Devil's Thoughts - Colts 13-0

1.) If that was Manning's worst game of the season, I'll take it.

The guy throws 4 TD's, 3 picks, and still manages 220 yards of offense....and we were up 21-0 before the 2nd Quarter was over.

2.) Peyton Manning is the best QB in the league...but...

His every down pass attempts at throwing when we were up 14 pts was atrocious. The running game while not hitting home runs, was still moving at about 3.5 yards per carry. On several of the punts in the late second and much of the third quarter, the Colts had been going Pass, Pass, Pass, Punt. It was only on the drives that the Colts actually utilized the run that we were moving the ball and scoring points. The man knows more about football than just about anyone, but even a blind man could see that he needed to run the ball a few times. The Broncos were clearly playing pass and the run game would have helped kill clock as well as push the chains forward.

3.) Don't be quick to fault Garcon for the incomplete passes.

It's easy to see a guy not make a catch and instantly fault him for it. However, I don't hear anyone applauding the stellar defense by McBath in this game on Garcon. The guy was literally in the right place to knock the ball out every time the ball hit Garcon's hands. On defense, that's the best thing you can do short of creating a turnover. Sure, you'd hope and love to have Garcon still make a circus catch. He's a 2nd year player in Year 1 of his playing career. The kid is playing at a great level. We've been spoiled ALOT by the fantastic highlight reel catches of Clark, Harrison, and Wayne. It's hard to remember that those catches did not always happen.

Also, Dallas Clark was also dropping several passes in this game, and most of them were hitting him in the hands while being more open than Garcon.

4.) We need to do this for the team.

It's time to place Gonzo and Vinny on IR for the year. Before you chew my head off, the harsh reality is that the roster spots are better served being used by players that can contribute and allow for banged up guys to get much needed rest. I would love to hear that Gonzo and Vinny are ready to go right now and are going to play this week, then reality kicks in. Gonzo is turning into Marvin of 2007. There is no point in even jeopardizing the kid's knee at this point. Same goes with Vinny, too. Stover has played fantastically this year as a fill-in.

I know Polian said we'd carry both, but I just don't see how that actually helps the Colts. The Colts are running thin at the DB spot and it would help this team to bring in a spare body or two. Ratliff played for us last year and he keyed alot of big wins for us on defense. He wouldn't need much in the way of being brought up to speed either. The Colts have 2 WR's on the PS that are capable of being bodies to fill roles, plus the Colts snagged a heckuva deal in Hank Baskett.

5.) It's amazing what Coyer has done in just 13 games as our defensive coordinator.

Used to be the Colts would never blitz, would always get gashed by screens, and could never stop the run. We'd have the best pass defense in the league, but couldn't stop a Power Wheels Barbie Car on the ground.

What a change to this season. Virtually identical personnel, albeit some injuries. Still, the Colts are the 2nd best scoring defense. They're able to stop the run at will. They are blitzing the QB and getting key stops and forcing turnovers. That sack by Brackett was a thing of beauty. The play of Clint Sessions, who many of us wrote off, is eye-popping. All of this has happened because of a slight change in approach. The Colts have blitzed more this year than I'd wager they have in all of Manning's career here.

If you look at the Colts Defense this year, you notice 3 defensive starters are gone for the year. You notice several unknown players, undrafted free agents off the street (7 FA players on defense alone). Yet, this defense is a team.

6.) Records are meant to be broken...

The Colts have won 22 straight games in the regular season. The Colts are the winningest team in the history of the NFL for a decade. Manning set an NFL record 12th year with 25TDs. Manning extended his own consecutive start streak to 189 games. Manning tied the NFL mark for most games with 4 TD's at 22 (Favre, Marino).

And yet once more, the Colts are knocking on the door to a possible unbeaten season. With the loss of Sorgi, I expect Manning will play more of these final 3 games than most people realize/expect. As long as Manning is in the game, we are going to be the favorite to win these last 3.

Thanks for reading....please comment :)