Colts Observations: Week 11 vs. Titans

Chris Johnson for 30 yards. On the first drive, after a series of passes, Chris Johnson bolted right, got great blocks, and raced to the endzone. 7-0, Titans. Just like that.

Trent Richardson's first carry. He gained a yard. Barely. The Colts did make an effort early in the game to get him involved in the passing game.

GRIFFNATION--uh, never mind. Griff Whalen gave us his best DHB impression, dropping a third-down pass on the Colts' first series. It was awesome.

Will someone cover Delanie Walker? The first quarter wasn't even over, and Walker had four catches for 40+ yards. He finished with 10 grabs for 91 yards and a TD. Fun fact: he was targeted 10 times, meaning each time Ryan "Rugged Outdoorsman Beard" Fitzpatrick looked for him, he caught a pass.

Great start. Two drives, two touchdowns for Chris Johnson and the Tennessee Titans. Just like that, the Colts were down 14-0. Mission critical.

Finally on the board. The Colts finally scored early in the second quarter with a field goal from Adam Vinatieri. They were down 14-3, but it felt quite a bit different from the Texans or Rams deficits. I can't explain why I felt that way.

DHB: Hands of Marble. DHB dropped another pass on what should've been a big play. The ball got tipped slightly, but he had it in sight and got both hands on it. Will this guy ever make a play?

Momentum swing? Guess not. The Colts forced a three-and-out after Vinatieri's field goal. They picked up a couple first downs before punting.

The Flag Drive. Penalties against Robert Mathis, Cassius Vaughn, and Erik Walden gave the Titans plenty of free yards, showed the Colts had lost their composure, and put Tennessee in scoring position. Ryan "Zero Dark Thirty Beard" Fitzpatrick almost rope-a-doped the Colts into a free first down, but the Titans settled for a field goal. So...I guess one point for each flag?

The headbutt. Erik Walden headbutted a helmetless Tennessee receiver (Delanie Walker--so I guess they tried to stop him?). So there's that.

DHB caught a pass. It happened. I saw it. He even got out of bounds near the end of the first half. It was his only catch of the game.

Field goal before halftime. The Colts faced a 17-6 deficit at halftime. Luck led them on a nice drive to get close to the endzone. The drive sputtered with about 40 seconds left after Luck got sacked, setting up a short FG by Vinatieri.

And Donald Brown gets into the endzone. The Colts put together a terrific drive to start the second half. Luck converted some third-down opportunities, we saw a couple of decent runs from Trent Richardson (!) and Donald Brown. The drive culminated in a nice TD run that was well blocked by the Colts.

And a turnover! Tennessee fumbled the ball on the ensuing kickoff, giving the Colts great field position. Indy capitalized with a touchdown. The fumble turned the game around, and the Colts never trailed again. They scored 20 unanswered points from the end of the first half through the fourth quarter.

Call your own number, man. Luck had Griff Whalen open in the flat, but pump-faked a Tennessee defender and took off for the endzone. The guy's incredible. Just like that, the Colts had a 20-17 lead.

"A Football Life: The Forward Pass." I love the NFL Network show, but the concept of this one is just weird.

Erik Walden shouldn't be allowed to dance. He sacked Ryan "Wookie Pelt Beard" Fitzpatrick, but Erik Walden--he of the cheap headbutt--shouldn't be allowed to do a celebratory dance.

First down challenge. Titans had to do it. It also had to fail. The spot on the QB sneak was very generous; I have no illusions about that. I understand why the Titans challenged the call, but I also knew there was no chance of a reversal. There was nothing--nothing--in that replay that would've reversed that call. And...the Titans probably could've used that timeout later, right?

Vinatieri with another one. After a failed third-down conversion, Adam Vinatieri came on the field to do what Adam Vinatieri does: nail big kicks.

Grinders. I didn't think they had it in them anymore, but Indy stepped up and brought back a balanced offensive attack in the second half. The power game worked and guys held their blocks. Indy had four drives of 11 or more plays. Each of those drives led to points, and none was more important than the 11 play, 74 yard drive that resulted in Donald Brown's second touchdown of the game. In fact, each Indy touchdown came on the ground (two by Brown, one by Luck). The resurgent running game also allowed Luck to hit on some big play-action passes.

Fantastic Fleener. I've been known to...um...rip on Coby Fleener from time to time. However, he proved his worth in this game, catching eight passes for 107 yards. He was there just about every time the Colts needed a big play, and I don't remember any of his signature, inexplicable drops either. Luck targeted him ten times vs. Tennessee.

Dashing Donald. Donald Brown had a phenomenal game, carrying 14 times for 80 yards and two touchdowns. He just looked more decisive and comfortable in the running game than Richardson. I've noticed that the Colts tended to run Brown out of different sets than Richardson, but against the Titans, Indy put Brown in those power formations. He showed patience, burst through the hole, and got to the second level. He's nimble-footed and has great vision. Let's put it this way, if this is the way the Colts' 2009 first-round pick plays in 2013, I'm expecting big things from Trent Richardson in 2016.

Protecting Luck. What a difference a running game makes. The Titans got to Luck a few times, but he avoided getting hit for the most part. Tennessee had one sack and four QB hits, a markedly better performance than we've seen in recent weeks against the Texans and Rams.

Luck's legs. Luck made big plays tonight when he saw running lanes. One scramble went for a key first down; another resulted in a touchdown. And I'd just like to say the "Luck Spike" is a thing of jubilant beauty. He ran nine times for 31 yards.

All too easy. Brown's second TD run late in the fourth quarter should've salted this game away, but the Colts defense let the Titans march right down the field and score despite the fact they had no timeouts. The onside kick failed, but there was absolutely no excuse for the easy TD.

And Chris Johnson had less than 100 yards rushing. After victimizing the Colts repeatedly in the first half and scoring two touchdowns, Chris Johnson disappeared in the second half. True, the Titans fell behind and the Colts did a better job on the running back, but it's still baffling to think CJ2K couldn't crack 100 yards after gaining 80 in the first half.

Reggie the Mentor. We'd like to see Reggie Wayne in the game, but we know that can't happen right now. It was great to see him on the sideline mentoring the young receivers and cheering on his team. The Colts may not be able to "Win One for Reggie" this year, but they'll certainly give it their best shot.

How the South was won? The Colts likely sealed the division and a playoff spot with this win. They hold a three-game lead over the Titans and will play them once again. As up and down as the Colts have been lately, this game will probably end up being a major turning point for the season.

Back-to-back streak intact. With the comeback win, the Colts still haven't lost back-to-back games in the Pagano/Luck era. I realize everyone knows this already.

No turnovers. Take care of the ball, and good things happen.

Good challenge. When the Colts caught the Titans with approximately 75 defenders on the field, and the refs missed it, Chuck Pagano threw the challenge flag. Indy got the call and ended up scoring a field goal on the drive. Considering the score was 14-0 at that point, it was a pretty big decision.

Colts Observations: Week 9 vs. Texans

Did that just happen? Seriously. The Colts had no business winning this game. They were outclassed in every possible statistical category. They couldn't protect The Franchise. No one could catch a friggin' football. Andrew Luck completed 3 of 12 passes for 56 yards and zero third down conversions in the first half. The Colts couldn't even manage to get a turnover (and the one they did get got inexplicably taken away). Yet, they stayed the course and somehow managed to turn things around in the second half.

Not so special teams. Ick. The Colts were terrible here, especially in the first half. The Texans blocked an Adam Vinatieri field goal. Pat McAfee mishandled a punt, scrambled around, and then made an astoundingly good punt. The Colts were subsequently flagged for having an ineligible man downfield. On the re-kick, McAfee got absolutely rocked, firing off an ineffective punt of 29 yards. They also picked up a false start before McAfee's final punt of the game.

And then you have the Texans, who somehow had an even worse day. Kicker Randy Bullock missed three field goals, including a 55-yarder at the end that had absolutely no shot (it was Vanderjagtian in its complete and utter futility). On the Texans' final return of the day, a holding penalty negated a decent return, pushing them back to the 33-yard line.

I should also mention a couple positive moments: Sergio Brown made a nice play to down a punt inside the five. McAfee, who was holder on the blocked kick, chased down the returner, showing again that he does more than just punt and tweet like a maniac. Other than the blocked FG, Vinatieri was solid and reliable. T.Y. Hilton had a nice punt return (34 yards) that led to the Colts' first score of the game. Even David Reed had a good kickoff return.

Missing Reggie. Cris Collinsworth and Al Michaels repeated this storyline about 80,000 times, approximately 3,000 fewer times than they mentioned how much we all should love Case Keenum. Despite the snark, you could definitely tell Andrew Luck was uncomfortable without No. 87 out there. Actually, the whole offense was uncomfortable without Wayne. Guys were in the wrong spots, they couldn't catch anything, and Luck was off target. There was no rhythm and the Colts looked clueless.

Case Keenum. I enjoyed watching Keenum play against the Chiefs last week. I would've enjoyed watching him this week if he'd played against any other team in the league. The kid's got some swagger. He makes plays and moves well in (and out) of the pocket. He's fearless, hard to sack, and has a knack for finding open receivers. Reminded me a bit of Russell Wilson out there, to be honest. He's yet to win an NFL game, however. Right now, I think the Texans ride him and see if he can get them some wins. They're certainly a much more exciting team with him out there, and if you're going to lose--which the Texans already were--you may as well lose in exciting fashion.

Should someone cover Andre Johnson? Johnson had a gigantic game against the Colts, catching 9 passes for 229 yards and 3 TDs. He did most of his damage in the first half, getting open for two long touchdowns and adding a third late in the half. The way the Colts played, you would've thought they'd missed Johnson on the scouting report. On one play, Vontae Davis bit on an out and up; Johnson ran free. On another play, Antoine Bethea had him deep and seemed to lose track of the ball. On another TD, Davis had perfect coverage but mistimed his jump in the end zone.

Key divisional win. The Colts needed this one to keep a little cushion against second-place Tennessee and stop the Texans from jumping back into the divisional race. While Houston dominated the first half, the Colts came alive in the second to steal a road divisional game.

TY times three. T.Y. Hilton went off in the second half, catching three touchdown passes. He finished with 7 grabs for 121 yards. Luck targeted Hilton 12 times. What I like about him is that each of his TD catches came in a different way. His first was a nice corner route where he beat his man and made a nice catch. On the second one--his game-changing 58-yard score--Hilton outran the coverage and got deep. On the third TD, he slid out on a little route to the flat, made a guy miss, and then got into the end zone.

Fleener's grab. A very, very big play was Coby Fleener's catch on a two-point conversion. Without that catch, the Colts only lead by a point. In that case, Bullock's inevitable missed field goal at the end would've missed for the win instead of the tie. But seriously, Fleener made a fantastic grab with two defenders on him. He got up and snatched it out of the air. He finished the game with 3 receptions for 64 yards.

#GRIFFNATION still a developing nation. I love Griff Whalen. I think he can be great, but he was hardly that in his first extended play of the season. Luck targeted him 9 times; Whalen finished with 3 catches, including a couple drops. That said, he came up with a major-league-huge grab on 3rd and 10 on what ended up being the game-winning drive. Luck also missed a wide-open Griff on a wheel route in the second half.

DHB MIA. If Darrius Heyward-Bey hopes to "replace" Reggie Wayne, he'd better start catching the ball. Collinsworth pointed out that DHB's skills and speed mean absolutely nothing if he has stone hands. He did draw a pass interference penalty that led to a field goal. So there's that.

Just the Texans bein' the Texans. I hate to say it (actually I don't), but this was a typical Texans game. This franchise wants to step into the big leagues, but each time Houston gets the chance, it falls flat on its face. Good teams don't blow 21-3 halftime leads. Then again, I never said the Texans were a good team. While Keenum never pulled a Sage Rosenfels in this game, he didn't have to--Randy Bullock did that for him.

Yes, let's report nothing about Gary Kubiak. Again. Like everyone, I was concerned about what happened to Gary Kubiak. It was a strange circumstance and a shock to everyone. Still, Sunday Night Football couldn't let the story go even though there was nothing to report. It went something like this:

"Let's check in with Michele Tafoya. What do you know?"

"I don't know anything guys, but here's that video again of Gary Kubiak collapsing just in case you didn't see it during one of my previous seven non-updates. To repeat information you've already heard, Kubiak collapsed at halftime and went to an area hospital as a precautionary measure. To reiterate one more time, the Texans PR staff knows nothing. Hence, I know nothing and am telling you that I know nothing."

"Thanks for the update, Michele. Our thoughts and prayers with Gary Kubiak..."

I just wish that, when people had nothing to report, they'd just report nothing. This isn't to say you don't mention what happened to Kubiak or reference it during the game, you absolutely have to. But to go back to the sideline reporter who knows nothing and act like it's an "update" is just stupid.

The fake spike. I did like Keenum's decision to forgo the spike near the end of the half and loft it up for Andre Johnson instead. It was a heady, canny play and paid off big time.

Richardson effective at points. The numbers weren't huge (and I'm starting to suspect they never will be, but maybe, just maybe this will work out). Still, he had a couple decent (and that's it: decent) runs and a huge catch that set up TY Hilton's third and final (game-winning) touchdown. I'd like to see the Colts work Richardson into the passing game a little more to get him some open field to work with. He's also usually pretty good in blitz pickups, although this wasn't his best game on that end.

First half possessions. Let's look at this:

Colts: Blocked FG, punt, punt, punt, punt, FG, end of half.

Texans: Touchdown, turnover on downs, touchdown, punt, missed FG, punt, touchdown.

Second half possessions. And...

Colts: FG, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, punt.

Texans: FG, missed FG, punt, punt, missed FG/end of game.

Going for it. I thought it was a mistake when Kubiak decided against a relatively easy field goal in favor of going for it on fourth and one on the Texans' second drive. The Texans should've gone for the points...but then again, maybe they didn't have confidence in their kicker (even though this was way before Bullock missed those field goals).

24-6. Third quarter. Think about it. The Colts trailed 21-3 at halftime and 24-6 late in the third quarter. Even after TY Hilton scored to make it 24-12, a comeback felt unlikely because the Colts struggled to find rhythm on offense. Then, after a stop and a quick strike to Hilton, we suddenly had a ballgame.

Luck under fire. The Texans hit Luck 11 times and finished with 4 sacks. Indy had no answers in the first half for that pass rush. They finally went to a max protect scheme at times that gave No. 12 more protection.

Last offensive "drive." Some people may think the Colts went conservative at the end of the game. Let's face it, they were deep in their own territory and had avoided turnovers despite a couple close calls. They made the Texans burn two timeouts. On the third down play, they gave the ball to Donald Brown and ran off another 40 seconds. If they'd thrown an incompletion on that play, Keenum & Co. would've had 40 more seconds to get closer for a game-tying FG. Besides, it's clear the coaching staff...

...Put it in the defense's hands. The Colts defense was much better in the second half. They went to some more aggressive schemes and tried to put more pressure on Keenum. It worked. The Texans managed only 3 points in the second half after lighting up the Colts in quarters one and two. They mostly limited the big plays and harassed the young quarterback.

Active Angerer. Pat Angerer nearly came up with a game-sealing interception, but it wasn't to be. Angerer also made a great tackle on Keenum in which the Colts outsmarted the Texans. Keenum ran several effective bootlegs off the team's stretch run game. On a key second and 8, Keenum faked a handoff, Robert Mathis crashed down from the outside, and Angerer went straight for Keenum, stopping him for a 3-yard loss. The resulting third and 11 play fell incomplete, and the Texans had to punt. Angerer led the team with 12 tackles.

The fumble that wasn't. I still can't get over the reversal on the fumbled kickoff return. Is it possible that LaVon Brazill touched the ball while he was out of bounds? It's absolutely possible, even probable. Did I see any indisputable video evidence that warranted a reversal? Absolutely not. I saw a few instances of "maybe the ball hit his foot" or "maybe the ball hit his hand while he was out of bounds." I never saw anything that said, "Yep. He touched it. That should be Houston's ball." I'm obviously a Colts sympathizer, but I try to be fair. I didn't see anything on that replay that warranted a reversal. It should've stood as called (for what it's worth, Collinsworth said he thought the referee would confirm the ruling).

Revenge of the Challenge. The Colts got a measure of revenge when Andre Johnson's catch was overturned on review in the fourth quarter. The Colts challenged that one (it happened right in front of their sideline). I really didn't see much and figured it would stand as called. Instead, the referee said Johnson didn't have control of the ball on the ground. Again, I didn't see much on the replay to warrant the reversal. All in all, it's a wash...with both calls hurting each team equally. The Texans scored a touchdown off the fumble reversal; the Colts scored a touchdown after the pass was ruled incomplete.

Luck's second half. Let's end this on a good note...as Andrew Luck often does. After a terrible first half, Luck lit up the Texans in the second half, going 15-28 for 215 yards and 3 TDs while coming up with big play after big play (a 17-yard pass on third and 10 to Griff Whalen was a standout play). He finished 18-40 for 271 yards.

Colts Observations, Week 7 vs. Broncos

Heroic Homecoming. The video tribute to Peyton Manning was a thing of beauty. For the most part, I've dealt with his departure well, but seeing him get a warm reception from the fans and realizing it had an impact on him got to me. Peyton Manning is a great quarterback who, if circumstances had accommodated, would've played his entire career with the Colts. But his injury, his contract, a terrible season, and the chance to pick the next franchise quarterback all factored into the decision to let him go. He's found a good home in Denver, but he'll always be a Colt and we'll always love him.

This one belonged to the defense. Denver has been pretty much unstoppable all season, yet the Colts slowed them down, particularly in the first half. While Peyton went off in the second half, the defense came up with two timely turnovers that preserved the game. I know Indy gave up 33 points, but they played big when they needed to.

Won't lose back-to-back games. The best thing I can say about the new regime is that they're resilient. After a lackluster performance last week, the Colts responded with a huge game in prime time. In front of a national audience, the city welcomed Manning back while the "new" Colts showed how they want to win games. This win was major in the suddenly muddled AFC and helped the Colts take a two-game lead in the division.

Andrew Luck. His first half numbers were huge, while his second half numbers weren't. Still, the Colts quarterback showed the grit and mettle we've become accustomed to, staying elusive in the pocket and picking up yards with his legs when necessary. The guy needs to take some sliding lessons, though. He looked like a wounded baby gazelle on ice the one time he slid.

Robert Mathis. After years of having Manning in a red shirt that made him untouchable, Robert Mathis got to sack Manning twice, including a game-changing sack/fumble that resulted in a safety and completely turned the game around. Mathis was credited with four quarterback hits for the game, and when Denver left him one-on-one with a lineman, he typically made them pay.

Conflicted fans. This was one of the weirder games I've ever watched, and I got the sensation that the crowd felt the same way. Some people wanted Manning to come back and kick the Colts' butt, others wanted to see him play a good game but lose, and I'm sure there were some out there who wanted the Colts to dominate the game. I think, oddly enough, the game managed to hit all those points.

Running away with it. At one point, the Colts looked like they were going to run away with this one. They led 36-17 after Adam Vinatieri nailed a 52-yard field goal. Colts fans were feeling it, and the Broncos looked too out of sync to manage a comeback.

Not running away with it. Then, the game turned. Denver scored back-to-back touchdowns and the Colts were clinging to a lead. Just like that, it looked like Peyton was going to out-Peyton his old team.

Trent Richardson. I keep looking for good things to say, but I have to look really hard. Every time he gets the ball, he gets buried by the defense. Sunday night, he had 14 carries for 37 yards and a fumble that turned a convincing win into a nail-biter. Is it going to click for this guy? On a third and one play in the first half, Denver stacked about 80 guys in the box. This would've been a perfect time for some play action or misdirection, but they ran a power play and Richardson went nowhere.

3rd and 11. Nothing was bigger than Andrew Luck's third down scramble that turned into a first down. The play set up a touchdown to Stanley Havili, giving the Colts the lead for the first time of the night.

Laying down the #Boomstick. Pat McAfee lived the dream, absolutely unloading on diminutive Broncos punt returner Trindan Holliday in Mario Harvey fashion. Not too long ago, the Boomstick was the Colts' leading special teams tackler, so it's good to see he's still got good form.

The Fleener Drive. The defense got a huge stop just before halftime, and Luck led the team on a big touchdown drive to go up 26-14. The big factor in that drive, shockingly, was Coby Fleener, who caught three passes for 31 yards, including a 21-yard reception in which he helicoptered over Broncos defenders (without fumbling). The drive ended with a walk-in eight-yard TD catch. After dropping a sure touchdown last week, it was a big rebound for Fleener in a crucial situation.

Kevin Vickerson is a terrible human being. By my count, Kevin Vickerson was flagged for three big penalties (twice for taking his helmet off in the field of play if I recall correctly). The biggest bonehead play of the night was his loving "chest bump" on Andrew Luck on a second and eight incompletion. The penalty got the Colts out of bad field position and awarded them a first down when chomping clock was key. It was a stupid play; Vickerson clearly had time to pull up and then decided he'd knock Luck down instead with a little chest bump action to show us all how tough he really was. The bonehead got what he deserved, and if I were the Broncos, I'd cut him immediately.

The Never-Ending Punt. The Colts tried really hard to punt at the end of the game, but penalties kept taking time off the clock. Here's the line:

4th and 8 at IND 22 - P.McAfee punts 56 yards to DEN 22, Center-M.Overton, fair catch by T.Holliday. PENALTY on IND-M.Overton, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at IND 22 - No Play.

4th and 18 at IND 12 - P.McAfee punts 44 yards to DEN 44, Center-M.Overton. T.Holliday pushed ob at IND 45 for 11 yards (D.Herron). Penalty on IND-S.Havili, Offensive Holding, offsetting, enforced at IND 12 - No Play. Penalty on DEN-A.Caldwell, Defensive Holding, offsetting. Penalty on DEN-S.Johnson, Illegal Block Above the Waist, declined.

After all this, the Colts took a timeout so their beleaguered special teams unit could take a breath. Al and Cris joked that the whole thing was great for the Colts because they took something like 30 seconds off the clock.

Vontae Davis thought he was playing the Patriots. In the post game interview, when asked how the Colts prepared, Vontae Davis said it's always a challenge getting ready for a great quarterback like Tom Brady. Vontae Davis the cornerback is a great player; Vontae Davis the post game interviewee is an idiot. Hard to say too much bad about him, though. He was phenomenal one-on-one.

Fumble? Not a fumble? Who recovered it? What is going on? Please, someone tell me. I had no idea what was going on when the Broncos fumbled in the red zone in the fourth quarter. Al Michaels didn't know what was going on. Cris Collinsworth didn't know what was going on. Then, all of a sudden, they said the referees gave the ball to Indy, yet we never really saw or heard a call down on the field. Then, they said the Colts couldn't challenge the play because they couldn't prove they had possession. A second later, they suggested maybe John Fox would challenge the play since the Colts had recovered (leading me to say, "There was a fumble? The Colts recovered? What are you talking about?!"). But turnovers are automatically reviewed up in the booth, so I think Al and Cris were just filling airtime. I don't know. I'm still confused.

Ten defensive backs? Could we have fifteen? Injuries mounted in the second half, with Darius Butler, Josh Gordy, and Vontae Davis all getting nicked up. This helped Denver find some holes in the passing game, as a few players were in unexpected situations and/or a little gimpy while trying to cover their guy.

Reggie Wayne Knee Watch, Day 1. Really, the fourth quarter was bad for the Colts. Nothing was worse than seeing Reggie Wayne go down on a big third and one play. He clutched his knee, howled in pain, and was inconsolable on the sideline. I hope it's just a sprain, but it didn't look good. Reggie's an iron man; hell, he's Ageless Reggie Wayne. The guy brings it every practice and every game. Luck and the Colts need him if they hope to make a playoff run. We'll be thinking about ya, No. 87. I also wonder what Peyton thought when Reggie went down. I know that's something he didn't want to see.

Crazy finish. About midway through the third quarter, it didn't look like the phrase "onside kick" would mean much, but Peyton kept things close.

DHB still can't catch a cold. Man. He's fast, he gets open, and he can't come up with the big play. Maybe, like Fleener, he'll find redemption. For now, though, he's simply a fast guy with mediocre receiving skills who makes the occasional play.

Great pass rush. The Colts were all over Peyton, hitting him ten times and sacking him on four occasions. They were able to get pressure in key situations, including a sack that led to a safety and another pressure that forced an interception. The defense also brought Manning down on the Broncos' final drive of the game, forcing a field goal and a desperate onside kick.

Erik Walden was a factor. Repeat: Erik Walden was a factor. For the first time this season, Erik Walden factored into the game. When Denver finally made sure to double Mathis, Walden got some one-on-one opportunities, including a pressure that hit Manning's arm, resulting in an errant pass that Pat Angerer intercepted.

LaRon Landry: The Cleaner. Landry was all over the place. It's been unnerving to see him miss so much time since the Colts made him a big free agent acquisition, but he certainly has a presence on defense. His ability to make open-field tackles on short pass plays is uncanny and prevented at least a couple Denver first downs.

Defense and special teams. I don't know if you followed the pregame hype, but Colts owner Jim Irsay suggested that maybe the Colts didn't put as much emphasis on defense and special teams as they should have when Peyton played for Indy. What I got from it was that Peyton was such a good quarterback, he covered up those inadequacies. Those comments kind of became a big deal. It seemed fitting that defense and special teams factored so heavily into the Colts' success in this game. Manning, meanwhile, plugged away as always, throwing for 386 yards and three touchdowns. If only his bonehead teammates (Kevin Vickerson and Ronnie Hillman, I'm looking at you) could get out of his way.

Fourth and two! C'mon, show it! During the pregame show, several of the commentators shared some of their favorite Peyton Manning memories. Hines Ward regaled us with tales of the infamous game in which Mike Vanderjagt missed a field goal so badly, the ball still hasn't returned from the Phantom Zone. Collinsworth reminded us all of the great "Fourth and Two" game in which Bill Belichick, stuck with a crappy defense and a red-hot Manning, went for it on fourth and two deep in Patriots territory. The result: Kevin Faulk bobbled the ball and the Colts made the stop. Manning ended up winning the game. Unfortunately, they never showed a replay, but I had this tucked away in the archives:



Finally, our national nightmare is over. Peyton came back, the fans welcomed him, he almost pulled off a signature comeback, Andrew Luck answered his ten millionth question about what it's like to replace a legend, Peyton answered his twenty millionth question about what it's like to be back home, and we can stop talking about it for the rest of the year...unless the Colts and Broncos meet in the playoffs. Sigh.

Colts Observations, Week 6 vs. Chargers

Well, that sucked. The Colts and Andrew Luck were supposed to explode onto the national stage. Well, they exploded all right. Actually, the correct term is imploded. Indy looked sluggish and confused in all phases of the game in front of the national Monday Night Football audience. A crisp opening drive in which the Colts settled for a field goal was about the only real highlight.

Good opening act. After the Chargers got flagged for offsides on the first play of the game, the Colts went into their bag of tricks with a flea flicker that resulted in a big gain to Ageless Reggie Wayne. Great play call given that everyone thought Trent Richardson would run it on 1st and 5.

Just drop it already. The offense couldn't get anything going after that opening drive. The Colts never sniffed the endzone the rest of the game. The biggest problem? Dropped passes. Off the top of my head, the following Colts had drops in key situations: T.Y. Hilton, Trent Richardson, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Coby Fleener, and (gasp!) Reggie Wayne. DHB let a long pass glance off his fingertips, Wayne dropped one that would've picked up a key first down, and the pass Fleener dropped would've probably resulted in a big gain and possibly a touchdown.

Where's the pass rush? The Chargers did a good job of protecting Philip Rivers and Rivers did a good job of getting the ball out fast. Cory Redding and Kelvin Sheppard were both credited with sacks, but Rivers wasn't under constant pressure and didn't have to worry about much of a rush all evening.

Time of possession. A Chargers team that hasn't run the ball very well all season kept grinding away. They churned up 147 rushing yards, and just about every time Ryan Mathews or Danny Woodhead touched the ball, they managed a positive gain. A lot of players whiffed on tackles, took bad angles, or were simply out of position to make a play. These positive plays allowed San Diego to rule the time of possession battle by a wide margin, 38:31 to 21:29.

1,000 receptions. Ageless Reggie Wayne caught five passes for 88 yards, leaving him with 1,001 receptions for his career and cementing, statistically, his position among the all-time greats. He's had a tremendous career in Indianapolis and re-signed with the team despite the roster disintegration of a couple seasons ago. Despite the milestone, I bet Reggie would've rather walked out of San Diego with a win.

Richardson review. Trent Richardson seemed to find a little more running room against San Diego, although the Colts didn't really stick with much of a running game (offense wasn't exactly their forte this week in general). Richardson carried 10 times for 40 yards, good for a 4.0 yards per carry average. He also caught a pass for 13 yards that left a few Chargers with some severe bruising. And, of course, Richardson had his share of unproductive carries and also dropped a pass on a screen play that looked like it could get Indy out of a field position hole.

Third down "efficiency." The Colts were 2-10 on third down, well below their season average. We saw some drops in key situations, and they had a hard time sustaining drives and finding an offensive rhythm. Meantime, on defense, the Colts allowed the Chargers 7 conversions on 14 attempts (50%). It felt like Indy couldn't stay on the field on offense or get off the field on defense.

Adam Vinatieri. Look, I love Vinny. But when he's really the sole highlight of the game, you've got problems. He hit from 30, 50 and 51 yards (the two long field goals tell you that Indy didn't move the ball very far).

Field goals. The only thing that remotely kept the Colts in the game was the inability of San Diego to find the endzone. The Colts surrendered one touchdown and four field goals, but the cumulative effect of long drives left the defense tired and the offense frustrated.

Costly penalties. On three different occasions, the Colts committed a penalty on third down that allowed a Chargers drive to continue.

The long drives. The Chargers had four drives of 10+ plays. One of those drives lasted more than nine minutes. The defense was clearly tired.

Still at the top of the division, but... With losses by the Texans and Titans this week, the Horseshoes had a shot at taking a two-game lead in the AFC South. Instead, they'll have to settle for a one-game lead as they face down the Denver Broncos next week. I hear their quarterback is pretty good.

Crappy punting. After a few lackluster punts, perhaps Pat McAfee should put less emphasis on the Pat McAfee Show and focus more on punting. He's one of the best in the league, but he's uncorked some awful punts this year.

4th and 3. The Colts were driving a little bit in the third quarter. The drive stalled at the San Diego 40, and they faced a 4th and 3 situation. The Colts decided to punt. I think they should've gone for it, but hindsight's 20-20. After the punt, San Diego had a soul-crushing drive that took more than nine minutes off the clock. It ended in a field goal.

And then they punted again. Toward the end of the game, the Colts were backed up and faced a 4th and 2 situation. With about three minutes left, they had three timeouts and the two-minute warning. They again decided to punt it away, hoping desperately that the defense would hold. McAfee's punt went only 35 yards, landing at San Diego's 48. In the ensuing drive, the Colts would give up a 15-yard run on 1st and 15. Nick Novak would eventually kick the 50-yard field goal that proved to be the nail in the coffin.

Still in it. Despite the lackluster performance, the Colts kept the game close. After a first half clearly dominated by the Chargers, Indy trailed only 10-6. Late in the game, they were within a touchdown of tying things up, although scoring a touchdown seemed a Herculean feat by that point in the game.

Freeman out. Jerrell Freeman suffered a concussion and a cut chin, and left the game. Mario Harvey and Kelvin Sheppard took over for Freeman. Harvey was a definite liability in pass coverage.

Colts Observations, Week 5 vs. Seahawks

Colts capture early momentum! And by that, I mean the exact opposite. In the first quarter, the Colts looked absolutely awful, with collapses on offense, defense, and special teams. Offensively, they began with three three-and-outs. On their third punt of the game, the Seattle Seahawks got through and blocked the kick. The officials ruled the recovery a safety, saying the Seahawks never had possession of the ball. That ruling was upheld on review. The Colts found themselves in a quick 12-0 hole that could've easily been a 17-0 one. Defensively, Marshawn Lynch ate up the Colts, taking his very first carry for 24 yards.

Just when I thought you couldn't possibly be any dumber, you go and do something like this... and totally redeem yourself! As quickly as the game seemed to get away from the Colts, they got right back into it. Andrew Luck hit T.Y. Hilton for a 73-yard TD pass that cut the deficit to 12-7. On the very next drive, the Seahawks had to settle for a field goal. Lawrence Guy got a big mitt up to block it; Delano Howell scooped it up and took it the distance. Just like that--and in the face of all logic and statistics--the Colts had a 14-12 lead.

And then the 'Hawks came right back. Just when you thought the Colts were taking control of the game, Russell Wilson led Seattle on a 12 play, 82 yard drive that culminated in a touchdown pass to Jermaine "Don't Call Me Jevon" Kearse. Seattle took a 19-14 lead. The key play was a 4th and 3 near midfield in which Wilson escaped pressure and scrambled for a first down to keep the drive alive.

And then the Colts came right back. Luck led Indy on an 11 play, 54 yard drive that ended with a field goal. The score was 19-17 as halftime neared. The key play involved Luck somehow escaping pressure, spinning, and throwing a pass to T.Y. Hilton on third down to keep the drive alive. This drive also included a crucial pass interference penalty on 3rd and 22 as well as a holding penalty on Anthony Castonzo that nullified a good scramble by Luck.

Robert Mathis: The Lost Sack. Robert Mathis notched his 100th career sack, except you would never have known it if you were watching at home. On a 4th and 9 play, Mathis got around and stripped Wilson for the sack. After that, it was kind of hard to follow. Here's the official play-by-play recap:

(Shotgun) R.Wilson sacked at IND 48 for -7 yards (R.Mathis). FUMBLES (R.Mathis), RECOVERED by IND-E.Walden at IND 46. E.Walden to SEA 44 for 10 yards (M.Lynch). FUMBLES (M.Lynch), RECOVERED by SEA-R.Wilson at SEA 30. R.Wilson to SEA 30 for no gain (L.Guy). Credit minus five sack yards for Robert Mathis on the play.

So basically, Mathis got credit for a sack-and-strip, Walden recovered Wilson's fumble before fumbling on the return after being hit by Marshawn Lynch. Wilson recovered Walden's fumble. Had there been more time on the clock, it would've been a first down for Seattle due to the change of possession, but time ran out for the half. Everybody got that?

All you need to know is that Robert Mathis got his 100th sack (he'd add another one later).

Second half defense. The Colts weren't perfect in the second half, but they played big when it counted. Here's the rundown of Seattle's second half possessions: field goal, field goal, field goal, punt, interception. Yes, Lynch and Wilson got their yards, but they didn't get touchdowns. Even when Luck got sacked in the third quarter and fumbled to give up excellent field position, the Colts held Seattle to a field goal. This was key: the Colts gave up big plays, but they didn't give up touchdowns.

Offensive production. After fumbling away their first possession of the second half, the Colts scored two touchdowns and a field goal (their last possession consisted of kneel downs).

Those throws. Oh, those throws. Both long passes to T.Y. Hilton were things of beauty. The first one involved a coverage breakdown on the part of the Seahawks, but Luck read it and dropped a perfect pass in there for Hilton. The second Luck-Hilton hookup was even prettier; Luck put the ball over a defensive back and in a place only Hilton could catch it.

T.Y. "Call Me TD" Hilton. Five catches, 140 yards, two touchdowns. Hilton was lightning in a bottle, and after a couple relatively quiet weeks from him, it was great to see.

The Ageless One. Reggie Wayne caught six passes for 65 yards. On the go-ahead TD drive, No. 87 caught a pass for a first down (this was reviewed after a terrible spot) and then had another reception for 19 yards (somehow he and Darrius Heyward-Bey ended up in the exact same spot, but Reggie came down with the catch). Another Reggie Wayne grab didn't figure into the stats--his brilliant reach-behind reception on the two-point conversion was key.

Wild Wilson. The Colts...um...kind of contained Russell Wilson? (shrugs) He ran 13 times for 102 yards and no touchdowns. He was 15-31 for 210 yards, two touchdowns, and a late interception. This guy is phenomenal; nearly impossible to sack and an accurate thrower. When it looked like the Colts would get to him, he'd usually sashay out of a tackle and run for positive yards. I haven't gotten to see a ton of Wilson other than highlights, but I can see why he's so highly touted. Great player. He did make a few inaccurate throws, but that was more of a result of pressure by the Colts than anything.

Great job, CFL. Great job. A key play in this game came on a third and two. After Marshawn Lynch ran for two yards, Wilson found Golden Tate for six yards. On third down, Wilson tried to run around the left side, but Jerrell Freeman made a brilliant open field tackle to stop the drive and force a punt. To me, this was the key defensive play of the game. Who knows what happens if Wilson shakes the tackle (as he did so many times) and keeps the drive alive? Freeman, by the way, had a monster game with 13 tackles. He got burned a couple times by Wilson, but I'm pretty sure everyone missed a tackle on him.

Richardson. We've been patient, but it's still hard to gauge this Richardson trade. You don't trade a first-round pick for a guy who plods ahead for one or two yards a carry. Given Ahmad Bradshaw's status, though, it's a good thing Indy made the trade. I just want to see more production from Richardson, more "chunk" runs in the second half. I will say this, though: rewatch the Luck-Hilton TD for 73 yards; Richardson made a big-time block to give Luck enough time to launch the ball. So perhaps his value isn't measured entirely in yards per carry. Another example: on 3rd and 5, Richardson broke tackles for a 10-yard gain and a first down while the Colts tried to chew some clock. Donald Brown seems to be the Colts' most effective back, but I think that's because the Colts pick their spots with Brown.

Darius Butler, closer. Darius Butler batted away a pass on the Seahawks' last drive. A few plays later, he stepped in front of a pass intended for Sidney Rice and intercepted it to seal the win (Wilson also got rocked on the play right after he released the ball).

Pink flags. I think we all appreciate the NFL's "A Crucial Catch" campaign, but let's give the refs their yellow flags back. The pink ones are seriously hard to see (or, as an alternative suggestion, make them extremely neon pink so they're easier to see and distinct from the players' towels and wristbands).

A spirited throw. I love how Chuck Pagano launched his challenge flag onto the field after the officials gave Reggie Wayne a terrible spot on a third down catch. I mean, Pagano really chucked it out there. I found it amusing.

A little help. Hey, you can't win games without a little help. The Seahawks had a couple killer pass interference penalties, including an offensive PI call that I still never completely understood (yes, it was a little pushoff, but I didn't think it warranted a flag).

You can outrun the holder! Delano Howell is fortunate he made a move to avoid Seattle's holder, who trailed him on the blocked field goal and nearly tackled him. Howell sidestepped him and managed to get into the endzone. I still think his teammates will rib him during the film session.

Because you have a lot to beat your chest about. Sergio Brown got flagged for taunting on a kickoff return in which the returner took a knee and the touchback. Since Brown neither kicked the ball nor tackled the guy, I have no idea what he could've possibly been taunting him about. Twitter reaction: #smh.

Hey, Seattle, you only get three timeouts per half. A little thing that hurt Seattle was its quick employment of timeouts in the second half. They took their third and final timeout with 8:55 left in the game when the Colts lined up for a two-point conversion. Seattle's personnel didn't match the Colts' personnel.

David Reed is awesome on kickoff returns! I'll let my thoughts on Twitter speak on this matter:

David Reed: Mr. 18-yard line #Colts

— Matt Adams (@statomatty) October 6, 2013

And with that knee, David Reed gives the #Colts their best field position of the game. It's been that kind of day so far.

— Matt Adams (@statomatty) October 6, 2013

Good things happen when David Reed returns kicks. #Colts #sarcasm

— Matt Adams (@statomatty) October 6, 2013

And I always want to call him Russell Watson. I know who Russell Wilson is; I watched him play at Wisconsin. Yet, I can't tell you how many times I typed "Watson" by mistake in my game notes.

I guess you could say the Colts needed a little "Faith of the Heart" this week...

Colts Observations, Week 4 at Jaguars

Like clubbing a baby seal. Or jaguar. Sometimes, games in which your team destroys the opponent are fun to watch. This wasn't the case. Early in the fourth quarter, I really hoped the Colts would just end it:

Can the #Colts just take a knee to burn the 12:52 left in this unwatchable game?

— Matt Adams (@statomatty) September 29, 2013

While they couldn't take a knee to run out the rest of the clock for the entire game (I think the NFL needs to explore that as an option), the Colts chomped more than seven minutes of clock on the drive. The scoring drive before that, by the way, took more than eight minutes. Between those two drives, the Colts held the ball for the equivalent of more than a quarter in game time.

Ageless Reggie Wayne. Five catches, 100 yards, touchdown. Reggie Wayne again showed how much he loves playing Jacksonville. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention a gorgeous diving catch by No. 87. We didn't see a replay because the announcers were too busy talking about a roughing the passer penalty against Jason Babin, but it was a tremendous catch. Vintage Reggie...he ages like a fine wine.

Maurice Jones-Who? The Jaguars running back who's usually great at churning up yards against the Colts managed just 23 yards on 13 carries. It stinks to see such a good player saddled with such a terrible team. I'll feel bad about it when he's not playing the Colts.

Bad, Bad Donald Brown? I thought we'd see a bit more Donald Brown with Ahmad Bradshaw out this week, but Brown played sparingly. When he did get in, he broke off a 50-yard run that set up a touchdown by Trent Richardson.

Richardson, week 2. With Bradshaw out, Richardson got the bulk of the carries. He still seemed a little hesitant and danced too much behind the line of scrimmage for a power back. Still, we saw some flashes, including a 12-yard run. He also fumbled on a play in which he didn't actually fumble due to something about a whistle blowing. Richardson carried 20 times for 60 yards (3.0 yards per carry). He needs to get that average up, and I think he will. He was also pretty good in blitz pickups.

Jaguars offense or Colts defense? I humbly submit to you the following:



That, ladies and gentlemen, is the drive chart for your Jacksonsville Jaguars. I thought they might be able to eke out a win or two at best this season, but after seeing them play in person, I'm not so sure. To make an obvious observation, the Jaguars are a terrible football team and I give credit to all Colts staff members and players who were able to say "we respect our opponent" with a straight face.

My notes on the Jags' third drive, which pretty much sums up the football team:

Jordan Todman for one yard. Gabbert to Shorts for a first down and a 15-yard catch. Went up and got it on a high throw. Personal foul by the Jags. Same yard marker, but a first down. Weird. Then, 12 men in the huddle on the Jags. First and 15. Jags fever, catch it. Denard Robinson gets the ball in the backfield, ruled fumble originally then ruled incomplete pass. Second and 15. Geez. Gabbert underneath to MJD for five yards. Third and 10. Pressure forces Gabbert out of the pocket, flag down for offensive holding. Declined. Fourth down, Jaguars will punt. Jaguars fever, catch it. False start against the Jags before the punt. Of course.

At one point, they had 67 yards of total offense.

Sigh.

Dominant defense. Even though Jacksonville is barely a professional football team in the sense of the words "professional" and "team," many of their offensive struggles can be attributed to a stellar Colts defense. There simply wasn't much there early in the game. Indy stuffed the run, put tight coverage on the Jags' receivers, and put pressure on Gabbert. It's hard to gauge just how good they actually were given the opponent...however, coupled with last week's defensive performance against the 49ers, I can definitively say the Colts' D is coming together.

The facemask that wasn't. Late in the game, Eric Walden was flagged for a facemask penalty in which his hand clearly got the crown of the runner's helmet instead of the facemask. I think we can live with the mistake.

A lot of penalties. The Colts were flagged seven times against Jacksonville. They haven't been penalized a ton this year, so that was weird. The Jaguars racked up nine penalties, including four on a single soul-crushing drive.

Fleener? Fleener. Coby Fleener had a fantastic game, catching five passes for 77 yards and a touchdown. On the scoring play, Jacksonville didn't even bother to cover him. Normally, I'd say that was a mistake, but it's clear the Jags watched game film on Fleener and didn't feel he was a true threat in the passing game. One day, I'll say something nice about him and mean it.

Slow start. The Colts didn't exactly light it up on offense early in the game. In fact, they were pretty bad. Luck was under pressure, he and T.Y. Hilton clearly weren't working from the same playbook, throws were off-target, and the running game was MIA. The first three drives went: punt, interception, punt. The first drive should've ended in an interception, but the Jaguars were offsides, negating the turnover (of course). The good news is that the defense surrendered only a field goal after giving good field position to Jacksonville. Over the last two games, the Colts defense has only surrendered 10 points.

Vontae Davis. Davis emerged last year as the Colts' top cover corner, and he showed why this week. He made a beautiful interception on a good throw, broke up a third down pass (and a few others), and tipped a ball that led to an interception and a TD return by Darius Butler. The Colts secondary is as good as I've ever seen it (three picks in Sunday's game). Again, I have to temper my enthusiasm due to the competition, but they were all over the place.

Sacks machine. Robert Mathis, who's in his 11th season, showed this transition from defensive end to outside linebacker was no problem. He notched three sacks. Four games into the season, Mathis is credited with 7.5 sacks. The dude can ball, and it's been a pleasure to watch. He was all over Gabbert.

1-2-3-4 pressure! The Colts hit Gabbert nine times and sacked him four times (Cory Redding was credited with the other sack). They had him seeing pressure even when it wasn't coming. Lots of ice packs after this one, I bet.

Weird drive. This is the only way to describe the series of events leading to Adam Vinatieri's 46-yard field goal. Trent Richardson kept a rusher from getting to Luck, who evaded and lofted a ball to Reggie Wayne. No. 87 made an incredible catch, except it wasn't a catch because he lost control of the ball right in front of the Jaguars bench. Jacksonville challenged and won. Next play, Luck found the Ageless One for 31 yards and a first down. Four plays later, Luck hit Reggie in the back of the endzone with a laser beam for a touchdown...except it wasn't. Jeff Linkenbach was flagged for illegal use of hands. Stanley Havili was buried for a two-yard loss on a pass. Luck was sacked for a 10-yard loss, making it 3rd and 32. The Colts elected to kick a 51-yard field goal...except the Jaguars jumped offides, making it a 46-yard attempt. Vinny nailed it. Sheesh.

The negatives? The Colts weren't perfect, but no football team is. Still, they were out of sync early (especially Luck and Hilton). The Jags were able to get pressure on Luck (they had two sacks and, more alarmingly, 10 quarterback hits). Their first score, a 22-yard field goal, was a major letdown. On first and goal at the four, the Colts and the Vaunted Power Running Game that Led to the Trent Richardson Trade passed three times in a row. Obviously, not a ton to really complain about in a 37-3 romp, but I'm calling it as I see it.

Rush to judgment. Haggles about the running game aside, the Colts have rushed for 100+ yards in each game this year: 127 yards vs. Oakland, 133 yards vs. Miami, 184 yards vs. San Francisco, and 154 yards vs. Jacksonville. They've outrushed opponents 598 yards to 451 yards. Against the Jags, they held the ball for 36:38 while Jacksonville had it for 23:22.

Thank you, Seattle. Or, more properly, just the Texans bein' the Texans. The Seattle Seahawks rebounded from a 17-point deficit to beat the Houston Texans. Matt Schaub threw a late interception that the Seahawks returned for a touchdown. This sent the game into overtime, which the Texans lost because they're the Texans. Now, the Colts and Titans are atop the AFC South with Indy hosting Seattle next week.

Colts Observations, Week 3 at 49ers

Big lift. While the San Francisco 49ers struggled mightily against the Seahawks last week, no one thought they'd struggle at home against the Colts, who dropped a tough game to the Dolphins last week. The Colts were missing several starters (LaRon Landry, Samson Satele, Pat Angerer out this week; Donald Thomas, Vick Ballard, and Dwayne Allen out for the year) against a tough 49ers team and a mobile quarterback in Kaepernick, who's capable of giving the defense fits. Instead of backing down, the Colts out Harbaugh'd the Harbaugh team. Yes, that's a verb now.

Opening drive. The Colts put together a masterful opening drive aided early by two San Francisco penalties. This drive was mostly Andrew Luck throwing the ball. Heck, the very first play was a pass to Ahmad Bradshaw as the Colts worked to establish their passing game to set up their run. It ended with a short TD run by new acquisition Trent Richardson.

About Richardson... Not a great game; 13 carries for 35 yards and a paltry 2.7 yards per carry. Still, he had some good, tough runs and it was good to see the Colts weren't afraid to put him out there. He also dropped a couple passes. But in no way, shape, or form was he the big story. Not at all.

Bradshaw unbound. Ahmad Bradshaw was the workhorse for the Colts, carrying 19 times for 95 yards and hitting the magic 5.0 YPC mark. Bradshaw ran tough, breaking tackles and showing a great burst. On the decisive drive, he had carries of seven, 27, and eight yards. As the defense wore down, Bradshaw got stronger, and for the first time this season, we really saw the vaunted "power run" game we've heard so much about. After the defense forced a turnover late, Bradshaw plunged into the endzone for a well-deserved touchdown.

Dominant defense. Colts coach Chuck Pagano said he wanted to hang his hat on a dominant defense and a power running game. So far, the only thing the defense has done is make me hang my head. This week was a completely different story. The Colts contained Kaepernick, they hit Kaepernick, and they sacked him three times. Coverage on wide receivers was tight; the Niners QB seldom had anyone to throw to. Apart from an exhausting, nine-play, 91-yard drive that lasted more than 4:30 and resulted in a touchdown, this was as dominant of a defensive effort as you'll find.

You'll take Kaepernick over Luck, Phil? Still? Phil Simms stood by his statement that, if he were starting a franchise right now, he'd pick Kaepernick over Luck because he brings that extra dimension to the QB position while still having the ability to throw the ball accurately downfield. This would be the part where I'm a jerk by pointing out Luck outrushed Kaepernick and was much sharper in the passing game. Kaepernick completed less than 50% of his passes Sunday.

Efficient. Of course, as I taunt Phil Simms above, I have to point out that Luck didn't have the best game of his career. He was patient and efficient, taking off on a few scrambles to keep drives alive and getting the ball to receivers in critical situations. This was more of a ball control/field position type of game, and Luck managed it well.

Offensive line play. Aldon Smith wasn't a factor, although it's hard to say if his weekend legal trouble played a role at all. In two consecutive weeks, Indy held pass rushing maestros (Smith and Miami's Cameron Wake last week) without a sack. Overall, pass protection was solid this week, and it seemed like Luck wasn't running for his life every time he passed the ball. The o-line excelled in the running game, where they were road graders. Anthony Castonzo and Mike McGlynn in particular had good games.

Reitz, the tight end. One thing easy to miss is how often the Colts trotted out Joe Reitz as a tight end. He reported eligible on multiple plays, including the key play resulting in Luck's masterful touchdown run (much more on that later).

Ageless Reggie Wayne update. The Ageless One caught 5 passes for 65 yards. The 49ers kept him quiet for the most part, although he erupted for receptions of 25 yards and 19 yards on a long drive resulting in a missed field goal.

DHB. I like to abbreviate Darrius Heyward-Bey's name because I can never remember if "Darrius" has two "r's." Anyway, Luck looked for him early and often. He's been a much more reliable target than I thought he'd be earlier in the season. So far, he's been a good addition.

Third and suck. The Colts struggled again in third and short situations. On one play, they decided it'd be a great idea to give it to Donald Brown, who got stuffed to force a punt. His strength isn't running up the middle; let Richardson or Bradshaw do that (although they got stuffed in similar situations, too).

GRIFF NATION. Griff Whalen was silent this week, although he checked in for a few offensive plays. He did have a special teams tackle, however.

The Slow Fade. After doinking a key field goal last week, Old Man Vinatieri missed a long FG. This didn't come back to bite the Colts, thankfully, but it was a six-point game when he missed. He had the distance, this one just sailed slowly to the left.

Bethea's great tackle. Antoine Bethea made one of the best open field tackles you'll ever see, stopping Kaepernick for a one-yard gain on a third-and-four play. Bethea made an aggressive move, unwilling to let the Niners QB fake him out of his shoes. He wrapped, tackled, and drove Kaepernick to the ground. My note during the game: "Gotta mention that GREAT OPEN FIELD TACKLE by Antoine Bethea." So I have.

Stiff arm of justice. On a 15-yard scramble, Andrew Luck delivered a stiff arm that made a 49ers defender look absolutely silly. Even though Luck's an athletic, strong quarterback, I bet it can't feel very good to get schooled by a QB like that.

Huge defensive stand. One unfortunate side effect of Vinatieri's missed FG was that the Colts surrendered excellent field position to San Francisco. The drive went like this: "Pass incomplete to Celek. Second and ten. Hunter gets four after a short screen pass. Colts swarming today. Kaepernick sacked. Redding, Mathis combine for sack. Punt." The Colts scored the decisive touchdown on the very next drive.

Delano who? Backup safety Delano Howell made some big hits. He finished with four tackles and two passes defensed, filling in admirably for the injured LaRon Landry. Seriously, where do the Colts find these guys?

The Tenth Drive. My notes read as follows: "Incomplete to Boldin. Nice play by Butler. Second down pass incomplete. Kaepernick sacked, fumbled, Indy recovers. What a miserable day for Colin Kaepernick." The Colts had pretty much salted the game away with the late touchdown by Luck, but they erased any hope of a 49ers comeback by forcing the fumble. Jerrell Freeman got the sack and strip; Kavell Conner recovered it. Three plays later, Bradshaw waltzed into the endzone for a 27-7 lead. The Colts added another late turnover on an interception by Cassius Vaughn.

It's the slow knife that cuts the deepest, they say. The Colts used more than seven minutes of clock on a drive covering 80 yards in 11 plays. This one included a third down conversion to Darrius Heyward-Bey, a third down conversion on a defensive penalty, and a 27-yard run by Ahmad Bradshaw. This drive was about the Colts controlling the line of scrimmage and imposing their will on the 49ers. They made a statement with this one. Also worth noting was the time of possession: Colts 36:25, 49ers 23:35.

Division hunt. The Colts kept pace with the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans with the win. All three teams have 2-1 records. The Jacksonville Jaguars are 0-3 and will welcome the Colts next week. Indy enters a tough stretch, so they'd best not take the Jags lightly. Even though I'm sure they probably will because...well...you know.

Now, let's go a little deeper. I don't always have time to do these little breakdowns, but I thought this was a good one, so I'm writing about it.



Okay, this is the run before the touchdown. Ahmad Bradshaw just ran for eight yards, and it's second and two. Here you can see the formation is a pure power run. Joe Reitz is at the tight end spot on the left; Dominique Jones is also in there. Stanley Havili is at fullback in a straight I-formation. This looks like run all the way on second and two. You see 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks on the edge there.



The give is to Bradshaw, and everyone knows it's going to him. Look at where the defenders are looking. They're all zeroed in on Bradshaw, and for good reason--he's killed them on this drive.



Note the garbage at the line of scrimmage. The run is designed to go left, but Brooks comes free off the edge as Luck hands the ball off to Bradshaw. If he's able to get past Brooks, he might get the first down. Maybe.



It doesn't matter, though. Brooks drops him for a one-yard loss, making it third and three.



The Colts use a different personnel group for the third down play. Instead of Jones, T.Y. Hilton is split out to the left and it's a two wide receiver set. Reitz is again out there as tight end, but he's lined up on the other side. It's an offset I-formation with Havili lined up on the right side. For all intents and purposes, it looks like a running play designed to go that direction.



The 49ers think so, too. They fully expect Bradshaw to get the ball. The arrows show where the defenders are looking, and again, all eyes are on Bradshaw.



Except Luck pulled a fast one on the defense. Bradshaw never gets the ball because Luck has it. Still everyone is looking at Bradshaw, even Aldon Smith there on the weak side. You can see T.Y. Hilton with his man, but you can't get a good view.



Let's go up top. You can see the formation, offset I, strong side right, T.Y. Hilton split out left.



Again, all the defenders are looking at Bradshaw as Luck fakes the handoff. Hilton runs his man to the inside.



Everyone's committed to Bradshaw, and Hilton's man has been taken out of the play. Luck's coming around the left side with no one near him, as noted by the yellow box.



Luck sprints into the endzone. Touchdown. Ballgame.