There might not be a coach that knows Peyton Manning better than Lions head coach Jim Caldwell.
It was Caldwell’s second year in the NFL when he arrived in Indianapolis, but his decade with Manning helped shift him from quarterbacks coach in 2002 to Colts head coach in 2009 to his current job starting last season.
“It was extremely beneficial because of the fact that we didn’t lose a whole lot of games back in those days,” Caldwell said. “Any time you’re winning and winning consistently, it certainly helps your career. He was a big part of that.”
And that goes both ways.
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The year before Caldwell arrived in Indianapolis, 25-year-old Manning was coming off a 6-10 season where he threw 26 touchdowns and 23 interceptions, the second most in his career. Gunslinger Manning had 28 his rookie year.
Tony Dungy and Caldwell changed the way Manning prepared and led his transition from “good” to “great.”
“My game just sort of took another notch upward just because of that consistent routine, the attention to the fundamentals and techniques. Doing the little things right that just had a big impact on me,” Manning said.
The two shared their peak moment in 2006 when they lifted the Vince Lombardi Trophy together after their Super Bowl XLI victory.
In Caldwell’s nine years with Manning as his starting quarterback, the Colts had double-digit wins every year. And Manning’s completion rating was 65 percent or higher every year.
Manning considers Caldwell a great coach, friend and resource. So it wasn’t hard for Manning to rave about his old coach when a Lions team official asked for his opinion before hiring Caldwell.
It’s been five years since Manning and Caldwell were on the same sideline. And although some things have changed, a lot has remained the same.
“The most important thing is that he’s still winning,” Caldwell said. “He’s still very effective. He’s still throwing touchdown passes. He’s still winning. And he’s on the verge of shattering almost every record that there is, in terms of passing, in the league.”
Caldwell doesn’t put much stock in Manning’s early season struggles. The Broncos offense is still a feared bunch.
“Our difficulty is going to be in trying to stop it. They have weapons all over the place,” Caldwell said.
Plus, he has other things to worry about than figuring out if Manning’s arm still has the same amount of juice as it did in 2005.
The Lions are trying to avoid an 0-3 start. And ailing quarterback Matthew Stafford has the honor of facing Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware and the rest of the Broncos defense Sunday night.
Cameron Wolfe: 303-954-1891, cwolfe@denverpost.com or
