Colts, Dungy Starting to Think Ahead

MIAMI, Feb. 5 -- After a sleepless night of celebration and a congratulatory phone call from President Bush, things were starting to slow down just enough Monday morning for Indianapolis Colts Coach Tony Dungy and quarterback Peyton Manning to begin savoring Sunday night's soggy Super Bowl triumph over the Chicago Bears.

But both knew that the now-answered question about whether they could win a Super Bowl will become a question about whether they can win two Super Bowls, and they already were envisioning beginning preparations in a few weeks for next season. That was particularly significant in the case of Dungy, who apparently went through his annual evaluation about whether he wants to coach another season rapidly and said Monday he intends to return.

"I do look forward to helping these guys defend the title," Dungy said at a morning news conference at which he and Manning posed with the Vince Lombardi Trophy and Manning officially was presented with his most valuable player award.

Dungy's deliberations took longer after last season, when he needed a few days following the Colts' disappointing elimination from the playoffs and the death of his teenage son to be certain that he wanted to keep coaching. This time, Dungy said he has no doubts that his passion and enthusiasm for the sport and the demands of his job remain intact.

"It's difficult to repeat in this league," he said. "It's so competitive that any little slippage is not going to allow you to get back on top. . . . It's a challenge I look forward to."

Manning said that Dungy normally gives his players the remainder of a day to enjoy a victory before going back to work. In this case, there will be more time to celebrate Sunday's 29-17 win over the Bears at Dolphin Stadium. The Colts were scheduled to fly home later Monday and participate in a victory parade in Indianapolis, then Manning and the team's other Pro Bowl players were to leave for Hawaii.

"We'll enjoy this," Manning said. "But once next season comes and once weightlifting comes around in March, it's another season. I want to be a better player next season."

Said Dungy, "Knowing him, he'll come back from the Pro Bowl and come into my office with his notebook with a list of the seven things he wants to do better next season."

Dungy said that he and his assistant coaches will take the rest of this week and much of next week off before beginning their part of the preparations for free agency and the draft. In that regard, the Colts will be playing catch-up with the other teams in the league. No other club, however, gets the luxury of building around Manning.

Next season will be different for Manning, who erased the biggest "yeah, but . . . " disclaimer from his career. He'll be expected to do it again, and Manning said he's fine with that.

"It's just kind of what it's become," Manning said. "You always have to do something else. For me, this was not a personal mission. I was proud to be part of this team."

Manning said he spent the night celebrating with teammates and family members before watching highlights of the game around 4:30 a.m. He saw things that he hadn't seen when he was on the field, like just how close cornerback Kelvin Hayden's heel was to being out of bounds on his return of his fourth-quarter interception of a pass by Bears quarterback Rex Grossman for the game-clinching touchdown. He saw what a superb play Colts safety Bob Sanders made, Manning said, on his interception of another Grossman throw on the Bears' next possession.