QB-PEYTON MANNING (on what he needs to do this week) * *
"The first thing is we need to have a good week of practice. We had a couple days off, which was nice. I think everybody can benefit from that. That is one of the benefits from playing that Thursday night game, that you do get some time off, kind of a late bye weekend here in the season. Now, we're back into the routine of things. We need to have a good week of practice. (The Jets) are a very tough team to prepare for. We are somewhat familiar with them, at least the veterans are, because it's a lot of the old Baltimore Ravens stuff. They give you the full gamut of defenses to prepare for. It's a mental challenge all week. That's what we have practice for. We need to have a good week. Hopefully, we can take that onto the field on Sunday."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if he knows how long he will play Sunday)
"Coach Caldwell's instructions were the same as they have been each week, 'This is what we need to do the win game. Please go out and do them.' That's kind of what he's instructed us to do, asked us to do. What he has focused on all season, and I think it's extra important this week, is to focus on the preparation. This is a team that you really can't prepare enough for. They always play hard, but they will be playing with it all on the line. You will get a great effort from them, and we need to match that intensity and effort. We (can) help our chances by having great preparation."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on the Jets' defense)
"They are excellent. They are better than pretty good. They are excellent. They have the players to line up in the same defense every play and they'd be efficient, but combine excellent players with multiple, multiple looks and formations and a solid scheme, and you're putting a lot together. They are very tough against the run, stingy down in the red zone, don't give up many touchdowns. They've held a lot of good offenses out of the end zone in the red zone, the Saints and a couple of other teams. It will be a great challenge."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on how much does he need to play this week to stay sharp)
"I don't really know the answer to that, I guess. I think a big part of me is practicing, practicing well, practicing sharp, and trying to do whatever you have to do to win that game. I still think that's the approach we're in. I know as things come down the homestretch people want to start talking about more games later down the road, which we're thankful that we are guaranteed at least one more game besides these last two, but we're truly focused on what we have to do to win this game and not necessarily preparing ourselves for the upcoming games. It's whatever I have to do to win this game. Like I said, that really starts this week with trying just to get mentally ready to playing this game."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if he expects to play the whole game)
"I would certainly imagine so. As soon as (Head Coach Jim Caldwell) says something different in that meeting, I'm telling you, you all will be the first to know. But it's been about as consistent of a Wednesday speech this week as it's been all year, 'This is what we have to do. This is what they are very good at. We have to prepare for this, and go out and do it.' It was the same speech again today. That's what we're going to try to follow."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on LB-Gary Brackett and DE-Dwight Freeney saying that defensive players might not need as much reps in the game as offensive players)
"I think I'm not smart enough to answer that question, and I'd really like to hear some more of that interview to hear Gary and Dwight's thoughts on that. It sounds very interesting. I really don't know the answer to that. I can't speak for different sides of the ball, and I'm not even sure I can speak for our side of the ball. I know our players certainly enjoy being out there playing, and we've had some really unique games this year. Every game has kind of had its own identity. You had no idea what was going to happen on Thursday night, went down there and it came down to those last couple of series. This game is going to have its own identity, and hopefully, somehow, we can find a way to win. We've been finding a way to win this year. We're going to try to find it again on Sunday."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on WR-Austin Collie's progression from mini-camp to now)
"Certainly, the amount of repetitions he's had has really benefitted him. He has been thrown into the fire and has really performed extremely well at times. At times has he played like a rookie, like he should play like? Absolutely. But in some critical situations he has responded. You hear about that myth, I think, about that rookie wall that guys can hit. I haven't seen that. If he's hit it, he's done a pretty good job of disguising it. I see him in here, heck, he was watching film on his phone, I guess he's pretty savvy that way, of (New England WR-)Wes Welker on the plane back from Jacksonville at two in the morning. I said, 'What are you watching?' And he said, 'Just some Wes Welker film.' (He said it) 'like, I'm just watching Seinfeld.' It was kind of the equivalent of that. He wasn't doing it for anybody to see it. I just kind of happened to see it. I think a lot of our young guys are like that. They are hungry. They want to get better. I think they are enjoying this ride. I'm trying to remind them that this is not what a normal NFL season is like. They are trying to get better each and every week."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on it seeming like every week the Colts are playing a team fighting for their playoff life)
"No question. You could kind of see that coming as you sort of just looked at the schedule, and you'd say, 'Every team we're playing down the homestretch is going to be right in the mix.' Every year you always say, 'What a crazy season.' But to have this many AFC teams right in the mix, every team in our division right in the playoff hunt, it makes you proud of what we have done within our division this year. To go undefeated in the division is an accomplishment in itself. Jacksonville, no question, got their best effort. Jets, you know you're going to get their best effort anyway, but with it all on the line you have to be prepared for some of the extremes, the fakes and the on-side kicks and those kind of things. When the schedule came out in April, I never thought the NFL did us too many favors with who we were playing and when we were playing. It's proven to be true. It's been as tough a schedule as I thought it would be. That's why it's felt good to win some of the ones we've won, and that's why a lot of them have been close, like we thought they would be."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on when he sees Jets' QB-Mark Sanchez if he says to himself, "I've been there')
"No, I haven't been there. I won three games my rookie year." (Reporter: You threw more interceptions than he has) "Of course, I did. I set the record, not proud of it, (and) waiting for someone to break it any year now. No, I can't relate. Here he is, they have a shot to make the playoffs, and we were mathematically out of that year very early, just sort of playing for pride and playing for the following season. He's playing up there in the same market as Eli, a heavily scrutinized market. But he's fighting hard every week, and to have his team 7-7, I think that's a heckuva rookie year right there in itself. Sure, like all rookies, he's going to play like a rookie, but I've seen him make a lot of plays. I know it's going to serve him well down the road to get that experience as a rookie."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if he has talked to QB-Mark Sanchez at all)
"I have not. I've spoken with him once before on the phone, but I have not met him. I'm all for good quarterbacks for the future of this league. I think we need good quarterbacks, and I think he'll be a good one for a long time."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on RB-Mike Hart battling back from the knee injury he suffered last season)
"He's been courageous. He's had a lot of injuries. Nobody can put themselves in his shoes and what he's felt injury wise, but he has fought hard. He's done a good job for us. We can put him in there. He's still a second-year guy with very little experience. We've appreciated his efforts, and I think he'll play a good part here down the homestretch."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on getting close to 50,000 career passing yards)
"I really don't have much thought about that. We're right here in the middle of the season, so much going on, so much kind of on the line here in these last couple of weeks. It's truly been a week-to-week season, and we're going keep it that way."
