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"I think we need to take advantage of this week. For the times that we are practicing, try to get better. You always use the bye week to work on some things that maybe you're not doing so well, things that you can improve on. Certainly part of the bye week, though, is to get some rest. Hopefully, anybody that is banged up can get healed up. We have a tough stretch of football starting next week. So, it's a combination of work when we work and rest when it's time to rest."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on his reaction to the NFL's crackdown on illegal hits)
"I guess it certainly pertains to offensive players, which makes a lot of sense protecting those unprotected receivers and tight ends on those throws across the middle. All quarterbacks try to protect their guys, not throwing it to them high and late across the middle, but sometimes it just kind of happens. Sometimes it's just a routine throw and the receivers, tight ends and running backs are defenseless. It just seems like we've had a bunch of them this year and serious injury possibilities, so the NFL really means business on it."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if that is something that he considers when he throws to a receiver in the middle of the field)
"I think it's something that goes in your mind when you're practicing, when you're preparing and working on certain throws. I think quarterbacks try to train (themselves), 'Hey, keep that ball on his body. Keep it down. Keep it low.' High throws are never a good thing in general. The hits the other day weren't even necessarily (on) high throws. It was just crossing routes where safeties and linebackers were able to make a play. It was some pretty scary hits the other days."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on knowing that you're next opponent is Houston and if that changes the bye week schedule)
"We certainly know how important of a game it is. Houston is off also, so it's really nothing more new to study for them. I mean we're pretty familiar with them. We know how important a game it will be, but this week, as we've talked about in the past, we try to kind of improve the Colts, if we can, and just focus on things we can do to be better."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if he'll watch a lot of football on Sunday)
"I don't know. Eli (Manning) and (the Giants) play on Monday, so it just depends. Since Houston is not playing there is not really a team to study, and I don't really like getting too far ahead on any other opponent. It just depends."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if you can still improve while resting at the same time)
"Well, I think we can. It's a chance for some guys to get some work and some of these young guys are having to play. WR-Blair White is a perfect example. WR-Anthony Gonzalez has not been able to get some work in awhile, so it's a chance for him to get better. You can always find a way to improve with somebody, a new guy, a guy just back from injury, a young player, it might be a guy on the practice squad. You never know when they'll get called up, it's happened a couple times this season. There's definitely an opportunity to improve somewhere with your offense and the defense."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on having success in the first game after a bye week)
"I guess so. I think it goes back to how you take advantage of the bye. I think if you get some good work out of it. I think it's important the week after the bye, if you come back with some good practices, guys come back rested and hopefully have some juice and energy in their step. We really do have a tough stretch, a long stretch of games. I do think the bye is coming at a good time with our injuries. It gives a chance to hopefully get some guys back. At the same time, it's a long stretch after the bye."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on running the offense faster on Sunday against Washington)
"It's something that you guys have certainly seen before. We've done it throughout the years. That was kind of the plan by design against Washington to really kind of pick it (up). But you're still running a lot of the same plays, it's just are you executing those plays? 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."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if that is something that he considers when playing on the road)
"I think sometimes on the road it's a good way to kind of take (the crowd out of it). 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."
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