Colts earn two seed, two easy games with Oakland win

By Anthony Bialy  |   Tuesday, December 18, 2007  |  Comments( 1 )

Indianapolis Colts
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Down by a point in the fourth quarter to a punchline opponent that let their rookie quarterback see action for the first time doesn't sound like a typical in-game moment for the Colts. Of course, being in a situation where the team could also still clinch a weekend off during the playoffs in the next two games would reduce the sense of urgency for any franchise.

Even knowing that, had they lost Sunday, there would be potential occasions to assert themselves as the conference's regular season runner-up in the weeks ahead, the Colts ended any drama, emerging victorious in a surprisingly tight contest with an Oakland team that didn't play like it was thinking about its 4-9 record.

In one of those "It's even more amazing that they did it in spite of. . ." moments, Indianapolis triumphed without getting its running attack going. Joseph Addai only totaled 44 rushing yards on 15 attempts, while Kenton Keith kicked in 11 from a meager three carries. Add in the two attempts for 3 yards by someone listed in the box score named "P. Manning," and the Colts only trampled for 58 yards on the ground.

That works out to 2.9 per carry, and that obviously means those involved in the passing game picked up the slack. But even more shocking in victory than the paltry rushing accumulation was who didn't have a fantastic day while the runners sputtered. Namely, Dallas Clark, often Manning's favorite target this season, caught only a single pass for 9 yards.

Ben Utecht, the Colts' second-best receiving tight end, no knock on a player who's behind Clark on the depth chart, somewhat made up for his teammate's unusually low output with three catches of his own for 42 yards. Still, that's a fairly minor combination of gains from a position that has typically been productive this season.

Filling the void was wideout Anthony Gonzalez, as his seven catches for 86 yards included the game-winning touchdown with just under five minutes remaining. Rookie receivers on even bad-to-mediocre teams often must patiently wait to be incorporated into the offense, but Gonzalez has evolved from a valuable contributor to the oft-primary weapon on an elite squad through a combination of necessity and talent.

Gonzalez's productivity is especially admirable on a day when the offense never fully clicked. Still, his veteran counterpart had a nice performance: For a change, Reggie Wayne complemented the first-year receiver instead of the other way around, as he managed a respectable four catches for 69 yards. The rarely used Devin Aromashodu chipped in, too, tripling his reception total for the season to three as he caught two balls, picking up 37 yards. In the end, talented people unconcerned with individual numbers or glory, as usual, prevailed.

Even then, selflessness wasn't all that led to this win: It took a special teams touchdown and the fortitude to overcome a blown lead in the final quarter, but the Colts finished an important task after an overall uninspiring performance. Manning did pass for 276 yards, but his touchdown strike to Gonzalez was the only one he managed. Nothing stood out as particularly impressive for them, except, of course, the final score.

Figuring out a way to prevail, though, is always a sign of a powerful team. Plus, with their playoff slot determined and without having to concern themselves over the pursuit of a perfect regular season, the Colts can use the pair of remaining December games to rest tired or injured regulars, get experience for crucial reserves, and practice whatever they desire during live action. The current situation is a nice consolation prize Indianapolis won in a surprisingly challenging outing in Oakland.
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