Wayne Setting Himself Apart, and Creating Own Chemistry with Manning

NFL News - January 18th, 2010 - Written by John

It used to be Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison that dominated pass defenses for years. So much so that they became the best quarterback to wide receiver tandem in the history of the NFL. Following Harrison's departure from Indianapolis, wide out Reggie Wayne stepped into the role of the number one receiver on the Colts, and quickly became one of the elite players in the league. Wayne has excelled with Manning and the MVP quarterback has once again formed the most dominant combination in all of football, perhaps even better than Harrison used to be. And Wayne has not been accused of shooting anyone, which is always a plus.

The latest output between Manning and Wayne, came in the divisional round of the playoffs against Baltimore on Saturday, in which Wayne hauled in eight receptions for 63 yards, as well as a touchdown. For his career, Wayne went over 1,000 yards receiving in the playoffs, and is only the 11th player in NFL History to do so. He has accumulated 1,026 yards in just 14 appearances.

Wayne's incredible work ethic is paying off. This season, the Pro Bowler was a cornerstone in the 14-2 Colts offensive game-plan. Manning and Wayne connected 100 times for 1,264 yards during the regular season. He has been a pro bowl selection each of the last four seasons. Harrison left the Colts after the 2007 season, and Wayne, long under the shadow cast by Harrison, has formed his own.

“He is a guy that understands what hard work is all about. I think he had that kind of work ethic before he arrived,” Indianapolis head coach Jim Caldwell . “The guys all down there at the University of Miami all talk about Reggie Wayne’s work habits. They are legendary. He has not ceased that type of effort and commitment to excellence. All I see is the same guy we saw when we first walked in the building. He is very, very effective with excellent hands. He is an all-around football player that loves the game.”

Wayne has been a pro bowl selection each of the last four seasons. The element that sets him aside from the majority of receivers in the NFL is his selflessness as well. He is perhaps the best in the NFL at taking a secondary out of a play simply by his route running.

“I can go to Peyton (Manning) on the sidelines and say, ‘You know what? They’ve been doubling me on certain plays. So, Peyton will send me on a nine-route just for the fun of it, and I’ll take two guys out of the picture. I do what I can. If I’m running a decoy route to get an extra guy out of the picture, then that’s what I have to do. That should be a positive for us. That’s how it goes.” The receiver remarked about his chemistry with Manning.

Wayne and Manning will host the winner between the match up of the San Diego Chargers and the New York Jets on Sunday, next week in the NFL Playoffs game. The two won a Super Bowl together back in 2007, and look to add a second to the resume'. He is in his ninth year as a pro, and has a lot of years left. This is a startling thought for opposing defenses.