In one of his many comments about the role he wants quarterback Tony Romo to play for the Cowboys, owner Jerry Jones invoked the name of another NFL quarterback.
Jones said that he wants Romo to spend “Peyton Manning-type time on the job” watching film and breaking down game plans to get better results in the 2013 season. Word of that request has made its way back to Manning and the Broncos quarterback told Lindsay Jones of USA Today that he’s “flattered” to be held up as the gold standard for quarterback preparation. That said, Manning doesn’t feel like he does anything more than what’s required for him to put forth the best performance every week.
“I don’t think that I do any more than any quarterback should. I get asked, ‘How much film do you watch?’ I’ve never logged hours. I’ve always watched enough to get myself ready to play,” Manning said. “The cerebral part of the game has always been something where I had to get my edge. I really study the opponent, study myself, study my own players, my own routes.”
It’s impossible to quantify how much of Manning’s success over the years is due to film study as opposed to his own natural ability, but there’s little doubt that he’s maximized the return on both things with both the Colts and the Broncos. Romo may have done the same thing, but that probably doesn’t matter much when the guy signing your checks wants to see you doing more.