QB-PEYTON MANNING (on what the team can do to break out of its funk and get back on track) Tuesday, December 7, 2010
"I think it's a short week, and hopefully it's good medicine for us. Certainly after a loss, it takes a couple of days to kind of get over it and usually until Wednesday before you kind of get onto the next week. This week, it's a short week, and we're already well into our Tennessee preparation. We practice tomorrow and travel. We need to use that time effectively to prepare in a short week. I think that can be a real advantage for you and take that to the playing field and hopefully play better and try to get a win."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on how he would describe the Colts-Titans series) Tuesday, December 7, 2010
"It's been a great rivalry. It's always been a good game, especially in Nashville. There is a lot of familiarity between the systems and the coaches. (Tennessee Head Coach) Coach (Jeff) Fisher has been in the NFL for a long time. I think he and (Philadelphia Head Coach) Andy Reid are the only coaches that have been there the entire time I've been playing. Our system has basically been the same since 2002. A lot of familiarity between the systems, teams have had some turnover as of late, but it's a competitive rivalry."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if he can recall a time when there's been a 'must win' game for the team this late in the season) Tuesday, December 7, 2010
"I can't think of a specific time, although there have been some years we've had the lead in the division, and you'd think we could cruise into December, but we still had to win two or sometimes three games in December just to seal the division. It's not a whole lot different from that. What's happened in our first 12 games is really irrelevant. We do have four games left, and it's about how we handle those four games, and this is the first one. Four-game season, four one-game seasons, however you want to call it, it is important to try to get on a winning streak and try to win all these games, (and) in order to do that you have to win the first one."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on the game having playoff implications with both teams still alive for the playoffs) Tuesday, December 7, 2010
"No question. They always play good at home. Those guys have a lot of pride. I know both teams are coming off disappointing losses. I know both teams are preparing hard to respond and play better. That's why I think it will be a tough test."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on when he looks at the game tape does he get a desire to possibly change his approach or is it more about execution) Tuesday, December 7, 2010
"I think it's about execution, executing the plays better in all phases of our offense. That's something we have to do."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if it is tempting to become more conservative and shorten things down and do more safe percentage plays) Tuesday, December 7, 2010
"I don't really know what that means. I think the plays we are running, we just have to execute them better. That's really the simple answer. That's really what it comes down to."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if he feels the need to change the way he plays at all) Tuesday, December 7, 2010
"Something I said the other day, aggressive discipline, that's kind of how I've always been taught to play. What does that mean? That means throw it to the guy if he's open and don't throw it if he's covered. That's what I've always been taught. I just haven't been executing that philosophy well because I've been throwing to some guys that have been covered. That's execution. That's executing my job better. Overall, I think (that's what) our offense has to do, just execute better."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if he's ever been in anything like this before) Tuesday, December 7, 2010
"We've lost three games, guys. I don't know what 'anything like this' means. It's a tough stretch. It's a three-game losing streak. I know you guys probably aren't used to having to ask these questions, but it's football and that's the way it is. Like I said, it's how you respond to it. I really do feel that the Thursday night, being a short week is good medicine. I'm sure the Titans feel the same way. I can assure you that we are continuing to work hard and prepare hard. I've really worked hard in our short period of time to get my studying done for the Titans. Hopefully, that can transfer to the playing field."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on the Titans defense) Tuesday, December 7, 2010
"Their defense is good, like always. A lot of the same players, although some new players with (LB-Will) Witherspoon and (CB-Alterraun) Verner, but a similar system. The defensive front is really active and an active secondary. They are playing good, number one in the red zone. They are tough to run the ball against. It is going to be a challenge. Like I said, they have a lot of pride too. I know Jacksonville came in there and won, (and) I know they will be ready to respond."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if CB-Cortland Finnegan is one of those guys that you always have to know where he is) Tuesday, December 7, 2010
"It will be interesting to see if he follows WR-Reggie (Wayne) or not. He's really kind of moved to the other side, but he followed (Houston) WR-Andre Johnson, as we all know. In year's past, he's played on our left side, which has been on Reggie. This year, he's been on the right side, so it will be interesting to see if he follows Reggie. He's that kind of guy that usually will go to a team's top receiver, which he did in Houston. He's a very aggressive player. He's a very good player. He's smart. He's one of those guys that takes chances, but he's right most of the time. I think that's not being risky, that's being smart. (CB-Alterraun) Verner on the other side that they drafted has got good skills. Their two safeties, I think, from an experience standpoint and an athletic standpoint are kind of like our safeties here, kind of like (DB-Antoine) Bethea. They are both active and smart players. (Their) secondary is good."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on as a team leader has he done anything to bring levity to the team during the three-game losing streak) Tuesday, December 7, 2010
"We're just continuing to work. We're certainly disappointed, but all we can do is focus on the next opponent, work hard, prepare hard and try to take that to the playing field. I've tried to do that. As a quarterback, I've tried to prepare hard to do my job better. That's something that I certainly need to do. I think everybody feels a sense of urgency, there is no question there is a sense of urgency, feels the challenge, and hopefully we can respond."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on is this his most frustrating season so far) Tuesday, December 7, 2010
"I think we're still right in the middle of it. Like I said, the season is still very much wide open you could say. I would be hard-pressed to take these last three losses and make that define a season. It's been three games where we haven't won, and we've had chances to win two of them down at the end. San Diego is the one game that we really never got anything going. If you want to call it a bad three-game stretch, whatever it may be, but like I said, I think it would be hard to say that's the entire season. In the four games left, we don't know what can happen. We certainly hope to get hot, and I certainly hope to start playing better at quarterback. What we need right now is a win. A win always solves some problems and gets some momentum. I know the Titans are in the same boat. That's why it's going to be so tough, but that's sure what we are trying to do."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on as good as the AFC South has been over the years is it amazing to him that at 6-6 the Colts still have control of their own destiny) Tuesday, December 7, 2010
"It's been a pretty competitive division all year. It's been tight. Everybody has kind of been beating everybody. Yes, if you want to call it fortunate, probably should, usually at 6-6 you probably wouldn't have a chance at anything, but somehow, some way, we do. Like I said, we hope to take advantage of that opportunity. I know all we're talking about around here is trying to get a win, just winning each week and seeing what happens after that. That's all we can control is this game Thursday, and hopefully we can get things going back in our direction."
