ANDERSON, Ind. —
A week of ridicule and recrimination did little to dampen Indianapolis Colts backup quarterback Curtis Painter’s confidence.
But it seems to have done wonders for his execution.
Four days after throwing three interceptions and posting a quarterback rating of 9.8 against the San Francisco 49ers, Painter was a revelation in Toronto.
He completed five of his six pass attempts, none to the opposition, for 97 yards and one long touchdown. His numbers even were better than those of starter Peyton Manning, who struggled early and finished 8-of-15 for 91 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Head coach Jim Caldwell preached patience in the aftermath of the 49ers’ debacle.
He said the coaching staff could see improvement in practice, and he showed no signs of panic.
On Friday, a day after Painter rewarded Caldwell’s confidence with an outing to remember against the Buffalo Bills, the second-year coach resisted the temptation to gloat.
“I think that, much like anything else, it is a process and it is a long journey,” Caldwell said of Painter’s improvement. “Oftentimes, we as coaches have an opportunity to see things develop underneath the surface that aren’t quite evident on game day. I think you’ll see that he will continue to improve. That was certainly a good start and something to build upon. He played well, and we anticipate that he will keep getting better.”
Painter faced his skeptics in the media immediately after his performance against San Francisco and again on Tuesday during training camp at Anderson University.
The theme of each of his responses was the same: He knew he must player better, he was confident he and the offense would improve and he wouldn’t make the same mistakes twice.
Meanwhile, Painter went about practice exactly the same way he had before his meltdown in the preseason opener.
“He really didn’t (change anything),” Caldwell said. “He practiced exactly the same way he has always practiced. We do anticipate that his performance will continue to improve, but he didn’t do anything special.”
In his defense of Painter in the days leading up to the Buffalo game, Caldwell continually said all the blame shouldn’t be placed on the quarterback’s shoulders.
Dropped passes, missed blocks and poorly run routes are just a few of things that can make a quarterback look bad but are primarily out of his control.
One of the biggest reasons for Painter’s statistical improvement Thursday was rookie free agent wide receiver Taj Smith.
Smith turned some heads during the first week-and-a-half of practice at AU. He showed good hands, speed and athleticism, and Painter targeted him often against the 49ers.
Smith dropped what would have been a long gain down the sideline and finished with three catches for just 15 yards.
Thursday he pulled in a 43-yard touchdown catch to cap a two-play, 81-yard drive and finished with three catches for 91 yards.
Much like Painter, he turned his image around in the process.
Still, fans and media aren’t likely to change their minds after one preseason performance.
Caldwell insisted Friday that Painter can and will improve.
He also said surviving four days of intense criticism and living to tell the tale might make the quarterback better in the long run.
“I think (all the quarterbacks on the roster) have grown accustomed to handling those situations,” Caldwell said. “They take them on, embrace those opportunities. They’re competitive, (those situations) challenge them, and I think they emerge a little bit stronger as a result of it.”
State News
Related Photos
-
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Curtis Painter talks with offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen during training camp at Anderson University on Tuesday. Darron Cummings / The Associated Press
Reader comments
Painter's second verse far better than first
- State News
-
-
State takeover of failing schools meets resistance
A decade after Indiana legislators gave the state the power to take over chronically failing schools, the first implementation of the law is meeting with resistance, skepticism, and questions about its costs.
-
Howard County hospital acquisition clears another hurdle
The planned acquisition of Howard County Regional Health System by the Indianapolis-based Community Health Network cleared another hurdle Tuesday, when the Indiana Finance Authority OK’d the transfer of the Howard County hospital’s debt obligations to Community Health.
-
Mall-based schools offer second chance for at-risk students
Jayne Carter spends her mornings at a shopping mall earning her high school degree. It may sound like a teenager’s dream, but for Carter, 18, and her classmates, it’s a second chance.
-
Maureen Hayden: Why did 3 million Hoosiers choose not to vote?
If you voted in last Tuesday’s primary, raise your hand. Congratulations. You’re part of the small minority of Hoosiers who exercised a right that citizens around the world covet deeply and for which many still risk their lives. For those of you with your hands down, here’s a question: Where were you?
-
Early intervention efforts try to prevent future dropouts
West Goshen Elementary has become a national model for a teaching-excellence program funded by public and private sources, the Teacher Advancement Program, or TAP.
-
Making lemonade out of Lemons
Press Pass
-
Lugar, Mourdock in final push for voters
Inside his campaign headquarters in Indianapolis, there’s a photo of U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar shaking hands with former U.S. Secretary Condoleeza Rice, one of the many Republican Party heavyweights who’ve endorsed his re-election.
-
Maureen Hayden: Lugar running his toughest race Tuesday
You may think 80 is old, but U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, who hit that mile marker in April, has this message for people who think he needs to retire: I can still run.
-
Early voting, including absentee ballots, declines from 2008
Indiana’s hotly contested Republican Senate primary race has generated more than $12 million in campaign spending, including a record-topping $4 million in outside dollars.
-
Making Medora movie
Press Pass
- More State News Headlines
-
State takeover of failing schools meets resistance
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
Raw Video: Fight Erupts in Ukrainian Parliament
Texan Ranchers Remain Wary of Drought
Raw Video: Soldiers Plant Flags at Arlington
Police: Man Arrested in Etan Patz Disappearance
NYC Protests: the Revolution Will Be Scripted
Chicago U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald Resigns
