Redskins’ challenge is to fool Colts’ Manning
ASHBURN – The biggest duel will take place before the ball is snapped. The Redskins will show a look, waiting until the last second to jump to another. Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning will wait them out, forcing them to reveal their intentions too soon.
The Redskins have faced — and beaten — some elite quarterbacks this season. None has the reputation for diagnosing a defense like Manning.
And for a team that thrives off disguises, it means the Redskins will have to work even harder.
“We couldn’t confuse [St. Louis’] Sam Bradford,” Redskins corner DeAngelo Hall said. “How can we go out there and confuse Peyton Manning?
“You might confuse him for a quarter or a half or maybe even three quarters, but at some point he’ll figure out what’s going on and he will be able to execute that offense.”
Manning, in his 13th year with the Colts, loves using the “sugar” huddle — a quick huddle about five yards from the line of scrimmage. Then he’ll stand behind center, gesturing and motioning to try and fool the defense into thinking he’s changing a play. Sometimes, of course, he is.
Meanwhile, he’s waiting for the defense to declare its intentions.
“I’m not sure anybody in this game has ever prepared as much as he has,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said.
The Redskins love showing multiple looks, using three-man lines, two-man lines with a 4-3 look and a one-man front. They’ll move their linebackers all over the place, sometimes even lining them up along the line. And it’s tough to always pin down where safety LaRon Landry is going to end up — rushing or dropping. They’ll also sometimes show as if they’ll rush six only to send three.
They’ll have to do more of the same. But the trick is not giving away too many clues before the snap. If a safety or corner is going to blitz, for example, and they start moving a few seconds too soon, then Manning will pounce.
But they know this isn’t a time to be passive.
“You can’t just sit there and think you’re going to beat Peyton by just sitting there all game,” safety Reed Doughty said. “We’ve got to be able to do what every team tries to do — throw him off.
“[But] he knows how to read it all. I really think that you have to at least try because if you sit in it, he knows what you are going to do. Most of the time, he can read when you move into it, but maybe there’s a chance he won’t.”
