TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) -Peyton Manning looks around, sees all those new faces in the huddle and realizes it’s almost like starting over.
There’s a new left tackle, a cadre of young receivers and an old guard coming back.
To the three-time league MVP that can only mean one thing – it’s time to get to work Thursday night against Philadelphia.
his is a new starting unit.”
Yes, most of the names have remained the same, but their roles have changed.
Charlie Johnson moved from left guard to left tackle. Tony Ugoh, last year’s left tackle, is working out as the backup right tackle. Ryan Lilja, the starter at left guard, missed all of last season with a knee injury.
Anthony Gonzalez has been promoted to Indy’s No. 2 receiver, and three-time Pro Bowl receiver Reggie Wayne has been lining up more in the slot at training camp.
So there’s a lot to learn, and last week’s results were not encouraging.
Manning was sacked three times in that six-play series and was concerned that he didn’t get another to work out some of the kinks.
Coach Jim Caldwell responded Wednesday by announcing the Colts starters would get about 20 plays this week.
“I think Anthony Gonzalez needs to make a downfield block for Donald Brown,” Manning said. “Ryan Lilja needs to high-five Pierre Garcon down the field. Do you know what I mean? There’s some different guys playing, and I think they realize that we need to be in there playing together so when we get to the Jacksonville game, we don’t get in the huddle and say, ‘Hey, I haven’t really seen you in here before.”’
ced with the Eagles this week, but is not eligible to play in games until next week.
So coach Andy Reid decided to stick with his policy of not taking players on the road if they can’t play.
What Manning is likely to see from the Eagles: blitzes.
New Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, who replaced the late Jim Johnson last month, has promised to keep Johnson’s blitz-at-all-costs packages going. It should be a good test for the Colts after last week’s debacle.
“We just can’t play like that,” three-time Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday said.
Of course, neither team is expected to go full throttle.
The Colts plan to hold out 10 players, including six starters. Safety Antoine Bethea and defensive end Raheem Brock are both out with broken hands, cornerback Kelvin Hayden is out with a hamstring injury, and defensive end Robert Mathis will not play because of a bruised thigh. Safety Bob Sanders and kicker Adam Vinatieri won’t play, either; neither has practiced.
Besides Vick, Philadelphia plans to leave at least seven regulars home, including four of its projected starters on the offensive line and backup quarterback Kevin Kolb. But Reid doesn’t want to play it safe.
He wants the remaining starters to play one half, maybe more, even though second-year left tackle King Dunlap may be responsible for protecting Donovan McNabb’s blind side.
“I expect the guys that get in there to do their thing and play well,” Reid said. “Really, King is the one with the least amount of experience in there. He’s just got to step up to the plate. It’s an opportunity for him and that’s how he has to approach it.”
But the changes have prompted the Colts to revise their traditional preseason approach for Thursday night. Instead of simply trying to avoid injuries, Manning wants the starters to get a little more work and it looks like he will get that.
“We’d like to maintain some drives and get some different situations, get some calls, get some checks, and just kind of jell a little bit as a unit, because it’s not the same old starters,” Manning said. “I think it’s important that we get some of that timing and rhythm and cohesiveness, I guess, as a unit in these next couple games.”
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