Through 16 full games (and parts of two others), Peyton Manning has remained remarkably upright. Manning, not exactly known for his scrambling ability, has managed to take only 10 sacks — and none in the postseason. That’s the big challenge for the Saints’ defensive front, including defensive end Will Smith, who has a team- high 13 sacks, to see if they can find a way to pressure the Colts — and Manning — in a way no one else in the league has mastered. “We work a lot on pass protection, Peyton’s got a quick release obviously, and we’ve got great route runners. Our backs do a good job of picking up blitzers, and I like to think as offensive linemen we do a good job of protecting him as well,” Colts left guard Ryan Lilja said. “If you factor in all those variables, you get a low sack total, a QB that’s not hit a whole lot and a pretty successful passing game.”
