Freeney gets his shot at Peyton Manning
Finally, Dwight Freeney will get a chance to sack Peyton Manning.
Barring injury, Thursday night’s game in Denver will pit the two friends and former Colts teammates against each other for the first time.
When Freeney joined the Chargers in May 2013, he sounded eager for the chance to actually tackle Manning instead of merely touch him.
“It would definitely be great to get after him,” Freeney said, via 1360 AM. “He’s a great competitor, I’m a great competitor. How many times have I envisioned hitting him during practice, when he had that five-yard halo around him and you couldn’t go in that circle? Millions of times. So it would be fun to get after him a little bit.”
Sunday, Manning moved past Brett Favre as the NFL’s career leader in touchdown passes.
Freeney is sixth among active players with 110 career sacks, including two this year.
The two were teammates for 10 years and won a Super Bowl after the 2006 season.
In his first season after the Colts released him, Manning didn’t face Indianapolis. Freeney followed him to the AFC West in May 2013 when he signed with the Chargers, but a season-ending quad injury sidelined him for all three games against Denver.
Freeney leads the Chargers in quarterback hurries with 21. At 34 the oldest player on the defense, Freeney has the most snaps played (304) among San Diego’s outside linebackers.
He’s showing the burst and agility to get past either Broncos tackle -- Ryan Clady or Chris Clark -- and hit Manning.
But he said Friday that No. 18 isn’t his foremost target.
“We’re not worried necessarily about Peyton Manning,” Freeney said. “We’re worried about their offense. And he’s a part of it.”
In a similar situation last year, ex-Chargers edge rusher Shaun Phillip went against longtime teammate Philip Rivers for the first time. Phillips ended up with three sacks in the three games.
The Chargers will be in Denver for the first time since losing there in the Divisional Playoff.
Two weeks after the defeat, when Freeney spoke of rooting for Manning to collect another Super Bowl ring, he also sounded concerns about the quarterback’s chances against the Seahawks.
“I want Peyton, I want Peyton to win. I don’t know if they’re going to win,” he said, via ESPN.
Citing their experience with the Colts, he said “it’s teams that control the ball and have really good corners in the defense” that give Manning’s teams the most trouble. “That’s why Seattle has a very good chance of winning,” he said.
Expect the Chargers to try to duplicate that formula. Better health would help. Due to injury, the cornerbacks defending the Chiefs in the second half Sunday were starter Shareece Wright, backup Richard Marshall, sophomore Steve Williams (who departed with a groin injury) and undrafted rookie Chris Davis.
