 |
 |
 |
|
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Aug. 1, 1998) -- The Indianapolis Colts invested millions in rookie quarterback Peyton Manning to do one job: Run the offense. So he did. On a warm Saturday afternoon that saw the Colts and St. Louis Rams complete three days of work with a scrimmage at the University of Illinois' Memorial Stadium, Manning warmed to the task. He displayed his patented poise in the pocket and precision with the pass, completing 7 of 8 tosses for 74 yards. The aerial highlight was a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Torrance Small. But Manning, not known for his mobility, also showed that when the situation warrants he can make a play by tucking the ball rather than chucking it. During a goal-line drill, the Rams' defense held up Manning's primary receivers, so he improvised. The rookie with the golden arm relied on his feet to beat linebacker Lorenzo Styles to the right pylon for a touchdown. "Runnin' scared, just runnin' scared," Manning said, laughing. At the University of Tennessee, Manning set 33 school records and eight Southeastern Conference marks while throwing for 11,201 yards and 89 TDs. He rushed for 12 touchdowns, but set no land speed records in the process. Colts coach Jim Mora insisted he didn't flinch when he saw Manning head for the end zone. Quarterbacks were off limits to contact Saturday, but Manning probably would have absorbed a goal-line hit under normal game conditions. "If he can get in the end zone," Mora said, "I don't mind." Manning drew the most pre- and post-scrimmage attention Saturday, signing as many autographs as time allowed for the announced crowd of 3,500. How his starting quarterback performed on the field, though, mattered more to Mora. "About what I expected him to do," Mora said. "He was outwardly calm. He made good reads and had good accuracy." Each team's offense opened the day with a 15-play series, and Manning said there is a temptation for a quarterback to force a play when faced with limited snaps. "I just tried to go out there and get some completions ... get some rhythm going," he said. "Sometime you might think you've got to get some big (plays) early, but the big ones usually come with short throws." The Colts' first 15-play series was their most efficient of the day, even though it failed to generate any points. Manning completed all six of his passes for 54 yards, and the running game generated another 13 yards. The Rams rose up for what would have been a sack of Manning on third-and-5, then blocked Cary Blanchard's 30-yard field goal. That good news/bad news series typified the afternoon scrimmage for the Colts. They did enough good to provide positive reinforcement. Such as: -- Small beating Rams cornerback Willie Clark along the left sideline and gathering in Manning's pass for a 20-yard TD. -- Getting two touchdown runs from running back Marshall Faulk and a third from Manning during a four-play series from the Rams' 3. -- Getting two TD receptions from backup tight end Bradford Banta. -- The defense forcing three Rams' turnovers. Cornerback Carlton Gray and strong safety Robert Blackmon intercepted Tony Banks' passes while free safety Jason Belser recovered a fumble. -- Winning" the scrimmage. No official score was kept, but the Colts scored six TDs and the Rams two. To counter-balance the good, the Colts gave Mora enough ammunition to take into this week's work at Anderson University. The biggest area of concern occurred when the No. 1 offense worked on short-yardage. Given four opportunities to pick up a first down on third-and-1, the Colts went 0-for-4. Faulk was stuffed twice for no gain while backup Lamont Warren was tackled for a one-yard loss at the line of scrimmage. "If you get stopped once, that's OK," Manning said. "But to get stopped four times in a row is a little frustrating because we know we're better than that. "But the best thing about a scrimmage like this is it's great film to watch and learn from. You can see what you did right and what you did wrong." |