“They will take notes on every single throw, every single play call, every single check. From that, he will go through it and make a determination on where he thought he could improve in that setting. He will dissect his entire season that way, and then he’ll set new goals for himself, just in terms of what he thinks he can accomplish. He seems to keep moving forward. I mean each and every year he gets better and better, in terms of his accuracy and on and on and on. I don’t think there is any limitation on him, in terms of what he can improve upon.
“He has such great presence of mind, such great will and determination that I think you will see him improve in almost every area.”
Caldwell during OTAs detailed a recent off-season in which Manning focused on accuracy.
“He works each and every drill, just in terms of placing the ball where he wants to place it, and if he doesn’t hit it right on the spot, he’ll say, ‘Hey, let’s do that one again,’'' Caldwell said. “He’ll repeat it. For most people, the initial pass would have been one that was highly acceptable, but for him it maybe wasn’t right on the pinpoint of the left shoulder or maybe not right at the right ear. He is very, very precise in that regard, and I think that is what makes him unusual.”
Caldwell was asked if it wasn't true that, logically, there had to come a time soon when Manning's arch of improvement didn't stop sloping upward.
“I don’t think it applies to him,” he said. “I just think everybody is different. Bodies are different. You look at (Brett) Favre and obviously he is a guy that has great longevity. There has been a number of guys, Vinny Testaverde, that had longevity, that played well. I just think everybody is a little bit different. I think Peyton is a very unique guy, and he will set his own course in that regard.”
Caldwell said without question is expects Manning to improve next season.
“He has been fantastic, but every year he has improved and I don’t think this year will be any different,” he said.
While it's true that you wouldn't expect Caldwell to say anything else, it's equally true that Manning's history thus far has given little to indicate Caldwell's assessment isn't accurate. He has won four MVP awards in the last seven seasons, and in two of the seasons he didn't win, he finished second (2005) in one and was the Super Bowl MVP in the other (2006).
It is true that eventually Manning can't keep improving. Eventually, even the greatest of players reach an age where skills peak, then eventually deteriorate. Eventually, even the greatest careers end, in Manning's case, there's little sign of deterioration and little reason to believe a third consecutive MVP is out of the question.
And as for getting better next season, there's little reason to think he won't keep doing that, either.
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