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GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- Bengals backup safety Lawrence Wright probably won't be in there Monday night when Peyton takes his Place against the Bengals at Cinergy Field. But Wright, who caught Colts quarterback Peyton Manning's act two years ago in Florida's win over Tennessee, has some advice for his teammates. "The key is to blitz him and give him happy feet," said Wright, who makes no bones about his allegiance to the Gators. "He gets happy feet. . . He's very astute, but pressure brings out a different (characteristic). The pressure does something to his play. "The difference between him and (former Florida quarterback) Danny Wuerfel is Danny will stay up in there and chunk you. Peyton will get a little jittery and won't throw probably as accurate a ball as he'll normally throw when he gets pressure." Wright, named the top defensive back in the nation for that 1996 season, believes Manning will make it with a strong, accurate arm and big brainpower: "If his line blocks for him, he'll do real well." Takeo Spikes' Auburn Tigers also blitzed the heck out of Manning in last season's Southeastern Conference title game, but Tennessee pulled out a one-point win that still hurts. Spikes, the Bengals' first-round pick who'll start at right inside linebacker Monday, said the Tigers tried everything on Manning. Zone blitzes. Eleven men on the line. But the game turned when Manning threw a short out pattern that turned into a long touchdown. "We threw a lot of stuff at him, stuff he hadn't seen before, and it staggered him a little bit," Spikes said. "I think he'll be a success once he understands the pro game. A lot of guys have the physical talent to go out there and just do it, but he's got the understanding of the game, too. His game meets at 50-50. He can make checks and knows where the blitz is coming from." Spikes said there'll be no avenging the SEC title Monday. "I'd have to pay back Tennessee (not just Manning)," Spikes said. "I'm going to try and make him recognize No. 51." |