If there is
one thing that makes Peyton Manning even more intelligent than he has already
shown, it is his ability to know where Anthony Gonzalez is on the field.
By Ryan Leonardo
With a stellar Colts WR group that includes
Dallas Clark, Marvin Harrison, and Reggie Wayne, Gonzalez still found the end
zone three times, including a 55yd TD in the playoffs that gave the colts a
24-21 lead. He finished the season with
37 catches for 576 yards, for an average of 15.6 yds/catch.
The Colts
will continue to throw the ball all over the place as they have done
successfully since Manning’s rookie season.
The fact that they can keep defenses honest with a solid running attack
is a huge key to this as well. (Thanks,
Paul Brown) Gonzo was overshadowed by
Pro-Bowlers Wayne, Clark and Harrison, but Manning found a way to get him the
ball and he made the most of it. As he
settles into his role in Indianapolis,
one must expect great numbers from # 11 in 2008-09. Expect his average to stay about the same,
but catches and yards should be close to doubling this season. The one thing that Gonzo has done that you
can’t put a numeric value on is making the biggest catch when it matters the
most. You can definitely count on the
kind of catches he made at Ohio
State with the Colts as
well, especially when they have Peyton Manning and a complex, fast-paced air
attack.