The undrafted rookie wideout who’d been plucked off the practice squad a day earlier had a suggestion for Peyton Manning at a key stage of Sunday’s game, and the NFL’s best quarterback rightfully could have rolled his eyes and told the kid to shut up and block somebody.
After all, logic suggested that allowing an untested player to improvise an end-zone route against the Denver Broncos might play out like a horror flick for the Indianapolis Colts.
Well, Manning listened.
Veteran nose tackle Jamal Williams said after his Broncos had suffered a 27-13 defeat to the defending AFC champions and their future Hall of Fame quarterback, “He’s a monster, man. F*#%*@g Peyton Manning.”
That’s as good a description as any of an all-time great at the height of his powers.
On Sunday, Manning showed up at Mile High without two key wideouts Pierre Garcon and Anthony Gonzalez. He was going with three unfamiliar newbies on his offensive line as well.
White, perhaps the rawest receiver Manning has broken in over the course of his 13-year career, was a former Michigan State walk-on who signed with the Colts as a free agent after being blown off in April’s NFL draft. He was released after a strong preseason and signed to Indy’s practice squad, earning a promotion Saturday after starting wideout Garcon was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
With the Broncos making a concerted effort to take away Manning’s top targets, White joined second-year wideout Austin Collie as prime options.
As Manning said after the game, “It’s hard to play with 10, right? You have to play your reads. You try to give White some plays that he knows and give him a chance.”
With five minutes left in the third quarter and the Colts trying to extend a 13-10 lead, Manning had to be a bit surprised when White sidled up to him with a second-and-5 from the Denver 9-yard line ahead and offered his unsolicited input.
Um, excuse me, Peyton. So, uh, I was thinking that maybe, since the defender seems to be cheating to the inside that, uh, we might be able to fool him, Sir. If you think it’s a good idea, that is…
“I probably should have called him ‘Mr. Manning’, right?” White acknowledged afterward. “He’s probably thinking, ‘Who is this kid? Get the hell out of here.’ ”
What White actually said to Manning – “My guy’s playing me inside. I think I can get him on the slant and up” – was enough to inspire the crafty quarterback’s trust. In fact, the young receiver had already laid the groundwork when few others were watching.
After the game, Manning made a point of stressing that his familiarity with White was a product of countless repetitions during offseason workouts.
“The NFL is trying to get rid of offseason workouts,” Manning said. “Offseason workouts – that’s how we’ve gotten our edge over the years. It’s how you really develop a player and improve your craft.
“Without the offseason, how do we get anybody ready to play? I’ve thrown to Blair White since we picked him up in April, and there’s no way he’s ready to play Sunday if I don’t have those reps with him. In training camp, there just aren’t enough reps to get familiar with a guy near the bottom of the depth chart. You’ve got be able to throw to him in the spring – otherwise I wouldn’t feel good about rushing him out there.”
Even if White never catches another NFL pass, he’ll feel warm and fuzzy about the nine-yard touchdown grab that put Indy up 20-10: As he’d humbly suggested, White ran a slant on cornerback Perrish Cox, who bit on Manning’s cold pump fake, then turned it back outside as the perfectly delivered ball settled gently into his hands.
Manning threw 43 passes on Sunday, completing 27 for 325 yards and three TDs, with no interceptions or sacks. Those are impressive numbers and it’s not too early to proclaim that Manning, who won an unprecedented fourth MVP award last year, has a solid shot at No. 5.
What Manning has done so far in 2010 is complete 70 percent of his passes for nine TDs and zero interceptions. The Colts, who’ve won 12 or more games for seven consecutive seasons, are 2-1, tied for first atop the AFC South.
