Quick Recap: Colts 18-Patriots 15

by Brad Wells on Nov 2, 2008 11:14 PM EST in Game Recaps

A long, seemingly almost boring game that featured a lot of bad defense by the Colts on third down, but the Bob Sanders factor cannot be overlooked. He had a key INT in the fourth quarter that seemed to break New England. Say what you want about this New England teams minus Brady, but they are one tough, resilient bunch. We bash Belichick and call him "cheater," but the reality is he is one helluva coach. Games between Dungy and Belichick are chess matches, and it almost doesn't matter who plays QB, RB, or CB.These two are the best of the best at game management.

For us, the big key is the Colts got a W against a tough opponent. The team inches back to .500, and the passing offense seems to have found itself again. Peyton Manning was virtually flawless going 21-28 for 254 yards and 2 TDs.

The problem for the Colts is clearly 3rd down defense. Time and again, the Colts play outstanding on first and second down only to collapse on third. And deactivating Daniel Muir was a mistake that nearly cost Indy this win. New England ran for 140 friggin yards using third and fourth string RBs. If Dungy and the Colts coaching brass sat a healthy Muir because they thought NE was going to throw Matt Cassel to the Colts pass rush, they are blind stinking dumb. I don't think they did. I assume Muir is hurt, because if he wasn't then I have serious questions as to whether Tony Dungy knows what is going on with his team. Without quality depth at NT, teams run the ball on Indy. And sitting your best NT (Muir is better than Foster, no question) for no reason would be about as dumb as it gets.

But whatever, a win is a win and this win is huge. After two weeks of wretched football, it is finally good to get a win. There is still a lot of work to do, and the Colts have got to fix their third down D. They are becoming unwatchable, even when they win.

Go Colts!

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Win is a Win...

plus it was against the freaking Pats! WHOO!!! How big is that???

Go Colts!

by Marked Hoosier on Nov 2, 2008 11:23 PM EST reply actions

It is big

But this long drive shit is really pissing me off. GET. THE. OPPONENT. OFF. THE. FRIGGIN. FIELD.

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by Brad Wells on Nov 2, 2008 11:25 PM EST up reply actions

I need beer for the next game...

it so hurts watching teams pick up those 3rd and longs over and over sober. Or those 8 yard draw runs…

Go Colts!

by Marked Hoosier on Nov 2, 2008 11:25 PM EST reply actions

3rd and longs

Nail on the head. Can it be fixed?

by coltsfanawalt on Nov 2, 2008 11:28 PM EST reply actions

I'd Like to see

The 3rd and long stats on the colts D. It has to be the worst in the league

by danorocks17 on Nov 3, 2008 7:38 AM EST up reply actions

Nice win, guys

BenJarvus Green-Ellis (longest name in football?) had a good game, but we got murdered on Gaffney’s drop and Thomas’ stupid penalty.

Blogger at SBNation's New England Patriots blog, Pats Pulpit

by MaPatsFan on Nov 2, 2008 11:29 PM EST reply actions

Addai

He sure looked better than Rhodes tonight…

17 carries for 32 yards v a measely 4 carries for 15 yards (and 2 coaches for 10 yards vs 1 catch for 7 yards). How much more effective would the offense be if we could have run for a first down on 3rd and 3, or gotten something better than 2nd and 10, 9, or 8 behind Addai? Im sure some stat will come along shortly and tell me my eyes are wrong, that less than 2 yards a carry against the 20th ranked rush defense in the league is great. I look forward to being corrected. (And don’t give me the, durrr, he’s not healthy. If he’s not healthy, then why did he get 81% of the touches?)

by Nideak on Nov 2, 2008 11:32 PM EST reply actions

erm, im slightly dumb

2 coaches for 10 yards is obviously 2 catches for 10 yards. I was just shocked dumb by the awesome rushing performance I witnessed tonight.

by Nideak on Nov 2, 2008 11:32 PM EST up reply actions

4 carries isn't enough to compare to 17

but I think Dom should have gotten a bigger share of the workload. Addai is just back from an injury, why are you dumping the feature back role back on him when you have a solid #2 back. Addai is the better back, but no so much so that he’s should be getting 80% of the carries with his tendency to get banged up.

Shonn Greene for Heisman
140 yards per game
6.3 yards per carry
08 TDs per game > 06 GPA

by shake n bake on Nov 2, 2008 11:36 PM EST up reply actions

Yes, MaPatsFan

You probably would have won without those two things happening. The Colts have got some serious work to do defensively. The offense is showing signs of greatness again. They’re just not on the field very often.

by Ayrshire on Nov 2, 2008 11:33 PM EST reply actions

Well a win is a win

and ill take it anyway they come. However, as BBS pointed out, the third down D needs to get better. I think part of this has to do with our depleted secondary. We wont survive with Ratliff and Jennings all season.

by metal_militia on Nov 2, 2008 11:38 PM EST reply actions

Actually

I think both Jennings and Ratliff played very well. The problem is poor tackling up front, and teams overpowering our 260 pound NT.

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by Brad Wells on Nov 2, 2008 11:40 PM EST up reply actions

the LBs had another bad game

after being good last week. Hagler and Brackett were the ones I saw clearly to blame on individual plays.

Shonn Greene for Heisman
140 yards per game
6.3 yards per carry
08 TDs per game > 06 GPA

by shake n bake on Nov 2, 2008 11:45 PM EST up reply actions

who plays QB

I think it matters a great deal who plays QB though. I think if Brady was playing, it wouldn’t have been this close. Brady versus Sorgi would be sheer destruction. Brady would have probably also destroyed this Manning led Colts bunch. Let’s face it, the Patriots with Cassel are respectable, but they’re phenomenal with Brady playing. It really wasn’t a fair fight tonight, and we still almost lost. That’s cause for concern. But I do see some improvement in the offense. The defense needs to get it together. No pass rush and no ability to stop the run is not going to get this team past 500. If they can fix those two things…..anything is possible.

by Ayrshire on Nov 2, 2008 11:45 PM EST reply actions

agreed. If Brady was playing then damn, would have been sick. The only good thing though would have been the Colts offense would have been on the field more so while I think the Colts would have easily lost then, it would have been high scoring….maybe something like 35-24.

by loregnum on Nov 3, 2008 12:05 AM EST up reply actions

Moss

Way to blame the refs in the postgame press conference, Randy. What an ass.

by BSanders37 on Nov 2, 2008 11:54 PM EST reply actions

yeah cuz no fans ever blame officials for anything. I have no idea what Randy said and I think blaming officials for losses is stupid (unless blatant late calls that truly cost a team the game) but I read a lot of colts fans whining about blown calls the last 2 weeks saying they cost the team the games (not Indy’s shit play) so if Randy is an ass then by logic so are they.

Be happy to know that randy will be fined for whatever he said.

by loregnum on Nov 3, 2008 12:07 AM EST up reply actions

Plenty

Of Colts fans are asses. So are many Pats fans. But I would like to know if Randy is light sensitive or something, and that’s why he has to wear sunglasses to his press conference.

by BSanders37 on Nov 3, 2008 12:09 AM EST up reply actions

he didn't say a thing just for that, lol

He said something along the lines of, “I won’t comment on that because fines come out on Wednesday”

That’s not a direct quote.

by MarkFive05 on Nov 3, 2008 4:09 AM EST up reply actions

As much as I don't like Randy Moss

He was relatively fair and balanced in his comments. He did all but blame the refs but followed up with a comment about how you have to take the good calls with the bad calls… in any game.

by LovinBlue on Nov 3, 2008 1:54 PM EST up reply actions

good write-up but I think you give the bob int a bit more credit than it deserves. It was on 4th and 16 and had he knocked it down the Colts would have simply started 20 yards closer to scoring. Bob made the wrong move there but I can understand the reaction of catching the ball when thrown to you and not thinking about field position.

All in all, the INT made no difference to the game so it didn’t break New England.

by loregnum on Nov 3, 2008 12:03 AM EST reply actions

interception

I think he intercepted it out of instinct and quite possibly, knocking it down might have led the ball to bounce into the receivers hands……and a freak completion could result. There’s always that risk. I think catching it was the right thing to do, because it’s tough to guarantee where the ball will end up when you try to bat it down.

by Ayrshire on Nov 3, 2008 12:10 AM EST reply actions