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INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 1, 1998) -- Jim Mora doesn't man the phones at a psychic hotline or spend his idle time peering into a crystal ball. But the Indianapolis Colts coach thinks he knows what he'll get from Peyton Manning today in the RCA Dome when his rookie quarterback faces New England for the second time in two months: A better game than Round 1. "He's a lot better player now than he was against New England in that second game (of the year)," Mora said. "Peyton has gotten better each and every week. He's making better decisions. He's just more comfortable out there." When the Colts visited Foxboro Stadium on Sept. 13, Manning walked into his second NFL start and a hornet's nest. New England preyed on Manning's inexperience with constant pressure and frequent changes in coverage. "I saw a lack of maturity," said Patriots' cornerback Ty Law, who victimized Manning with two interceptions. "We were getting a lot of pressure on him and ... he was throwing off his back foot." The byproduct was perhaps the least efficient game of Manning's brief career. Under siege and indecisive, he threw three interceptions and lost a fumble deep in his own territory. New England made the Colts pay for their quarterback's carelessness, turning the four takeaways into 20 points in a 29-6 victory. Manning has worn out the video while reviewing the first New England game, and his assessment always is the same. "I didn't make very good decisions," he said. "You could see I was doing some things out of inexperience -- kind of floating some balls high in the air, which is something you can't do even when guys are wide open. In this league, you've got to drive the ball." As much as the turnovers pained him, Manning was more upset with where they occurred. He lost the fumble at his 2-yard line when defensive end Willie McGinest stormed around the corner and slapped the ball loose. The Colts' defense held, though, forcing a chip-shot field goal by Adam Vinatieri. Manning's next possession was approaching midfield when Law intercepted one of his "floaters" and returned it 59 yards for a touchdown and a 10-0 first-quarter lead. The Colts were at the New England 15 and poised to cut into that deficit late in the second quarter when the Patriots' coaxed Manning into his second interception. A last-second flip in coverage led to Manning hitting Law, not wide receiver Marvin Harrison, in the end zone. "I had some chances to get some points down there and we came away with zero points," Manning said. "When you get down there, you need to come away with some points. We've done a better job of that the last couple of games and hopefully we can continue to do that." In the first five games, the Colts managed only three touchdowns and four field goals on 11 trips inside the opponent's 20-yard line. In the past two games, five "red zone" situations have produced three touchdowns and two field goals. That's progress, and that's what should be expected from Manning and his young offense. Manning's improvement has caught New England's eye. "He's been a lot better," linebacker Ted Johnson said. "Four weeks ago, he looked not as sure of himself. Now, they're giving him a little more opportunity to show what he can do." Law said he has noticed Manning becoming more comfortable on the field. "In the first game, we tried to take advantage of his lack of reading defenses," Law said. "Now, he has come into his own. He has seen it all. He's getting the ball away, not taking sacks and finding the open receiver." Manning is coming off his first game without an interception and the offensive line has allowed only one sack in the past three games. It would behoove the Colts' offense to extend the efficiency. Although New England was one of the NFL's most potent offenses early in the year, injuries have robbed quarterback Drew Bledsoe of three of his top four receivers and his top fullback. The Patriots have averaged 271 yards in total offense and scored only one offensive touchdown in the past seven quarters while dropping consecutive divisional decisions to the New York Jets and Miami. Still, the Colts can't relax, Manning said. "We can't give them anything easy," he said. "Whatever they get, we've got to make sure they earn." Notes
The Colts are 4-4 in games after their bye week. ... Despite losing consecutive divisional games, New England has won 14 of its past 17 against AFC East opponents. ... The Patriots are 10-4 in the RCA Dome. Drew Bledsoe, in his past five games against the Colts, has thrown 10 touchdowns and no interceptions. New England won all five.
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