Joseph Addai looks healthy again. Photo: Colts.com

It took 11 weeks, but it looks like the Colts offense is finally healthy and on the same page. Indy stated before the game that their intention was to run the ball and balance the offense. They did just that.

Now, you will have to forgive me, but unlike shake n bake, I am not one who puts a lot of faith in statistics. Coming into the game, the Colts had the #32 ranked run offense in football. I, personally, do not think the backs and o-line for this team are the worst in football. So, I knew that ranking was misleading. When healthy, this offense can run on anyone.

Anyone.

So, it was nice to finally see the Colts say they were going to do something (like run the ball) and then actually do it. The team averaged 4.5 a rush and controlled the tempo of the game in the second half, where they scored 28 points. Like so many teams this year, the Colts have been held back because of injuries to their offense. Now healthy, they dropped nearly 500 yards of offense and 33 points in such a way that the team's efficiency is scary good. Indy was 10 of 15 on third down and did not turn the football over for the third straight game.

So, please excuse me when I say that statistics are nearly meaningless. Coming into the game, the Colts had shut down some of the best rushing offenses in football. They stoned the Steelers rushing attack last week in Pittsburgh. They shut down the Ravens. Yet, against the Texans they give up 9 yards a rush and 7.9 per offensive play. They also gave up some big plays in the game, something the Colts NEVER do.

Again, stats this season are more misleading than ever. Everyone, save the Giants and Titans, is playing an up and down, "box o' chocolates" style of football. You just don't know what you are going to get.

The Texans, fearing Dwight Freeney, bootlegged Sage Rosenfels all game long. Yet, Freeney still managed to bring Rosenfels down twice. Antonio "Mookie" Johnson continues to improve at NT, and Clint Session is rounding into a solid player. Thought Melvin Bullitt sealed the win with an INT (the second time in as many games, I might add) Bullitt did not play well most of the game. He did not play his run gaps well, which often resulted in big plays for the other team. It is beyond frustrating that Bob Sanders did not play. All this surgery and rest, and he still gets scratched. 

Dwight Freeney had two big sacks again the Texans.

Photo: Colts.com

Back to the offense, Joseph Addai is now finally healthy, and anyone who questioned him can kindly let the door hit them on the way out. Addai ran all over Houston, and also caught a TD pass to go with his rushing TD. Dominic Rhodes also got into the act, gaining 48 yards on only 10 carries. Addai had 22. This is the kind of rushing balance the Colts must stick with. Addai with 25 touches, Dom with 10-15. Tony Dungy needs to commit to this kind of balance moving forward.

The one thing that must get corrected right now are the drops. Dungy should seriously consider benching players who continue to drop easy passes. If Peyton Manning puts it in your hands, CATCH IT! If you don't, fetch my Gatorade. Marvin Harrison did have a good game (8 catches, 77 yards, 1 TD), but he did drop a pass or two AGAIN.

Just like the offense, the defense needs to get some guys back for good and get some consistency. Bob Sanders in and out of the lineup is killing us. We need him in and he needs to STAY in. If he can't, IR him. Yes, I'm serious. We need people who are reliable so this team can finally start playing consistent football. Having players in and out all the time kills consistency. Stoning the Steelers running game in Pittsburgh one week and letting the Texans run all over you the next is driving me crazy. They also need to get Daniel Muir back into the rotation so guys like Mookie, Keyunta Dawson, and Eric Foster don't wear down. And, seriously, if Ryan Lilja and Roy Hall cannot play this week, IR them Mr. Polian. They have yet to play football this season and it is late November. They are taking up roster spots and not helping this team.

Despite it all, this team has won three in a row and clawed its way back into things. The theme at ESPN in the post-game shows (especially from their resident comedian, Jeremy Green) is "Can the Colts win with their shaky defense?" This is, of course, hilarious because the defense has carried the Colts much of this season while the offense has limped along. They've won three in a row playing some extremely tough competition, and when healthy this defense has dominated some good opponents.

Oh, and I'm sorry, but can we please cut out the "Kurt Warner for MVP" crap. With all the garbage Peyton Manning has dealt with this season, from bursa sacs to injured o-linemen to receivers dropping balls, to list Kurt friggin Warner over him as an MVP candidate is a joke. The Cardinals play in a division where their opponents have a combined 5-23 record. Four of Arizona's six wins have come from these teams, and Kurt Warner has kindly padded his stats against these their wretched defenses. Yes, I know the Cardinals have no control over who they play, but the strength of the opponent should factor into MVP talk. The Cards have won three in a row after starting 4-3. Those three wins in a row are against their "stellar" division opponents.

Meanwhile, against the Patriots, Steelers, and Texans the last three weeks respectively, Peyton Manning has completed 63% of his passes for 814 yards, 7 TDs, and zero turnovers.

That, my friends, is how real MVPs play.

Kurt Warner? Please. Can you imagine how he would have played this season under the conditions Peyton has? He'd have set the QB fumble record by Week 4.

There is one thing you can take from this Colts team: They are the guttiest in football. They do not hang their hands. They do not slow down. They do not quit. Ever. Peyton said it best following the game:

"We're a no-huddle team and we won because we never took our foot off the gas."

Notice how he said they are a no-huddle team? Not offense. Team. This team is peddle to the floor, all holds barred, in your face, and about a billion other cliches. This is a high character, tough-minded group, and I'm damn proud to root for them.

Remember at about Week 5 when we thought all hope was lost? This is why you have to sometimes wait things out and see how they fall into place. Yes, Tennessee won today, but they might have knocked Jacksonville out of the playoff picture in the process. If silly things like tie breakers come into play, the Colts have beaten the Ravens, Pats, and Steelers already. They are also 5-2 in the conference.

Slowly, but surely, we are seeing the team we knew was there. Now, we just need it to show up and play consistent Colts football week in and week out. Give credit to the Texans. They are not happy over at Battle Red Blog, but their team is no pushover. The Colts needed their best offensive performance of the year to defeat them... barely.

Hopefully, players like Sanders, Hayden, Muir, and Lilja can contribute this week. For now, we enjoy our team's third win in a row. Go Colts!

This from Jake The Snake demands repeating:

Just in case you weren't sure, what you saw today was exceedingly rare.  The Colts became only the second team in NFL history to come back from a 17 point deficit or greater with 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter to go on to win the game.  The other team to pull off the feat?  The Indianapolis Colts, of course (Random fact: the second comeback came on the eve of the 5th anniversary of the first comeback).

Fives year to the day of one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history (between the Colts and the Buccaneers), the Colts engineer yet another improbable comeback, on the road.

Oh, and happy birthday, Coach Dungy. Sincerely, Sage Rosenfels.

Before we get into the particulars of the game, you all remember the 1995 Colts, right? The "Cardiac" Colts? They would usually start a game like garbage, play most of the game like garbage, but then (in the fourth quarter) Jimmy Harbaugh and his Colts mates would come to life and eek out an improbable win, usually with about 2 seconds left in the game.

These Colts, right now, remind me of that team.

You will recall that the defense that year started out like crap, giving up tons of points to Cincinnati, the Jets, and Miami. Yet, the Colts were able to scratch, claw, and fight their way to wins. This team is very similar. There is no quit in them. No give up. No surrender. None. They simply will not stop until the gun sounds, until time runs out and the men in zebra shirts tell them "gave over." We can dissect and dismantle any number of problems this team has.

Heart and guts are one of those problems.

The obvious key to the game was turnovers committed in the last 4 minutes by back-up QB Sage Rosenfels, who started in place of Matt Schaub because Schuab had a stomach virus. Again, rotten luck and crappy circumstance doom the Texans. Contrast this with the Jaguars, who really should be 0-5 if not for HORRIBLE officiating that has benefited them for three straight games. They should not have converted on the final drive against the Colts because of a bad call, and they should not have converted in OT against the Texans because of a bad call. Hell, last night, the Jags had numerous bad calls against the Steelers go their way. The only difference is they lost. Tennessee should have lost yesterday as well. The roughing the passer call on Kerry Collins during their game-winning TD drive was laughable. That ref should be FIRED. Not given some demerit points. Not suspended. Not taken off the list of potential refs to work playoffs games. F. I. R.E.D. My point is it is these kinds of plays (and calls) that are determining wins and loses.

It is a fine line between winning and losing, and the Texans are not your typical 0-4 team.

I have to say, this is the most maddening season I have ever experienced thus far. If it isn't terrible officiating it is Miami's wishbone T formation beating up AFC favorite San Diego. Consider that the teams everyone had contending in the AFC (New England, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, and San Diego) have a combined record of 9-9, with the win number inflated by NE's 3-1 start sans Tom Brady (and without Brady that team has zero chance to win a Super Bowl). Meanwhile, the supposedly "good" teams like Buffalo got destroyed by the friggin Cardinals. The Titans should be 4-1, and their defensive captain is fighting with his DBs during a game. Seattle looks atrocious. Dallas has no defense. And, the Packers have lost 3 straight games; the most recent loss at home to the Falcons. Yes, the Falcons.

Does this make any sense to you? I thought not.

With the way the first quarter of the season has started, I am the happiest fan of a 2-2 team I can be. 2-2 feels like 4-0 right now for me. This season is out of control. No one looks good, save the World Champs. They are the only complete team right now, and they are dominating people without their key players, like Plaxico Burress (who is a dumbass) or Osi Umenyiora (who is out for the year).

Back to the Colts, I hope you all can appreciate just how special yesterday's win was. From Advanced NFL State.com (via a shake n bake story):

The Colts win probability before the Rosenfels fumble was .03, 3%. 3 out a 100 times will a team win in that situation. Amazing.

Special players make special plays on special days. As easy as it is to lay the blame at Sage Rosenfels feet, the facts are that Marlin Jackson, Robert Mathis, Melvin Bullitt, Eric Foster, Reggie Wayne, and Peyton Manning all had to make special plays to create the turnovers and TDs late in the game to win. Wayne's catch is one of the greatest of his brilliant career. Manning's TD to Tom Santi on 4th and 7 was as gutty and ballsy as it gets. Mathis stripping Rosenfel's arm of the ball is why he is one of the most under-rated DEs in football. And all Gary Brackett does is make special plays. 

Yes, there are problems. Allowing 156 yards on 32 carries (4.9 average) is bad. Prior to Rosenfels' meltdown, he was carving up the Colts secondary. Peyton is having trouble hitting the deep ball. Marvin and Reggie were KILLING Houston's secondary all game, but Peyton couldn't get it there. On one play, he and Marvin got into a heated discussion, but the fault wasn't Marvin's. He was open all game, and Peyton isn't able to get the ball to him.

We can focus on all these negative things, but the bottom line is our team gutted out yet another cardiac win. That should tell you something about their character. In this season of uncertainty, this team is as resolute as it gets.

Go Colts!

via Washington Post

It's always fun to speculate which team has done the most to unseat the Colts overlords of the AFC South. The reason it's fun is because the Titans, Jaguars, and Texans often go to such lengths to strengthen their teams each and every year only to get smacked down again and again by the Indy machine. As a result of their efforts, the Colts have gotten better and the collective improvement has made the AFC South the best division in football. Yes, I know the Giants won the Super Bowl and Dallas was 13-3 in 2007. Dallas also hasn't won a playoff game in 15 years, and the other NFC East playoff team (Washington) would get smoked by anyone in the AFC South, including a Sage Rosenfels-led Texans team. So please, spare me the NFC East talk. Yes, it's a good division; a GREAT division. It isn't the South.

Even with the South being so strong in 2007, I personally think most of the AFC South teams got better this off-season, with the exception of the Titans (more on them later). Aside from the AFC South having some of the best teams in football, they also have the best team bloggers in football. I'll freely admit that I am the agitator in our blogger division. Rarely do you see Jimmy writing articles about how Bob Sanders can't stay healthy, or Tim typing stories about how Indy's special teams play sucks. However, you are sure to see me writing a post either insulting Vince Young or criticizing the stupid draft moves of Gary Kubiak. I wouldn't do this if I didn't feel that guys like Tim, Chris, and Jimmy would not immediately call me "idiot" are debunk my claims with intelligent points with just a pinch of homerism. This is why we do what we do.

This is team blogging.

In this case, I think the Texans and Jaguars have bettered themselves since last season, with the Titans noticeably getting worse in the talent department. However, despite the changes (good or bad), none of these teams have done enough to unseat the Colts, who themselves have made great moves to shore up their weaknesses.

The off-season fad is to say the Jaguars have finally done enough to unseat Indy. Even AOL has found a writer who thinks the additions of WR Jerry Porter, CB Drayton Florence, WR Troy Williamson, and draft day additions like DE Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves are enough to knock off a Colts team that has beaten the Jaguars 5 of the last 6 times. Indeed, even the football guru himself, John Clayton, thought the Jaguars had an impressive run in free agency.

Did getting Drayton Florence (#29) help push the Jags over the Colts?

Photo via www.nctimes.com

While the Jaguars are much improved, it is important to note that so are the Colts. New Era Scouting's Dave Gardner has an article up talking about how the Colts are, quietly (per usual), shaping into the best team in football talent-wise.

The Colts could have kept the same roster from last season and still made it to the playoffs. With all the skill positions in place on offense (they’ll be fine with or without Marvin Harrison), and an excellent back seven on defense, they were in place to win at least ten games. However, as they prepare for the first season in a new stadium, it should be ready to host more than just the eight regular season games.

Not long ago, I wrote about how the Jaguars do not have a single area of their team that is better than Indy's. Chris at Big Cat responded, disagreeing with my take and offering little rebuttal in terms of substance.

I'll grant Quarterback, I'll even concede the offensive line and Tight Ends.  But to say that the Colts have better Linebackers, Defensive Line, and Secondary than the Jaguars is an ignorant statement.  The Jaguars use their linebackers a little differently than the Colts do in the "Dungy 2", and really can't be compared directly.  The combination of Durrant, Ingram, Peterson, and Smith give the Jaguars three guys who can play every combination of linebacker spots, the speed to play sideline to sideline, and a nasty hard hitting attitude.  I'd take our bench linebacker over any of the Colts starters.  Remember, the biggest knock on the Jaguars pass rushers is that they're young.  None of our guys are coming off of a Lis Franc, like Mr. Freeney.

I'm happy Chris thinks so much of his new secondary, but when the Jaguars have a Defensive Player of the Year-type guy in their defensive backfield, they can say their secondary is better than Indy's. Maybe. Bob Sanders and Antoine Bethea are the best safety tandem in football. Sanders won the DPOY and Bethea went to the Pro Bowl (and unlike other Pro Bowl safeties, Bethea is pretty good). And the corners, Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden, started every single game last season.

The result? The Colts had the #2 pass defense in football, allowing an average of 5.9 yards per competition with 16 TDs and 22 INTs. QB had an average rating of 73 against Indy. This entire DB unit will be back in 2008, and with the added depth of second year man Dante Hughes. Until the Jags have a secondary that produces like this, saying they are better is nonsense. Utter nonsense.

And they can say whatever they want about their LBers, but the fact is the Colts LBers define speed and hard hitting. They also have tremendous depth. 2007 rookie Clint Session was amazing, and with all three starting LBers coming back this unit is better than Jacksonville's. We also have yet to see what Philip Wheeler will bring to the equation. Indy's linebackers do an excellent job dropping into zones and making plays, and are very active in stopping the run.

The DE argument is silly. Freeney is recovering extremely well from his foot surgery and Robert Mathis is better than both Harvey and Groves. The younger guys may one day develop into great rushers, but we're not talking about two or three years from now. We're talking 2008, and the Colts will get even better in that area if they sign Rosevelt Colvin. Indy also drafted Marcus Howard, who is faster than both Freeney and Mathis.

So, I see little change in the AFC South. The Colts are still the most talented team in the division with the best coaches and front office personnel. I recognize that AFC South teams like the Jags have made significant moves to get better, and better they are. But it isn't enough. The Colts did not just sit ideally by. I realize this is boring to media hacks who are desperate for a story line, but the bottom line is Indy is still great, and the other AFC South teams still have not caught up.