Monday, November 26, 2012

Colts Observations, Week 12


It ain't pretty...but it counts. The Colts pushed their record to 7-4 by beating the Bills. The team went into a complete second half coma on offense and defense, but had just enough to win it. The Bills had more to gain than the Colts had to lose in this game...but Indy came out on top.

Just call him "T.D." Hilton. I thought T.Y. Hilton would take a punt back one of these days. He finally did it...and added a receiving touchdown that sealed the game.

The agony and the ecstasy. Good: Tom Zbikowski getting an interception! Bad: Tom Zbikowski fighting for extra yards and fumbling during the return, said fumble recovered by Buffalo.

Stick with the run, darn it. The Colts weren't super-successful with the running game, but they gave up on it way too early against a Buffalo defense known for struggling against the run. I'd like to see Indy stay more committed especially when it appears Luck is a little "off" for the afternoon.

Insert weekly Reggie Wayne comment. That is all.

Good to see you, coach. In a nice moment at Lucas Oil Stadium, Chuck Pagano and Jim Irsay came out to wave to the crowd. The coach is set for another round of chemotherapy, and the crowd gave him a standing ovation. A really, really cool moment.

Bald is beautiful. Two Colts cheerleaders shaved their heads after fans donated more than $22,000 to leukemia research. Not only were they good sports about it, they looked great.

Target acquired. This isn't about Andrew Luck's passing...this is about Luck himself. The Bills beat and battered Luck again and again. He kept getting back up, but it seemed like the protection wasn't as solid as in weeks past. The Bills had four sacks.

Pass rush returns. The Colts showed some signs of a pass rush on the defensive side of the ball. They were disruptive and hit Ryan Fitzpatrick multiple times. The Bills had a few receivers open, but pressure forced early, off-target throws.

In the buttocks, sir. The funniest moment of the game came after one of the scariest. T.Y. Hilton got clobbered during a punt return and coughed up the ball (he had to be helped off the field). On replay, it looked like he was down before the ball came out. Referee Ed "Hercules" Hochuli reviewed the play, telling the crowd, "After review, the runner's buttocks touched the ground before he lost control of the ball." Hochuli + buttocks = comedy gold.

Lucas Oil nap time. I don't know what it was, but the crowd didn't seem that enthusiastic about the game. Aside from a few cheers during the punt return and some sacks, the stadium never felt overwhelmingly loud. I couldn't tell if that's because Big Oil swallows the sound or because the crowd was suffering from post-holiday letdown.

Fleener, Davis out. Again, no Coby Fleener and no Vontae Davis. You hate to knock guys for being hurt, but Fleener was a high draft pick and Davis was a high-profile trade to fill a "need" area for the team. It's no fun when guys you expect to contribute can't help out.

C.J. Spiller. I don't want to tell Chan Gailey how to coach, but he should consider giving the ball to Spiller more steadily. The guy can ball.

Oh, and more for Chan. Again, I don't want to tell Chan Gailey how to coach, but forgoing that 51-yard field goal late in the game was stupid given the time situation. Trying to force the ball downfield before halftime was also not very smart...it basically gifted some points to the Colts.

Just a second, please. I'm not sure if Luck spiked the ball before time ran out in the first half, but I don't care. See above.