K.C. ALFRED / Union-Tribune
Peyton Manning
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INDIANAPOLIS – Colts quarterback Peyton Manning has turned the NFL record book into his personal diary this season. Most consecutive games with multiple touchdown passes? His with 13. Most consecutive games with four or more touchdown passes in a season? His with five.
He has been so good he has redefined bad. When he throws for anything less than two scores in a game, it's as if he had a poor outing. The perception is understandable on some levels because he has thrown for multiple touchdowns in every game but one.
Today in the RCA Dome, in a game between 11-3 teams that are fighting for playoff seeding, Manning will attempt to break another record that many people viewed as unbreakable: Dan Marino's mark for most touchdown passes in a season. Manning has 47. The record is 48. The Chargers have zero interest in being a footnote in history.
"Really and truly, this is probably like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a corner," said cornerback Quentin Jammer. "He needs one to tie the record and two to break it. He's one of the most prolific passers in the league. This is what you live for."
Last year, no defense was worse than San Diego's at preventing touchdown passes. The Chargers surrendered a franchise-record 36 aerial scores, one off the modern-day league record.
This season, the Chargers have made dramatic improvements in that area. They rank 26th in yards allowed, but are tied for eighth in fewest touchdown passes allowed, with 16.
They've given up multiple touchdown passes just six times. On five occasions, they did not allow a score through the air; in three others, they surrendered only one.
"People say that may be our weak spot on defense, the secondary," said strong safety Terrence Kiel. "I don't think it's our weak spot. We're No. 2 in the league in run defense, so a lot of the teams are behind and they have to pass. That's how a lot of the guys look at it."
The unit has given up multiple touchdown passes in only two of its last eight games – to Atlanta's Michael Vick and Oakland's Kerry Collins – but there's no denying it has yet to face a quarterback or an offense as gifted from a passing standpoint as Manning and the Colts.
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Chargers at Indianapolis
10 a.m., RCA Dome
Channel 8, KFMB-AM (760),
XEXX-AM (1420)
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History says he has a good chance of breaking Marino's record today. At home, he has tossed an astounding three or more scores in every game but last week's 20-10 win over Baltimore.
Kiel addressed Manning's quest for the record when the defensive backs met Wednesday morning.
"I told the guys, from my standpoint, you don't want to be on the highlight reel when he breaks the record because whoever gets that on them will be shown on 'SportsCenter,'" he said. "I told the guys if you're beaten, tackle the guy, unless you want to make ESPN and be the one he broke the record on."
If Manning indeed gets the record, it won't be due to trepidation by the Chargers. Some members of the defense couldn't celebrate last week's division-and playoff-clinching win at Cleveland because they were already thinking about Manning and the Colts.
"That's all they've talked about this week," running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. "It started right after the game on Sunday; they were talking about this game already. So, I know they'll be ready."
Manning prepared during the week by not only viewing tapes of the San Diego defense this season, but also other defenses that were coordinated by Wade Phillips, who joined the Chargers this season.
Predictably, Manning declined to discuss specifics about a Phillips defense, other than to say: "It's always a tremendous challenge from a mental standpoint and a physical standpoint."
Chargers defenders said they didn't put in any extra time preparing for Manning. Doing so, in their mind, would mean they took shortcuts in previous games.
"It's just another game to me, honestly," cornerback Drayton Florence said. "I approach every game the same. Just because it's Manning, I mean, I ain't going to prepare more than I did last week, you feel me?
"All this talk about not being on his video clip, I don't want to be on anybody's video. I mean his video is no more special than the guy in college I was playing against. If you're a competitor, that's how you look at it."
The Chargers believe the first key to slowing the Colts is stopping running back Edgerrin James, who ranks second in rushing with 1,464 yards. By limiting James, the Chargers can make the Colts one-dimensional, which could aid their attempts to slow Manning.
The Indianapolis passing game has been so proficient that three Colts wideouts (Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Stokley) are on pace to finish with more than 1,000 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns each. Tight ends Marcus Pollard and Dallas Clark also are threats, combining to catch 11 touchdown passes.
Manning has been effective in part because he has the option to audible in and out of plays based on the defense. He uses a lot of hand gestures at the line, but the Chargers said it's critical not to play a guessing game with him.
"A lot of it is a fake," inside linebacker Donnie Edwards said of the barking and hand gestures. "I was thinking about doing it, too. It's hokey-pokey. It's not really signals. You never know what the right call is or what he's doing at the time."
Most of the time, he's throwing touchdown passes. The question is, how many will he toss today?
