Peyton Manning, Tony Dungy blow lid off NFL's 'biggest myth'
Tony Dungy says he planned to give the Indianapolis Colts a rousing halftime speech and reveal the adjustments that would carry them over the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game in early 2007.
He never got to deliver the message.
"We're 15 down, everybody's hyped up, and assistant coaches want to talk," Dungy said Wednesday on the "Dan Patrick Show." "You get that all done, and I'm about ready to talk and give them all the adjustments and give them a great speech, and there's a knock on the door and (someone says) we've got 30 seconds 'till you come out for kickoff."
Dungy did get to deliver some remarks to his team.
"So I said, 'Hey, we're playing terrible. If we don't start playing better, we're gonna lose.'"
The Colts trailed the Patriots 21-3 late in the first half, and 21-6 at halftime. Indianapolis rallied to win 38-34 on the way to a Super Bowl victory over the Chicago Bears.
Dungy's remarks echoed those of Peyton Manning on Monday night's "ManningCast."
"I don't think I made a halftime adjustment in my entire 18-year career," the Colts legend said. "I think that's the biggest myth in football: the halftime adjustments. You go in, use the restroom, eat a couple of oranges, and the coach says, 'Let's go.'"
The discussion came up in the wake of the Jacksonville Jaguars' comeback victory over the Los Angeles Chargers last weekend. The Jags trailed by 27 points in the second quarter and 27-7 at halftime. They won 31-30.
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NFL halftimes are 12 minutes (except for the Super Bowl), and that includes walking to and from the field, bathroom needs, equipment adjustments, and perhaps a snack.
"You're not making major adjustments in there," Dungy said.