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Unlike father ... Colts' Manning seeks playoff win in just third season
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Peyton Manning's father played 14 seasons in the NFL without getting a sniff of the playoffs. The younger Manning, 0-1 in the postseason after two years in the league, already is impatient for his first playoff victory. The only player in NFL history to pass for more than 12,000 yards in his first three seasons, Manning reached the playoffs when the Indianapolis Colts beat Minnesota last Sunday, earning them a trip to Miami for a wild-card game on Saturday. But that's not good enough. Not this year. "Every player on this team realizes what our job is," Manning said. "Last year, we didn't play well in the playoffs. Now we have to raise our game a little bit. Hopefully, we can do that on Saturday." The Colts won 13 games and the AFC East title a year ago, earning a first-round bye and a playoff game at home. But they lost 19-16 to Tennessee in Manning's first playoff appearance. That put him one step ahead of Archie Manning. Last year, the Colts (10-6) lost their last regular-season game. This time, they've won three in a row, including a 20-13 victory in Miami two weeks ago. "We have a lot of momentum, we have a lot of confidence," Manning said. "We won three games in must-win situations, but when you get in the playoffs, it's different. It's going to be cutthroat football." The Colts appeared to have no chance for the playoffs after they lost three consecutive games a month ago, dropping their record to 7-6. But they beat Buffalo and Miami, then sneaked into the playoffs by beating Minnesota while the New York Jets lost to Baltimore. Manning passed for 283 yards and four touchdowns against the Vikings. "The man is like an offensive coordinator," said running back James, who led the NFL in rushing for the second consecutive year. "He helps me a lot. He knows everything, and he's going to put the team in the best position possible as far as calling the plays." Manning finished the season with 4,413 yards and 33 TD passes, both franchise records. "He'll get better. Heck, yeah, he'll get better," Colts head coach Jim Mora said. "He just has to play, just get the experience and see all the situations that are out there through his career. "I'm sure the confidence level will grow, feeling comfortable, those kinds of things. It's just a matter of maturing and getting experience and getting better." Mora thinks the Colts now are probably playing their best football of the season. "After practicing for 17 weeks, you ought to be better," he said. "We've stayed healthy, we're healthy now and we're probably playing as well as we have all year these past few games."
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