ANDERSON – NFL practices can be a dizzying affair, with as many as four quarterbacks lofting balls to 10 receivers. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning has a different way he likes to run drills.

He prefers them to be more intimate.

So in the midst of two-a-days at Anderson University, he could be seen talking, throwing and working one-on-one with tight end Brody Eldridge.

For Eldridge, getting such attention from the NFL’s reigning MVP might have been a privilege, but Manning said the reward will be his.

“I like to just take me and one receiver, and have truly one-on-one throwing,” said Manning, who has won an unprecedented four MVPs. “You might throw 30 routes, but you’re talking about the routes beforehand and can really teach and get him on the same page with you.

“It’s no fun to be out there in a game and not be sure how the tight end is going to break or how fast he is going to break. You have to work to get to know him … and I have always taken the time to do that.”

Manning also has one-on-one sessions with receivers Anthony Gonzalez, Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon, Reggie Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark.

Manning, 34, has never seemed to have so many weapons at his disposal. That includes the 2006 Super Bowl-winning season and last season’s 14-2 team that lost in the Super Bowl to New Orleans.

Manning, who completed 393 of 571 passes for 4,500 yards with 33 touchdowns and 16 interceptions last season, sees his corps as more necessity than luxury.

“You find you’re going to need a multitude of receivers, probably more than four to tell you the truth,” Manning said. “Injuries, 16-game seasons, you get a guy nicked up here or there, and we expect whoever’s in there to pick up the slack and not miss a beat. We’re not going to take away certain plays just because a guy happens to be injured.”

Colts running backs Joseph Addai and Donald Brown also excelled in the passing game last season, combining for 62 receptions and three touchdown catches while rushing for 1,109 yards and 13 touchdowns.

With so many established players, the Colts have a bevy of options for new offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen, who took over from senior offensive assistant Tom Moore.

“You can’t have too much talent on a team,” said Collie, who caught 60 passes for 676 yards and seven touchdowns last season. “We’re blessed to have so many playmakers, so many guys in the wide receiver position, and it’s only going to help us down the road.”

Wayne and Clark both caught 100 passes last season, totaling 2,370 yards and 20 touchdowns, while Garcon had 47 receptions for 765 yards and four touchdowns.

“This league is, no matter how you shake it up, a passing league,” Colts coach Jim Caldwell said. “I think a lot of guys make a lot of money on third downs, and it ends up to be a situation where we like to have as many weapons as we possibly can. I think teams are getting fairly adept at trying to double some guys. I think the more weapons we have, the better off we are to give Peyton a few more options.”

With only two of the last nine Super Bowl runners-up having reached the playoffs the following season, having options for success is important for the Colts.

The Colts feel they will buck that trend and will reach the postseason for a ninth straight year.

“Being a consistent team is what you strive for. I know that’s what coach Caldwell wants, for us to be a consistent team, not one that plays well one week and goes into a slump the next,” Manning said. “I think we have been pretty consistent and our offseason work, our execution and attention to details, those things make a difference. But what’s happened in the past doesn’t guarantee you anything. We’ve got some new players and new coaches, and it’s up to us to form the identity of this team.”

jcohn@jg.net