Colts adapt just enough to win

By Anthony Bialy  |   Sunday, November 18, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Indianapolis Colts
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Frustration is a new experience in Indianapolis. Watching the Colts struggle to put away anyone, especially a middling team like Kansas City, was a rare occurrence in itself not long ago. But now, considering the way things unfolded in their previous two games, there was a sense that the Colts could actually come up short this past Sunday. The only way to defeat that miserably uptight feeling is by displaying adaptability, and the Colts modified their game plan sufficiently to pull ahead and get back to winning.

It took awhile, though, as the first half became a countdown to see if the Colts could even score before the break. A field goal with 1:21 left ensured they wouldn't be at zero after two quarters, but it was close. Part of the problem with generating offense is that any right defensive end Indianapolis faces right now is going to look like Honolulu material.

Chiefs end Jared Allen basically ignored the substitute left tackle who attempted to block him, a player named Charlie Johnson who may as well have had the word "backup" stitched over his number in lieu of a name.

Allen's relentless pass rush and ability to get vertical in order to disrupt passing lanes helped to effectively neutralize Indy's air attack. More importantly, he flustered Peyton Manning, who has had spells the past few weeks where he's looked like Brett Favre at his worst, desperately attempting to force deep throws into impossibly small spaces by thinking his arm can overcome any coverage.

It's getting to that point where fans are almost anticipating that something is going to go wrong; even worse is the fact that it's been usually reliable players making mistakes. For one, Dallas Clark's third-down drop with about four minutes left in the first half ended a drive that could have turned things around. Ben Utecht's red zone false start on their next possession was an even more horrid third-down mistake, putting the offense into a 10-yards-to-go situation. It was a mental error borne out of tension that helped keep the Colts out of the end zone.

But critically, the Colts made adjustments at the half, a sign of any half-decent team. Their main change was to focus on check-down throws, the underneath stuff some big-armed quarterbacks would never touch but that Manning showed himself willing to resort to if nothing else works. It was a welcome change from his oft-fruitless early efforts.

This was the case on Indianapolis' lone touchdown drive, which covered 64 yards over nine plays, none of which went for double-digit yardage. Manning mixed in a few throws to Joseph Addai and one to Kenton Keith that reflected a willingness to take whatever the defense offered him.

Best for the Colts, shorter throws eventually opened opportunities for somewhat longer gains on the last drive. Superficially, it wouldn't appear to have been a proficient sequence, as the Colts racked up a modest 61 yards over 14 plays; however, that included a quarterback sneak along with three kneel-downs to kill clock and set up a field goal attempt, which was itself a fifth play used for purposes other than simply advancing the ball. Manning was also sacked for a 7-yard loss on that drive.

Many of the positive plays were either medium-length throws or quick strikes placed where receivers could break free and add yards after the catch. Addai got himself 17 yards on the first play this way, while Utecht had a 12-yard pickup of his own. Reggie Wayne also had two receptions on the drive for 11 and 19 yards, respectively; those aren't the sort of plays that get much attention in sports recap shows, but they were reasonable gains on a methodically efficient drive that led to the winning score.

For the Colts, this game almost served the same purpose as a preseason contest, namely an opportunity to get everyone synced up and playing as a team. It took the better part of the afternoon, but they seemed closer to being on track by the end, not to mention that they got the bonus of a regular-season win out of it, too. With a short week ahead to prepare for a Thanksgiving game against 3-7 Atlanta, carrying a little forward momentum can't hurt, and that's exactly the positive the Colts should take away from an oft-uninspiring close win.
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