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INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 16, 1998) -- Out in San Diego, Chargers management is fretting because their rookie quarterback isn't dealing very well with pressure, expectations, real life or NFL defenses. So, while Ryan Leaf sat on the sidelines Sunday and tried to pick up some pointers in the maturity department, his counterpart in Indianapolis continued to grow up between the hash marks. And it sure looked as if 22-year-old Peyton Manning came of age in the closing minutes of Sunday's improbable 24-23 victory over the Jets. The Colts' quarterback of the future gave Indianapolis its first reward for being patient in the present as he engineered a cool, smart, 15-play, 80-yard drive for the winning points. He's got a long way to go to overhaul John Elway, but Manning earned the first save of his career and gave an appreciative RCA Dome crowd a reason to believe that things can get better. "It's a big game for me and for this team; that's why you play football," said Manning after a nifty 2-minute drill (actually 2 minutes, 40 seconds) that culminated with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Pollard. "You like to sit on your couch as a kid and dream about this type of game." Now, without Marshall Faulk's individual brilliance on a fourth-and-15 play, Pollard's perseverance to get into the end zone, Marvin Harrison's receiving and some good blocking from his line, Manning would have been reviewing the ninth loss of 1998 instead of the second win. But, for a kid who's learning to crawl, walk and run, all in six months, it was a performance that reinforced why Indianapolis chose him No. 1 last April instead of Leaf. And why Bill Polian and Jim Mora wanted him in the crosshairs right from the opening gun. "He seems a lot more relaxed, confident, poised and calm, especially in critical situations," Mora said. "He has that mental and emotional makeup that serves him well in tough situations. "I think this will be a big boost for his confidence." Down six and 80 yards from the end zone with 3:01 and one timeout remaining against a pretty good club is a good yardstick of a team's moxie. And a rookie quarterback's learning curve. "We practice the 2-minute drills every day and I know what to do and what not to do. At least I did today," said Manning, who completed eight passes in the deciding drive and also plunged for a pair of first downs. "I always had confidence; it's just a matter of doing it. And the past eight weeks helped me succeed today." Obviously, it's been a mixed bag for the former Tennessee star. He's looked real good (against San Francisco), real shaky (in the first Jets game) and pretty much like a rookie quarterback trying to make things happen. He's thrown a league-high 20 interceptions, yet also connected for a touchdown pass in seven consecutive games and ranks No. 2 in the AFC in total yards (2,289). "There's no doubt that he's still making some mistakes and sometimes it kills you," said veteran center Jay Leeuwenburg. "But you've got to make those mistakes. Everybody does when they're learning." True, Manning has added some positive stats this season in the fourth quarters of a couple of games that were already lost. But his touchdown pass to Pollard had some zip and some meaning. He was anointed the leader last summer and earned that title late Sunday afternoon. "In college, I was the leader, made plays and had the platform to do it," said Manning, whose maturity in the huddle is matched only by how he's conducted himself with the media under some very trying situations. "You come into the pros and start barking orders but you know, you've still got to walk the walk. I think I made some steps toward that today." Call it one small step for the Colts, one big step for the rookie.
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