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Peyton Manning wants to know more about the Indianapolis Colts' coaching plans for 2009. The three-time NFL MVP quarterback acknowledged at mini-camp Tuesday that the team is moving forward without longtime offensive assistants Tom Moore and Howard Mudd. Moore and Mudd are the only offensive coordinator and offensive line coach with whom Manning has worked as a Colt. Moore and Mudd are expected to rejoin the team as consultants, but no timeline has been set for their return. Manning said the Colts could have done a better job clarifying the situation.

Mancini’s Take: Football is so much a game of continuity. It’s no coincidence that many successful teams have stability and a culture that persist even when a head coach or coordinator flies the coup. Teams like New England do an excellent job of grooming personnel from within. Over in Indy, however, Moore and Mudd have been around seemingly forever. Manning, in fact, has been playing under the duo for his entire NFL career, and is having a difficult time coming to grips with the possibility of being deprived of their guidance. Personally, I think Peyton is creating a whole lot of unnecessary drama. I would be absolutely floored if team president Bill Polian allows ownership to lose the veteran coaches under his watch. The Moore, Mudd, Manning troika is a winning combination that you don’t want to mess with if you don’t have to. What’s going on here, Ross man? Are the signal caller’s concerns legitimate or is he being too much of a diva?

Mandel’s Take: Moore and Mudd have been a major part of Manning’s football life since he entered the league and now they’re leaving…sort of. Regardless of what their present roles are, the bottom line here is that things are going to change. Peyton Manning doesn’t like change. The fact that he and Bill Polian have stated publicly that they don’t yet know what role the “retired” pair will play indicates to me that both of them are extremely nervous about the situation. Kind of like when someone takes Linus’ security blanket away. To answer your question, Rev—I think Manning has legitimate concerns AND is being a bit of a diva. He has to realize that the rest of the team takes its cue from him, and that acting like the sky is falling isn’t going to go over well. Change like this requires patience and adjustment. Bringing the departed coaches back in a reduced role will help, but Manning needs to lead by example here, and say things like, “These guys were a tremendous help to the Colts and to me and my career. But now we have to turn the page. I’m looking forward to the challenge.” Short of that, this could become a problem, especially if the team struggles to adjust early in the season.

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