Tony Dungy: Colts must change offense in Manning’s absence

“Unless he’s dead, he’ll be up under center for the opening game.”

About two weeks ago, that’s what former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy said on whether Peyton Manning will start in week one.

Tuesday, Dungy joined Dan Patrick on his radio show and had some interesting things to say about Peyton Manning and the Colts moving forward.

Today Dungy doesn’t believe Manning’s chances of playing in the season opener at Houston are very high.

“(They’re) not very good. Usually they try to be up front with it and if somebody is doubtful, that means they are probably not practicing and it will take something miraculous for him to play…I’ve been traveling and haven’t talked to Coach Caldwell but I think the fact that Kerry has been practicing and that’s the way they seem to be leaning, it kinda tells me it’s not going very well.

Everyone in football agrees that Manning is a perfectionist and wants to be out there. That’s where Coach Dungy believes doctors must step in.

“You have to take the doctors (opinion) in all these situations. Peyton wants to play and I’m sure he’s doing all he can. I’m sure he’s lobbying to practice and lobbying to play but the doctors are going to have the final decision, there’s no doubt about it. And my guess is, that’s probably what is happening. He is wanting to play and wanting to practice and they are holding him out.”

Peyton Manning has started every game for the Colts since the team drafted him in 1998 draft. Since, he has constructed the Colts offense and made it one of the best ever. Therefore assuming Kerry Collins has to step in with less than two weeks with the team, the Colts must simplify the offense.

“You have to change the offense. Nobody can run it exactly like Peyton can. In the times that I was there when he didn’t play, when we had the backup quarterbacks playing at the end of the year, you have to tailor is down…you have to huddle more. Nobody can run it with all the nuances that he has put into it for the last 12 years so they will have to change it if he cannot play.”

As for the Colts chances this year, Dungy believes “it all depends on Peyton Manning. If he misses one or two games, I think they’ll still win the division.”

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