National Football League

Manning's strategy for exotic defenses: Go faster

Published Oct. 21, 2010 5:23 a.m. ET

foxsports

Peyton Manning is back to winning the mind games.

If defensive coordinators want to keep throwing multiple defenses at the Colts and have defensive linemen and linebackers mill about at the line of scrimmage, the four-time league MVP now knows what he'll do.

Go faster.

''It makes them show what they're going to do and it gets them lined up fast so we can see what they're going to do,'' left tackle Charlie Johnson said Wednesday. ''It keeps things simple.''

The Colts (4-2) prefer simplicity.

Manning's ability to read defenses and adapt in a split-second has allowed Indy (4-2) to turn the no-huddle offense into standard operating procedure. Over the last decade, it's become a calling card.

But it has rarely operated as fast as it did Sunday.

Manning called plays before the ball was even spotted or the noise at FedEx Field had died down. Washington's defenders barely had time to line up and rarely got an opportunity to substitute.

Indy responded by producing 469 total yards in a 27-24 victory heading into its bye week.

''You have a loud place like Washington, it's a loud crowd, sometimes it's a chance to get in a rhythm and take the crowd out of it,'' Manning said.

By cranking up the tempo, Manning puts more pressure on the defense than the defense can put on him, and turning the tables finally allowed the Colts to get back to a more familiar style of football.

Some thought the NFL's new umpire rules might change the pace of Manning's play-calling, and during the preseason, he complained that the umpire's new position - behind the deepest player in the offensive backfield - would unnecessarily take away one of the Colts' strengths.

Not a chance now.

Indy adapted Sunday by moving running back Joseph Addai closer to the line of scrimmage. Otherwise, it was the same old script.

''You're still running a lot of the same plays, it's just are you executing those plays?'' he said. ''You can be going in slow motion, you can be going at blazing speed, if you're not executing, it really doesn't matter. Our execution was solid the other night for the most part. In the red zone we had some breakdowns, but it's always kind of in the arsenal to go to that up-tempo.''

It could change how the defense plays, too.

Over the first six weeks, Manning faced myriad exotic looks from opponents.

Houston, next week's opponent, used primarily 3-4 fronts and blitzed 13 times in a season-opening victory over Indy. The next week, the Giants went to primarily nickel and dime coverage, and lost.

Since then, three of Indy's four opponents have gone straight to the New England playbook.

Denver, Kansas City and Washington all tried to confuse the Colts with a steady diet of one, two or three down linemen, with most pass rushers standing up. For a while, it worked.

The growing library of film to study has now allowed the masterful mind of Manning to find a solution.

''We know what's going on and going fast keeps the defense off balance,'' Addai said. ''I don't know if they (the Redskins) were tired, but I think it had them thinking more than they were supposed to and more than you want to do in football.''

Even Manning acknowledges that's by design. But how effective the Colts will be with this tack may depend heavily on who Manning has around him.

Addai said Wednesday that he has a nerve injury in his left shoulder and isn't sure whether he will be ready to play against his hometown Texans a week from this Monday night. Backup running back Donald Brown sat out again with a hamstring injury, and Indy signed free agent Andre Brown on Tuesday, partly as an insurance policy.

Receiver Anthony Gonzalez could return from a high ankle sprain next week, and there is some concern about the health of tight end Dallas Clark. While the Colts have not announced an injury to Clark, the re-signing of Gijon Robinson on Wednesday prompted even more speculation about Clark.

Caldwell isn't providing any injury updates during a week teams aren't required to by league rules.

Clearly, though, Manning likes the fastbreak offense and will use it whenever he thinks he can confound a defense.

''When you're playing fast like that, they can't bring people in and out,'' Johnson said. ''They have to show you what they're going to do before the play, it gets them lined up quicker and it helps us figure out what we need to do.''