Indianapolis Colts Dirty Little Secret
January 22nd, 2007 6:22 pm

Wow!!! What a weekend!!! Instead of writing a very long blog nobody will want to read I will write several short ones nobody will want to read.  Before these begin I will say I love the Colts but I am a Bears fan first and foremost and have personally turned on the Colts for the next 2 weeks.  Please do not disregard this analysis based on that fact, for I will be providing analysis on 2 teams I’ve watched all year long. 

We’ve mocked the media for most of the decade for loving Tom Brady and not giving the defense enough credit, well turn about is not fair play.  All day it has been how Manning finally got a signature win, played well and made the game winning drive. 

 Bob Ryan

Bob Ryan noted Boston Globe columnist and ESPN personality now on bended knees for Manning (image provided by Bostonsports.com)

I’m here to tell you that the defense again played lights out and that the 34 points score by the Patriots is not indicitive of how good the defense was. 

1) A a costly Manning interception to Asante Samuel which was returned for a TD. (So take 7 of those points off the board)

2. The defense only gave up 93 rushing yards on 24 carries (35 of which came on one busted 4th down conversion leaving 23 carries for 57 yards)

3. The kickoff and punt teams gave up 280 return yards. Giving the Patriots a short field all day.  The Patriots 3 scoring drives in the second half where 21 yards for a TD, 33 yards for a FG and 29 yards for a FG.

4.  With 3:49 left in the game and down 3 points Manning had 3 straight incompletions forcing the Colts to punt.  The defense forced a 3 and out and got Manning the ball back with 2:17 setting up the much talked about drive.

5.  The defense came up with the game clinching interception against Tom Brady on the Patriots’ final drive.  Tom Brady has made a hall fame a career by leading comebacks in the Playoffs and the Colts defense stopped him twice in the last 3 minutes.

The dirty little secret that I know and I’m positive Peyton Manning knows is that the defense let him off the hook again for the 3rd straight week.  Manning played a good game yesterday but not one of the great games we’ve come to expect.  Tony Dungy deserves a lot of credit for getting this defense turned around and not only playing good but great.  As a Bears fan, I’m not necessarily worried about stopping Manning as much as I’m concerned about getting my running game going so they don’t have to rely on Grossman. 

Booger McFarland leading the Colts suprisingly new stout run defense (impage provided by booger92.com) 

Tune in next time for a player by player matchup analysis which will reveal why the Colts will need their new found defense one more time.

Go Bears!!!

 Rex Grossman your Superbowl MVP (Homer statement)

Posted in NFL by Jamie
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01
LaFollette
January 23rd, 2007 12:55 pm

I (mostly) agree. The Colts’ D bailed out the Offense and Special Teams on several occasions. The Patriots had 3 TD drives, but two of them needed a gutsy 4th-down conversion to keep the chains moving, and the other one started on the Indianapolis 21 yard line. All in all, they had a good game.

But Manning and the rest of the Offense also bailed out the Defense. The D gave up two big plays on 4th down and looked rattled after both of them. They put the Colts in an early 14-3 hole, and that would be very dangerous territory for a team with a weaker QB. I also don’t think the importance of those long, clock-grinding drives to end the first half and start the second half can be overstated. The Colts’ D was well-rested by the time the Patriots took the field in the second half, and it showed.

If the Colts hold the Bears’ running game in check, I think they’ll win. The Bears’ Defense is banged up, and the Chicago weather helped to hide some of their glaring deficiencies against the passing game.

But the Colts will also need a better performance from Manning than we saw in the first 10 quarters of the playoffs. I have a hunch that Good Rex is going to show up on February 4th. He’s very capable of making a couple of big plays, putting points on the scoreboard, and then putting the ground game in position to grind out the clock. If Manning throws 2 or 3 bonehead picks, I’m not sure the Defense can bail him out this time.

02
Jason
January 24th, 2007 12:30 pm

I’m with you LaFollette. The bailing out largely went both ways in that game.

My biggest worry about the Big Game is that this is the first time in the playoffs the Colts will have to face a WR that’s a real burner who can stretch the field. This will make it so they can’t just drop Bob Sanders down in run support the whole time. With Harper (their best cover corner) possibly not able to go if his ankle sprain is a high sprain, this could double that problem.

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