Jan 2, 2005 5 min read

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – The Indianapolis Colts’ record-setting receivers are all business. Rather than wasting time with self-promoting nicknames, making bets with their coach or choreographing celebrations, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Stokley have been busy carving out their own identity – in the record books.

Last Sunday, the Colts became the first team with three receivers to top 1,000 yards and catch 10 TDs in the same season.

“I was thinking about that this morning, and I was like, ‘Wow! We’ve really accomplished a lot individually and collectively,”‘ Brandon Stokley said.

Few outside Indianapolis may have noticed because Peyton Manning’s quest to surpass Dan Marino’s 48 TD passes has overshadowed almost everything else the Colts have achieved: eight straight wins; a second consecutive division title; Edgerrin James’ chase for a third rushing title; and, of course, the record-setting receivers.

But their relative anonymity fits their collective personality.

They shun the spotlight while working overtime. All three can turn short passes into long gains, run precise routes and beat defenders deep or short. And each has found a way to benefit from teammates.

Harrison needs one more touchdown reception to tie his career high of 15. Wayne has already set career highs in every category: 74 receptions for 1,120 yards and 11 TDs. Stokley, too, has produced career highs with 68 receptions, 1,077 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Together, they have gone from one of the NFL’s most underrated receiving corps to the most productive and earned a spot among the most memorable.

Even the St. Louis Rams with Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce and Az-Zahir Hakim, and the Minnesota Vikings with Cris Carter, Randy Moss and Jake Reed did not produce numbers like this trio.

While Indianapolis plays most of its games on a fast surface and in domes, just as the Rams and Vikings did, outdoor environments don’t seem to slow them down. In a late October contest at Kansas City, Harrison and Wayne each had 119 yards receiving and two TDs.

Their biggest outdoor test could come Sunday at Denver, where chilly temperatures and snow are common, but the Broncos remain wary.

“This is the most high-powered offense I’ve faced in my career,” said Denver Pro Bowl safety John Lynch, who is in his 12th season. “They’re even more dangerous than the Rams because they can run the ball, throw the ball and the guy running the show at quarterback is unbelievable.”

What makes the Colts’ offense different is the ability to exploit the middle of the field. Their standard double tight end formation forces opponents to defend that area, opening up the outside.

Tight ends Marcus Pollard and Dallas Clark have combined for another 53 catches, 719 yards and 11 TDs, and Harrison, Wayne and Stokley have taken advantage of the mismatches.

On Sunday, against AFC West champion San Diego, Harrison and Stokley each topped 100 yards, the fifth time this year the Colts have had two receivers over 100 in a game.

And they could be doing this for years to come. Harrison signed a six-year contract earlier this month, Stokley has agreed to a five-year deal and Manning is signed for six more years. Wayne can become a free agent after next season.

The success is no surprise to Harrison, a six-time Pro Bowler who knows all about records.

He has the most receptions in a season (143) and most consecutive years with 100 receptions (four), has teamed with Manning for a league record 701 completions and the two are within 135 yards of breaking the yardage mark by a quarterback-receiver duo. Manning and Harrison have 9,404 yards; Buffalo’s Jim Kelly and Andre Reed had 9,538 yards.

“It’s the talent level, the work ethic, the desire to catch passes,” said Harrison, the group’s leader. “This is definitely the best group I’ve played with since I’ve been here.”

Harrison has always been Manning’s top option, but the emergence of Wayne and Stokley have given the Colts a vastly different look.

The Colts took Wayne in the first round of the 2001 draft hoping he could become the legitimate No. 2 receiver they needed since Manning’s arrival in 1998. After two subpar seasons, Wayne worked more diligently with Manning and had a breakout 2003. This year has been even better.

“He’s had a Pro Bowl year,” Manning said. “I know it’s not very common to have two Pro Bowl receivers go from the same team, but I think he’s catching the ball in his hands better than any other player in the NFL.”

Stokley, who won a Super Bowl ring with Baltimore before signing with the Colts as a free agent in 2003, started slowly last season because of a foot injury. Since recovering, he’s been the perfect slot receiver.

He entered the season with career numbers of 82 receptions, 1,124 yards and 10 TDs and has nearly matched all of them. Few remember that he’s the only Colts receiver with a TD catch in a Super Bowl.

“I’m used to blending in, going with the flow, being underneath the radar screen,” Stokley said. “That’s how I like it.”

As their numbers have increased, so has their profile.

Defenses that tried to take away Harrison early in the year were routinely burned by Stokley and Wayne. Then as opponents adjusted, they still found themselves in trouble.

“It’s hard to figure out what guy you need to stop on any given play,” San Diego coach Marty Schottenheimer said before last week’s game in Indianapolis.

Naturally, the Colts like it that way.

Practice often becomes as competitive for the receivers as games, and Manning has frequently said he wished he could get each player 10 receptions per week.

They can’t have it all, but there is one goal that has eluded them – winning a Super Bowl.

“It’s been so much fun to be a part of,” said Stokley. “Everything is going so well, it’s hard to grasp it right now. Maybe when the season’s over and we have time to reflect on it, we’ll understand what we’ve done.”