Bob Sanders after his fourth quarter INT against the Patriots last night Photo:Andy Lyons, Getty Images

Wins feel good unless, of course, there is something sinister beneath the surface that eats at you. I'll never complain about beating anyone, let alone the Patriots. The Colts have now beaten them 4 of the last 5 games. Remember when they used to own us? Remember the old days when just any old Patriots QB would start and beat the crap out of the Colts: Hugh Milen, Scott Zollak... Tom Brady. Well, those days are over, thankfully. Even without Tom Brady this year, the Patriots have an excellent rushing attack, solid defense, great special teams, and they do not beat themselves.

Until last night.

A Patriots team that all season did not commit stupid penalties did so last night. TE David Thomas shoved a player well after the whistle on a key fourth quarter drive. It turned a 3rd and 1 into a 3rd and 16. The Patriots failed to convert, and that was pretty much the ballgame. The Pats also missed on a sure TD when Jabbar Gafney pulled a Rache Caldwell and dropped an easy pass, placed right into his hands, in the third quarter. 

For a change, the Colts caught the breaks. The Pats didn't. Let's all do a happy dance.

But under the surface lies a deeper concern: After three weeks of good run defense, the Colts gave up 140 yards to 3rd and 4th string Patriots running backs. Laurence Maroney is done for the year. Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan were deactivated because of injury. The Patriots should have managed only 40 something total yards rushing minus those players. Instead, they ran wild. Prior to the game, Tony Dungy deactivated NT Daniel Muir.

Why was he deactivated? We don't know.

Muir was not hurt, but yet did not play. This makes absolutely no sense, and seeing as how a nobody RB like Jarvis-Green-Whoeverthehell ran for nearly 4 yards a carry on the Colts, deactivating your best NT makes about as much sense as asking Peyton Manning to throw left handed for the game, just for gits and shiggles.

Add to that the mind-numbingly bad play by the linebackers on 3rd down. I mean, OH MY GOD... it was awful. It did not matter if it was 3rd and 8 or 3rd and inches, the Pats converted. Draw plays, screens, Cassel running... garbage stuff that should be sniffed out and destroyed when teams run it against us. If I am calling the EXACT play the Pats are running from at home pre-snap, that means the players on the field should know what is coming too. How many times did the Pats run out of the shotgun. They gained, like, 6 yards a carry every time. WTF? TACKLE. THE. GUY.

I'm also sick of the "we need better gap control" crap. Somebody just hit someone. Just do something! I'm not going to kill Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis because Cassel's drops were 3 steps and the ball was gone. My beef is with Brackett (who was as bad last night as I've ever seen), Session (who is lost in coverage), and Hagler (who is still getting himself back into playing form). The linebackers last night were an embarrassment, and they better kiss Peyton Manning's size 15 feet all day Tuesday after their film sessions, because Peyton was the reason the Colts won this game.

Peyton is back

Photo: Andy Lyons, Getty Images

Yes, I think it is safe to say Peyton Manning is back. He was angry. He was determined. He was not going to let another team walk into his house and crap on his new carpet. Peyton dominated the Patriots defense; had them guessing all night. Despite a d-line that is known as one of the best, Peyton was hardly touched all night long (and unlike Matt Cassel, Peyton's drops were 5 to 7 steps). He picked apart the Patriots, and did so without a consistent running game (again).

Having Bob Sanders return was also a big boost. The secondary fed off his energy, and they played very well. Tim Jennings (the new whipping boy for fans) continued to play strong. Notice how I said continued? Jennings is a fine CB, and all the bitching and moaning about him is no different than the bitching and moaning against Charlie Johnson (who is an excellent o-lineman) or Rob Morris. Once Hughes and Hayden return, this secondary will be fine. The Giants won a Super Bowl last year with a much, much worse secondary. They are the least of my worries.

Oh, and another game, another clutch Adam Vinatieri FG. This time from 52 yards out. Money. Again, fans who say they have "lost their faith" in Adam are simply spoiled fans who do not appreciate greatness when it plays for their team. Without Vinatieri this season, the Colts would be 2-6 right now. Kickers like him do not grow on trees, folks. If you think this team would be just fine with a scrub like Jay Feely or Nate Kaeding kicking their FGs, you simply don't know what you are talking about and need to go sit in the corner. Adam's kick looked good from 60 yards. His kickoffs have been outstanding all season. Special teams play, in general, has very nearly rescued this club.

Adam Vinatieri is money, and anyone who disagrees is flat out wrong. It is literally that simple. I don't know how many more examples I need to show in order to prove that point.

So, while this recap might sound a bit angry despite a win, it is because I am tired of seeing the same. damn. thing. occur every 3rd and long. This team is too good to have mistake after mistake like those occur. The defense has to do its job and get the opponent's offense off the friggin field. The Colts have the #1 red zone offense this year in the entire NFL. Did you know that? Despite all the injuries, when the Colts get in the red zone, they score TDs! The problem is the offense does not get the ball enough because they defense is too busy dry-humping the opponent when they should be blasting them off the field.

At some point, and hopefully soon, the Colts need to man up and take charge of themselves. If this means benching a team captain like Gary Brackett to send a message, so be it. Something needs to happen. The passing game is on track and the special teams are finally good. The defense now needs to catch up, or they will get booed LOUDLY in their home stadium.

All that said, I'm happy for the win, even though I don't sound it. Hey, some of you like it when I get angry. A few of you have said I've been a little too Sally Sunshine of late. Well, you folks now have your wish. I'm mad, despite the win. That said, both the Colts and Patriots will make the playoffs this year. Right it down, and woe to the teams that play them. Despite my angry recap, both teams are as well coached as it gets, and while the pretenders are having their day in the sun now, the real high caliber NFL teams are finally getting healthy enough to flex a bit. When December and January come, the Colts and Patriots will be in the mix. If anyone is writing them off, they are a fool that will soon get their ass handed to them.

Thanks again to MaPatsFan and the folks at Pats Pulpit for continuing to stoke the best rivalry in all of sports. Our teams will meet in the playoffs this season. With this win and the Jags and Texans losing, the Colts have finally created some separation in the AFC South. Next week, it doesn't get any easier: The Steelers in Pittsburgh. The Colts, in their entire history, have never won in Pittsburgh. Never. It is never easy, but when you want to be great, it shouldn't be easy.

Go Colts!

cnn.com

As is customary, I do a game preview to run down the matchups and the things my Patriots need to do to win an upcoming game.  This time will be no different.  I know you're all used to #12 and #18 battling it out, but the wonkiness that is the 2008 season will not let that happen.  Instead, backup QB Matt Cassel will march into The Lube, fresh off a couple of good wins, and attempt to silence the Colts faithful.  My expectations for this season diminished a tad after Bernard Pollard ended Brady's season, starting RB Laurence Maroney and S Rodney Harrison were IR'd, RB Sammy Morris has been injured, and the O line as been a series of rotating 300 pounders.  But that's no excuse.  You take the cards you're dealt.  On to the heavy lifting.

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