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"Exactly right. We were congratulating TE-Dallas ( Clark) and telling him exactly that, 'Congratulations, but hope you don't get to play in it.' I'm really happy for all the guys that made it. We have a couple guys that are hopefully first alternates, that certainly have a chance to be named to the team. I don't think any NFL player wants to actually be able to participate in it. That's sort of our goal (to not be able to play in the Pro Bowl)."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on the new format for the Pro Bowl)
"It's different. We've known about it for some time, that it was going to change. It's changed, and that's the direction they've decided to make the change to. When the announcement came out yesterday for a lot of the players, and especially for somebody like Dallas, this being his first year…I truly hope he doesn't get to play in it this year."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if it ever gets old being named to the Pro Bowl team)
"It's an honor. It's a humbling honor to be voted on by your teammates and coaches and the fans. It is an honor."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on the reaction to the game on Sunday)
"I don't really have a whole lot of reaction to it. Here we are, Wednesday, I do think it is time to move on. The players certainly have moved on. I understand we have to answer questions about it, and if you go outside of the building you can get asked about it. But I do think we have important things to focus on this week in trying to get better during practice this week, getting ready for Buffalo and get ready as we approach the postseason to be playing good football. I think it is important for the players to focus on the future and what's coming up for us."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on his approach to the Buffalo game)
"Coach Caldwell will probably address the playing time situations whenever he addresses you all. I'll let him discuss that. To me, I kind of take it day-by-day. I'll be out there taking every rep, like I did last week in practice, trying to work on things. We talk about working on our weaknesses during the course of the season. That's something we always try to do, and you work on your weaknesses in practice and try to see if you can make those strengths. That's kind of where I am at this point, and that's what I'll continue to do. We need to have another good week of preparation this week."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if he has had to say anything to QB-Curtis Painter to help keep his confidence up)
"I think he's okay. I think he's in a good frame of mind. Like I said, it was a tough first experience for him. I definitely thought it was a tough situation for him to enter into a game. I think he'll be better for it. I think everybody wants their first experience to be positive. I certainly wanted mine (to be), and mine wasn't either. I do think that you are better from the experience. I think he'll benefit from it. I think the whole team can benefit from it, I really do. It was not a pleasant experience for anyone on Sunday. I think we can turn it into a positive and come even closer together as a team and be a better team for it, I really do."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if he thinks this team is where it needs to be to be playing its best football in the playoffs)
"I feel like every day is another opportunity to improve, and that is where our focus is, to try and improve each and every opportunity we get, practice, meetings, walk-throughs, certainly the game upcoming this Sunday. That's been our focus all season, and that certainly will be our focus as we enter into the month of January, to try and improve each and every day."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on quarterback play in the NFL this season)
"I probably haven't noticed it as much as some other people have. I guess I haven't maybe paid as much attention to other quarterbacks around the league. I've certainly noticed that there are some guys playing good football at the quarterback position. I'm probably not as aware of particular statistics. There have been some passing games that have been impressive when you see them on the game film. You see some guys throwing down the field and some receivers making some plays."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on following New Orleans Saints QB-Drew Brees)
"Probably not as much because they're in the NFC, but when we play a team that has played the Saints, the Saints' film is certainly one you do like to look at. You're going to see how a team is going to defend a tough passing attack when they try to defend the Saints. Drew seems like he does a great job of using all his receivers. He spreads the ball around, and has a lot of receivers making plays for him."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if the mark of a good quarterback is consistency over three or more years)
"That's something, and I can't speak for everyone, I've always believed in, trying to be a better player the next year than you were the year before, using your offseason, using your experiences, the positives and the negatives, and trying to be a better player for it."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on any memories from playing Buffalo when the Colts were in the AFC East)
"I haven't had many, but I know I've won up there a couple of times. But the first couple of experiences up there, I don't remember them being too positive. I always remember playing good teams up there. The weather sounds like it's going to be cold on Sunday. It seems like it's always kind of been cold up there. (Buffalo is) a team and an organization that we have a lot of respect for. Maybe their record might not be as good this year, I know they've had coaching changes and some adversity, but I know it will be a tough test for our team on Sunday."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on the longest rushing TD of his career happening in Buffalo)
"It sure was. That is a fact. Nobody believes that, the players that weren't on that team, but that is a fact."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on his teammates not knowing he was going to keep the ball on that play)
"It was a run play. I always thought that was the best way to do it, don't tell anybody. I didn't really know I was going to do it either until the last minute. It surprised everyone, including me a little bit."
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QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if he's been surprised by the reaction to Sunday's game)
"I guess I really haven't gotten into it. I haven't really participated in it. We came in Monday and watched the film of the game and been home since. Like I said, at this point on Wednesday, we're really just in the moving forward phase of trying to be better for it. I'll admit it was not a pleasant experience on Sunday, but I truly feel our team can be better for it, can come together, can play with a little bit of an edge, a chip, if you will. If that may have caused it, that can be a positive for us, but I do think we have to move forward. It is behind us and try to be a better team for it. We've had a lot of positives go our way this season, and we haven't had a lot of tough Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays. This has probably been a more difficult couple of days, but I think it's all about how you respond to it. I think our team will respond in the right way, in moving forward and channeling any type of frustration in the right direction, as far as making us a better team."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on what he think will happen in Buffalo in regards to his playing time)
"I really don't know. Coach Caldwell has not given us a set number of plays. Like I said, drawing on what he's said, it doesn't sound like it will be a whole lot of playing time."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if it's difficult to get ready when you know you're not going to play a lot)
"That's certainly not the way you prefer, but like I've said, you know what the plan is and you're prepared to execute that plan. I think everybody naturally likes to be out there, but that's the plan, that's what's been told, and that's what we'll be prepared to follow."
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