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.

Colts Observations, Week 11

Trial by Foxborough. It's tough to win in New England unless you play for the Patriots. The Colts had to play a nearly flawless game just to stay competitive. They did not.

The turnover bug. Four turnovers led to 21 points for the Patriots, including two "pick six" returns. Another turnover--a fumble in Colts territory--resulted in an easy, one-play drive for the score.

That's quite a turnaround. It's 14-7, the Pats just missed a field goal. The Colts do nothing with the ball and punt. The gunner gets whistled for a false start. Julian Edelman returns a punt 68 yards for a score on the next punt. After the kickoff, Andrew Luck throws an interception to Aqib Talib, who returns it for another score. In the span of a minute, the score goes from a 14-7 Colts lead to a 21-14 deficit. BOOM. That just happened.

Gronked. No answers for the Rob Gronkowski, although apparently late-game extra point blocking is Kryptonite for his forearm.

We're in no rush. The Colts were supposed to unveil the Jerry Hughes-Dwight Freeney-Robert Mathis pass rushing package this week. It didn't matter.

Just Brady bein' Brady. It was one of those games where it was a victory when the Colts didn't give up a touchdown after Brady let loose a pass. Third and long was no challenge.

"I coulda been a contenda." The Colts came out firing on all cylinders to start the game. After the missed field goal, I thought maybe the Patriots would have to sweat a little before winning this one. That's not exactly how it played out. Still, the Colts control their own destiny with some winnable games ahead.

Reggie Wayne. He's over the 1,000-yard mark. That is all.

T.Y. Hilton. The explosive wide receiver had a big catch...and also nearly Triple Lindied his way into fumbling a punt return. Secure and advance, kid. Secure and advance.

Staying grounded. When the Colts could afford to run the ball, they ran it effectively. Unfortunately, they got down real quick-like and had to throw it almost every play.

An exercise in head scratching. Not sure about the Colts' time management at the end of the first half; seemed like a wasted opportunity to score some points. Also, with the game out of hand and the Colts unable to stop New England, the Colts punted on a fourth and four. I was shocked they didn't go for it.

Still some positives. It was miserable to watch--particularly in the second half--but the Colts showed a few things. They finally got off to a good start on the road, something they've failed to do. The offensive line opened up holes in the running game and protected Luck early. The offense also had several big-play opportunities.

Thanksgiving week ahoy!

Turkey, stuffing, family time, LESS WRITING!

Thanksgiving Day is almost upon us, and that means ultimate distractions of epic proportions (and portions).

I've picked up steam on III Crimsonstreak, writing 6,600 words this weekend. I even wrote 800 words on a Colts Sunday, which hardly ever, ever happens. The draft has now surpassed 30,000 words. Currently, Crimsonstreak is stuck in the year 1970 and hitting the superhero club scene with the second Crusading Comet. Yeah, there's a superhero club scene in the 70s. Who knew?

The second Crusading Comet is someone we don't know much about. While we never met the original Comet in the first book, we knew about him because of the appendices. The second Comet is barely mentioned...we know only that he existed because Warren III had to have a father. This storyline gives us a chance to get more insight into that fabled Kensington mindset.

Remember, they're all named Warren Kensington.

This book also includes some fun with our hero in the Old West, but the 1970 stuff is so much fun, I sense some rearranging in the future. Right now, though, it's time to power through the first draft...meaning that I'll continue to write based on my outline and not really think too much about making everything fit perfectly together while writing the story. So yeah, it's pretty much "clean up on aisle six NOW" right after completing the first draft.

I mean, III Crimsonstreak is getting even more ridiculous than either of the previous books. I have a walking castle filled with Nazi zombies and Teutonic Knights, an Old West plot involving an old mine and a cannon full of dynamite, and a fantastic reference to the Hamburglar.

In non-writing news, my wife and I watched Lincoln this weekend. This was a tremendous movie if you're into history/debate/political drama. Daniel Day-Lewis was phenomenal. You won't find big explosions or pulse-pounding, save-the-world action, but you will find a few light moments and moments of surprising intensity. Highly recommended.

Oh, and the Colts played the Patriots. It didn't end well.