Colts stay undefeated, bumrush the Rams 45 to 28

By Alex Guzman | Tuesday, October 18, 2005 | ( 0 )

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The St. Louis Rams (2-4) got a 17-0 first quarter lead, before succumbing by a final score of 45-28 to the Indianapolis Colts (6-0). The Colts defense stepped up after the early salvo by the Rams, forcing several turnovers and knocking St. Louis' starting QB Mark Bulger out of the game.

Steven Jackson opened the scoring with a 21 yard touchdown run over right tackle on the game's first drive. After a fumble on the ensuing kickoff by KR/backup RB Dominic Rhodes, St. Louis padded its lead to 10-0 on a field goal by Jeff Wilkins. A good defensive effort forced the Colts to punt the ball back to the Rams, who took advantage of a shell-shocked Colts defense. A red-hot Bulger then connected with WR Kevin Curtis on a 57 yard touchdown.

Things changed in the second quarter after Mike Vanderjagt missed wide left on a 48 yard field goal attempt. Bulger threw an interception to LB Cato Jones on a pass intended for Torry Holt. The Rams quarterback was injured when LB David Thornton threw a vicious block during the 36 yard return. Bulger was done for the day with a sprained shoulder, finishing 6 of 8 with 121 yards.

The momentum swung towards the Colts, who drove 34 yards for a touchdown after the Rams turnover. After forcing a punt, Indy took over at their 14 yard line and methodically marched down the field for another TD. St. Louis was able to manage another field goal before halftime, as the Rams clung to a 20-14 lead at intermission.

From there on, the Colts' defense stiffened and proved why they're the only undefeated team in the NFL. Midway through the third quarter, DE Dwight Freeney popped the ball out of S. Jackson's hands. The Colts proceeded to take the lead for good on Edgerrin James' second TD of the night to make the score 24-20. Cato Jones had another pick, this time from backup QB Jaime Martin. Dominic Rhodes made amends for his earlier fumble by diving up the middle for a 1 yard score.

Early in the fourth quarter, Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison combined for a 6 yard touchdown. Of more significance, the duo now has 86 touchdowns. The previous NFL record was 85, held by Steve Young and Jerry Rice.

On offense, the Colts were led by P. Manning (22-32, 191, 2 TDs, 0 INTs), E. James (23-143, 3 TDs), and Reggie Wayne (7-59, 1 TD). Defensively for Indianapolis, Cato Jones was the man. He finished with a team-high 11 tackles to go with his 2 INTs. CB Nick Harper had 8 stops and also added a pick. DE Robert Mathis had the team's only sack.

For the Rams, Jamie Martin had a decent outing (17-21, 134, 1 TD, 2 INTs). In the backfield, S. Jackson did most of his damage (17-88, 1 TD) in the first half. K. Curtis led all St. Louis receivers (3-73, 1 TD) while T. Holt also contributed (6-70). LB Pisa Tinoisamoa had a good outing defensively, notching a sack to go with his game-best 12 tackles. Safety Adam Archuletta had 8 stops and a jarring hit on TE Dallas Clark on an incomplete pass early in the game. LB Anthony Hardgrave also recorded a sack. Coming into this contest, the Colts had only allowed 1 sack through the first 5 games of the season.

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