Columnist Sal DeFilippo: Colts’ Manning should take no Mora abuse

Sal DeFilippo

Friday, Nov. 30, 2001 | 10:49 a.m.

Sal DeFilippo's pro football column appears Friday. Reach him at sal@lasvegassun.com or 259-4076.

If I were Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, I'd buy head coach Jim Mora an early Christmas present.

I'd wrap it and attach a card. It would read:

"Here's a mirror for you. Trying looking at it the next time we lose."

I've never liked Mora as a coach. With the Saints, where he coached from 1986-96, he was ridiculously conservative. When the league added the two-point conversion, Mora was the last coach to attempt one, even though he had situations where it seemed appropriate.

His teams were boring and unsuccessful.

So Manning, Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison come along and suddenly Mora, in his fourth season the Colts' skipper, can't help but have an exciting team. The Colts have had one of the league's top offenses for the past two years.

He sure does keep it unsuccessful, though. This week, Mora ripped Manning after Indianapolis lost 40-21 to San Francisco and fell to 4-6 on the season.

Forget that his defense has allowed 298 points in 10 games, the worst total in the entire league. Forget that Manning has an additional burden with the absence of James, the NFL's leading rusher a year ago who is lost for the balance of this season with a knee injury. Heck, it's only a running game, right Jim?

About five weeks ago, before James' injury, the Colts were trailing New England by three touchdowns with nine minutes to go, yet they still called consecutive running plays. Tricky stuff. Didn't work.

Smart bettors routinely load up against Indianapolis when they are double-digit favorites, because Mora starts putting in the prevent defense in the third quarter. No lead is safe.

Perhaps Mora is wise, understands his defense is weak and made his comments this week solely to stir up an underachieving team. But Manning was the wrong target.

If Mora wants a scapegoat, he should take some time, and my gift, to help reflect a little.