Different Outcomes For Leaf, Manning In Exhibition Debuts

What does it mean?

Little, really, except that San Diego Chargers fans are encouraged after seeing some decent football, a radical departure from last season.

As Leaf returned to practice Monday, he had the same message that coach Kevin Gilbride delivered the day before:

"Hold up. This is just a preseason game," the rookie quarterback said of San Diego's 27-21 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night. "Steve Young did not play more than four series. Give him a whole game, and that game's a little different. So you've got to take that into respect.

"Regular season, real bullets start to fly. There could be a lot of different things that happen."

It was just one game. But for Leaf, it was much different outcome than Manning's first game as quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts. Manning looked more like a backup than the No. 1 draft pick. Leaf, the No. 2 draft pick, looked like he's ready to step right in.

Manning left at halftime with the Colts trailing the Seattle Seahawks 24-7. Seattle won, 24-21. Leaf left at halftime with the Chargers leading San Francisco 21-0.

Each rookie threw one touchdown pass -- Manning a 48-yarder to Marvin Harrison on his first pass and Leaf a 3-yarder to Bryan Still on his 14th attempt. Leaf completed 14 of 20 passes for 116 yards. Manning was 8-for-15 for 113 yards.

The real difference was that Leaf moved the Chargers -- he wasn't rattled by the Niners' blitzing -- and didn't turn over the ball. Manning threw an interception and fumbled, which teammate Tony Mandarich recovered.

"It was about what I expected," Manning said. "I'm disappointed that we lost the game. No matter how you do, you try to take the positives from the game.

"I wasn't nervous, probably a little anxious. I was a little fast, and my drops were real fast. I was a little anxious, but that's to be expected."

Leaf made mistakes, too, and is well aware of them. He credited San Diego's rebuilt line and running backs for bailing him out.

Because of their status at the head of their draft class, Manning and Leaf will be compared all season, and beyond.

And for those who can't get enough of Manning versus Leaf, the two QBs -- whose contracts will collectively be worth about $83 million if they max out on incentives -- will go head-to-head twice in a 44-day span. The Chargers visit Indianapolis for an exhibition on Aug. 22, then return to the RCA Dome on Oct. 4.

"We're binded and tied together by the media," Leaf said. "We'll always be friends and things like that. But it doesn't matter, really, what one another does."

Manning said there's never been a competition between the two.

"He and I are friends. I hope he does well," Manning said at the Colts' camp at Anderson, Ind. "People are going to do that (compare the two). But that's something I can't control. As far as I'm concerned, it's not an issue between us."

Peyton's dad, Archie, isn't looking forward to the comparisons, but knows they'll go on.

"They both have bigger things to deal with beside that," said Archie Manning, who attended Monday's practice. "I think Ryan and Peyton will be fine. I don't really enjoy it. I don't think it's fair to either one of them."

San Diego center Roman Fortin welcomes any heightened expectations from Leaf's debut.

"The thing is, I think we're going to be a better team," said Fortin, one of three new starters on the line. "I'd rather have the fans amped and then disappointed than to start out disappointed, because you need the fans behind you, just that energy."

Chargers president Dean Spanos said Leaf's performance "was a pleasant surprise. It was very encouraging, and everybody's on a high note right now."

The regular season, though, "is a different ballgame. The first sign is promising."

Leaf was clearly enjoying San Diego's 1-0 exhibition record. The Chargers headed to Stockton to practice with the 49ers on Tuesday and Wednesday. Leaf was looking forward to visiting with Young as well as something else.

"We'll probably get a good chance to rub it in that we beat them," he said.