Preparation is foundation of Peyton's brilliance

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Please be advised: This is not intended to suggest that Peyton Manning is anywhere close to ending one of the most brilliant careers in NFL history. Nor is it to hint that he is even thinking about retirement.

But it is worth noting that Manning is keenly aware of his own football mortality and that he has learned to enjoy every moment of the journey. That is saying something for a player who has never missed a game since coming into the league in 1998 and is adding to his reputation as an all-time great.

"I'm kind of a realist," Manning said Thursday as he continued preparations for Super Bowl XLIV against the Saints. "I realize this is a game that you can't play forever. I do enjoy playing, I enjoy working. I have learned not to take it for granted."

Near the end? Not quite. At 33, Manning is still in his prime, and with a lucrative contract expected next year and a streak of 210 consecutive starts, including postseason, who knows how long he can play? The Colts would like to think forever.

"You never quite know what tomorrow's going to bring," he said. "Look at this year. We've got new receivers, we've got a brand-new head coach, we've got a lot of new players on defense and a new defensive coordinator. I think that's why it's important to live in the now."

The now is just fine for the Colts, who are a win away from earning a second Super Bowl ring in four years and injecting themselves into the conversation of greatest teams ever. Manning already is in the conversation of greatest quarterbacks ever; a win Sunday, and that reputation will grow even more.

But he isn't thinking big picture as the game approaches. He's thinking of how to solve a Saints defense that will try to confuse him with coverage and rattle him with blitzes. He is poring over game tape, practicing the line-of-scrimmage histrionics that are his trademark and preparing the way he has since he started playing quarterback while growing up in New Orleans as the son of Saints quarterback Archie Manning.

Therein lies the essence of Peyton. He is all about preparation.

"Since film was available to study, I just kind of had a thirst for it," Manning said. "I never felt I did more than any other quarterback. I never felt I had some secret system or anything. I just knew that is where I was going to try to gain some type of edge. I knew I couldn't go out there and run away from guys. I knew I couldn't throw it through three guys. My idea was to try to have a good sense of where they were going to be and to be real comfortable with what I was doing, where my guys were going to be."

There is no player more prepared than Manning, which is why he is the only quarterback in the NFL to call most of his plays. Oh, he'll get suggestions from offensive coordinator Tom Moore. But when Manning steps to the line of scrimmage and surveys the defense, he is the one making calls based on what he sees. And his pre-snap reads are based on what he has seen of the opponent's tendencies on tape.

"I never left the field saying I could have done more to get ready for this particular team," he said. "Plenty of times I wish I could have had certain throws back or certain decisions back, but just on the football side of it, that is how I have always felt. That has given me a little bit of peace of mind at night, after a game that we didn't win: 'Hey, I did everything I could to get ready.' ''

For those around Manning, the experience is like nothing else. The hand gestures. The screaming of play calls, some of which are designed as decoys to fool the defense. It is all part of Manning's approach.

"Sometimes it's a decoy, but more often than not [his signals] mean something," tight end Dallas Clark said. "It's a full-time job trying to keep up with all the hand signals and code words. It's fun. It's an exciting part of our offense, just being a part of it and the fact that we can change a lot of different things."

More often than not, it works. Every time the Colts have tried to win this season, they have done so. After a 14-0 start, coach Jim Caldwell rested key starters in their final two games, both losses. They beat the Ravens and Jets in the playoffs, and now Manning goes against a defense that has proved vulnerable, particularly against the pass.

The Saints will have to be on their game, and that starts with a pass rush that must disrupt Manning's rhythm.

"You have to try to get into his face as fast as possible," Saints defensive tackle Remi Ayodele said. "The one thing Peyton does is avoiding sacks [only 10 during the regular season]. Our defensive ends are going to have to beat the tackles around the edge. With us in the middle, we have to get that three-yard push to help them get there. It all starts up front."

Will it be enough against Manning this time? The quarterback will soon find out. No taking this moment for granted, not when he knows how precious each game has become. He never knows when it will be his last.