I certainly didn’t expect this. No, not necessarily the Colts’ comeback win against the bedraggled Houston Texans, but Indianapolis’ 11-0 start. This on the heels of comeback wins against the New England Patriots (still chortling, by the way), the same Texans, and a grinding win over the Baltimore Ravens.
I didn’t expect this. But here we are. Like 2005, 2006, and 2007, the Colts have rattled off enough wins to prompt another round of annoying “should they rest the starters if and when they reach 14-0 blah blah blah,” with Bob Kravitz leading the charge of furrowing brows.
Well, who cares? They won’t go undefeated – I don’t even know if they should. I don’t think this team is as good as the 2005 squad that honked a playoff opener against the Steelers, nor the 2006 champions (with a healthy Bob Sanders), nor the 2007 squad who frittered away a midseason clash of the titans to New England.
But I could be wrong. And faced with remnants of a schedule that looked ominous before the season, well, the Colts might just be a very good team, rather than a squad who knows how to win regular season games only. Peyton Manning, Dallas Clark, and Reggie Wayne probably equate to 6 wins by themselves – but what’s the common thread among the Colts’ 11-0 start and perplexing 20-game winning streak?
It’s the defense.
It’s taken nearly nine years, but the Colts defense is now more than just a Cover-two monster, and it’s more than just a complement to Indy’s offensive arsenal. In the last three games, the defense has come up huge. Larger than life. Larger than we ever thought possible, especially without 2007 Defensive Player of the Year Sanders.
Consider: Today the Colts’ D faced a 20-7 halftime deficit, the talented Texans offense operating like a machine. The Colts nearly pitched a shutout; with standout linebacker Clint Sessions jumping a route for a game-icing TAINT. Indianapolis allowed only a garbage-time touchdown with 20 seconds left.
Last week the Colts entered Baltimore and slugged it out with the physical Ravens – stuffing Baltimore inside the 20 on four downs to preserve a lead, and Gary Brackett intercepting Joe Flacco on the game’s penultimate drive. During a game featuring crucial red-zone turnovers by Manning and the offense, the defense held serve.
And finally, two weeks ago, the Colts stared at a 31-14 deficit, a rattled Manning, and Randy Moss seemingly open at will with no Bob Sanders to spy on him. Besides the Colts’ re-commitment to the running game, Antoine Bethea picked off a pass, forced a fumble, and Robert Mathis came up huge on two Patriots’ drives. The crowd was back in it, and Bill Belichick melted down. Payback for 2007, indeed.
And here we are. The Colts 11-0, surviving a couple weeks, staring at defeat a couple of times, and not looking at all like they’ve peaked – their last complete, efficient game was Week 6 against the Titans. Incidentally, the Titans now pose a threat to the Colts win streak – with Vince Young at the helm, Indianapolis faces the one option which hurts it the most – a running quarterback. It’s the David Garrard/Byron Leftwich conundrum, reborn as VY and Collins.
Regardless, the Colts look down at the rest of the AFC, have all but clinched the AFC South, and threaten a Patriots consecutive games-won record. What else is going right (or wrong) with our heroes?
OFFENSE
More than any other team (except New England), the Colts tie up a core of players and fill in the rest around them. As expected, Manning, Clark, and Wayne lead the charge – with an offensive line improving, and a re-commitment to the running game of Joe Addai and Donald Brown beginning with the second half of New England. Today, they balanced running and passing nicely to keep Houston on its toes. And the Colts can’t win without running the ball – it remains the one constant that set the 2006 team apart.
As for the newcomers, Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie have both been finds for the offense – role players thriving. I said before the season the loss of hugely overrated Anthony Gonzalez was actually a blessing in disguise. It’s your guess whether I love the cedille on Garcon’s jersey or really love the cedille.
DEFENSE
Jim Caldwell – for his lack of expression – already has put a stamp on the defense, with the help of new coordinator Larry Coyer. First of all, the straight Cover-2 is gone. But the Colts have rebuilt the secondary on the fly – Sanders, Marlin Jackson, and Kelvin Hayden are all MIA. However, Bethea has labored in Sanders’ shadow as one of the best safeties in the league for the past few seasons, and continues his Pro Bowl play. The Colts also don’t lose a lot with Melvin Bullitt in coverage, and I type this as the biggest Sanders homer on earth.
Jerraud Powers, a rookie from Auburn, has been a find, a lockdown corner the Colts haven’t had in … shit, ever? Jacob Lacey has played well, and so has Tim Jennings, believe it or not, in spots.
However, Caldwell and Coyer also have dialed up the blitz more, and shuttled more linemen in and out to give Mathis and Freeney (and Raheem Brock) breathers. It’s worked, it’s helped the run defense, and it’s kept opposing offenses off balance. Used to be, time and again, the Patriots and Chargers could blow up the Colts by running or screening right at Mathis or Freeney. Not anymore.
The D-Line shenanigans also allow the Colts’ undersized linebackers to thrive; Gary Brackett and in particular Clint Sessions have had outstanding seasons so far. Brackett’s always been fair in coverage, and he’s improved against the run this season. Sessions is a beast – an opportunistic hitter who forces fumbles and picks his spots well. He’s the type of player pundits proclaimed Cato June; only in the flesh, not a mirage.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Um, for whatever reason, they’re no longer terrible. The Colts’ kicking tandem of Adam Vinatieri and Matt Stover is OK, and Pat McAfee is punting just fine. He’s also kicking the ball off into the end zone, which is fucking fantastic – short kickoffs doomed the Colts’ defenses in several years preceding. (Because Mike VanderJagt was a douchebag. How’s that for analysis.)
I realize I’ve doomed the Colts by spending more than 1000 words on them. They’re not going to go undefeated, I’m only talking myself into believing they’re actually a Super Bowl contender. We’ll see.
But there’s something to be said for efficiency. For a core that never quits, and a group that’s always seeking to improve. The Colts may very well be the Atlanta Braves of the NFL; a team that dominates the regular season and has only one title to call its own. No doubt Kravitz is dusting off his autotext version of that column as well. But there’s nothing wrong with sustained regular season success. It’s a privilege to watch.
That said, however, this team may be showing signs of more. We’ll see. And we’ll enjoy.
