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Posted on Wed, Sept. 08, 2004 Manning, Harrison ready for liftoff The Colts take to the air again with a sure-thing combination.
By Shannon Ryan
INDIANAPOLIS - Unlike many famous marriages, time spent together has brought nothing but a successful partnership for Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and wide receiver Marvin Harrison. While headlines and highlight reels are devoted to flashier connections like Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss of the Minnesota Vikings and fans mull the possibilities of a big Donovan McNabb-to-Terrell Owens pass in Philadelphia, Manning and Harrison have gone purposefully and prosperously about their business. They have become one one of the best pass-catch tandems in the NFL, even if they fly below the radar. Manning, the son of former NFL great Archie Manning, and Harrison, a product of Philadelphia's Roman Catholic High, begin their seventh season together tomorrow night, when NFL 2004 kicks off with a prime-time matchup between the Colts and Super Bowl champion New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The Manning-to-Harrison hookup is one big reason the Colts are mentioned as legitimate Super Bowl threats this season. The Colts finished 12-4 in the AFC South last season and lost to the Patriots in the AFC championship game. "I think the experience we have together helps," Manning said after the Colts fell to the visiting New York Jets, 31-7, last month in their second preseason game. "Any time one quarterback and one receiver are together this long, it's a great advantage. We've very comfortable with each other." That is evident. Since joining forces in 1998, when Manning was drafted as the top overall pick out of Tennessee, they have connected for 66 touchdowns, tying them with former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly and wide receiver Andre Reed for third all-time in the NFL. (Steve Young and Jerry Rice of San Francisco have the most with 85.) Harrison is the only player in NFL history with more than 100 receptions in four consecutive seasons (1999-2002); he was six shy of the mark last year. Manning led the NFL with 4,267 passing yards last season - the fifth straight year he threw for more than 4,000 yards. His completion percentage has risen every season, up to 67.0 in 2003. So when Manning set a goal of completing 70 percent of his passes this season, much of it had to do with his confidence that Harrison would reel them in. The receiver said that high standard adds no pressure. "My responsibility is just to get open and make plays as a Colt," Harrison said. "It's the same as usual. We want to win as many games as we can." Harrison and Manning seem to go together like milk and cookies. "They have such a connection," said Colts strong safety Cory Bird, who attended Oakcrest High School in Mays Landing, N.J. "The problem is, Marvin is so hard to jam or to slow up. And Peyton, his accuracy is phenomenal. They're all about business and they understand each other. They always know what the other one is thinking." But unlike some marquee players, egos are as rare with Manning and Harrison as bling-bling and trash talk. For the soft-spoken Harrison and the polite, low-key Manning, production is more important than popularity. "They're just down-to-earth," Colts running back Edgerrin James said. "They're always trying to get better." "Their play is something you can't deny," Bird added. "That's what makes them superstars." Manning said he knew from the start that he and Harrison could develop into something special on the field. Harrison was the Colts' lone returning receiver when Manning joined the league. "With a guy like that, I learned to lean on him," Manning said. "It was natural to keep leaning on him in my career." Harrison and Manning's chemistry developed through the years. Their first season together, Harrison finished with 776 receiving yards - the only time the two have produced less than 1,000 yards together. Nailing down timing and grasping each other's styles came quickly, but not without dedication. "We worked through our early mistakes," said Harrison, who was drafted out of Syracuse in 1996. "We've done a lot to get to this point. It's hard work and a long journey." It is one they have not finished.
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