-25 day for 186 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
His Colts counterpart, Peyton Manning, finished with the gaudy numbers, hitting on 39 of 52 attempts for 396 yards and four scores.
And in the end, just like in the old days, Brady came out on top . . . .aided, of course, by a Patriots defense that forced Manning into a crucial mistake or two, or three.
There is one major change from the days when they dominated Manning, before he began turning the tables with comebacks in the 2006 AFC Championship game, and again last year during the Colts’ 35-34 win at Lucas Oil Stadium.
After the frustrating loss, Manning graciously took the fall for the defeat, which wasn’t always his nature in his NFL youth. Coincidentally this time around, he had apparent opportunity to point the finger at receiver Pierre Garcon, who appeared to run the wrong route on two of Manning’s three interceptions today.
The first ended the Colts’ initial drive at 10:15 of the first quarter when Brandon Meriweather picked off a pass with no Indianapolis receiver in the vicinity at the Patriots 29, retuning it 39 yards to the Colts 32. While it was announced in the press box that Blair White was the intended receiver, it appeared as though Garcon outside when he was supposed to go up the middle.
The second came with 18 seconds remaining in the third quarter, when Garcon pulled up short on a sideline route and Manning’s long pass was picked off by Devin McCourty.
“I don’t think [it was miscommunication],” Manning said when asked about his first two interceptions. “I don’t think so. I made a poor decision on the one down the right sideline. Pierre ran the right route. I kind of made the wrong read, wrong decision. The same on another in route. Pierre did the right thing. New England was moving their coverages, mixing them up, moving them around. I had a couple misreads on the coverages. It wasn’t anything on Pierre, that’s for sure.”
Garcon, who has struggled with drops this season, finished with a respectable five catches for 62 yards. But Manning got steadier performances not only from Reggie Wayne (eight catches, 107 yards), but also relative unknowns Blair White (five catches, 42 yards, two touchdowns) and Jacob Tamme (seven catches, 60 yards).
After the game, Garcon didn’t have much information to provide about about what unfolded on the two pivotal plays, saying he didn’t know what happened on McCourty’s pick.
“I ran my route,” Garcon said. “We called the play and we ran the play. Things happen.”
Manning was also targeting Garcon on his final pick, a spectacular leaping grab by James Sanders with 31 seconds remaining at the Patriots’ 6-yard line.
On this one as well, he stuck to his story that he and Garcon were on the same page.
“Yeah. Yeah,” Manning said, noting that he was looking to get the ball to Garcon against Devin McCourty in press coverage. “Bad throw.”
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