In a rematch from last year's AFC Championship game, the Indianapolis Colts take on the New York Jets tonight in what is sure to be a very good game.
The Colts have the better offense, but they will be tested against this Jets defense that has been very good at times but has been a little weaker in recent weeks, so we will see what happens.
Here are the matchups that I will be keeping an eye on tonight:
Peyton Manning vs. Jets Pass Rush
The Jets have not really had a consistent pass rush all year and it has cost them some games, such as the game against the New England Patriots, where they got torched by Tom Brady. In fact, I would say that their ability to pass rush is the key to the game.
You know that Manning is going to burn you on blitzes almost every time, so you have to get to him and bring him down if you want to win, especially if Rex Ryan is going to be sending defensive-backs in on blitzes. Manning will find the open man if you don't sack him, so that is obviously something to watch in tonight's game
I'm going to give the edge to Peyton Manning though, because he has proven in the past that Rex Ryan defenses don't stop him, considering he has a 5-1 record against Ryan coached defenses, and the only loss came when he was lifted late in week 16 last year and Curtis Painter came in. So edge goes to Manning.
Jets Running Game vs. Colts Defensive Line
The Colts have done an outstanding job the last three weeks at stopping the run, and we aren't talking about just any running-backs. They have held Maurice Jones Drew, Darren McFadden, and Chris Johnson all under 50 yards in the games they played against each of them in the past three weeks.
That's a pretty good chip on the shoulder of the Colts defensive line, as they will try to stop the Jets running attack led by familiar foe LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene, who have combined for 1,680 yards this season, but have not been spectacular in recent weeks.
I'm going with the hot hand here, and I'm giving the edge to the Colts. They have played outstanding run defense recently and they seem to have found the right combination of guys to plug up the hole in the middle of the defensive line.
Mark Sanchez vs. Colts DB's
The Colts defensive-backs are going to have their hands full all night with the Mark Sanchez and his receivers. Antoine Bethea is going to have to have a big game to stop the Jets passing attack, because he is pretty much back their with a bunch of rookies and undrafted free agents like Justin Tryon and Aaron Francisco.
Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes are probably going to have a big night, but the Colts have to stand strong in the red zone and hold them to field goals. If Sanchez gets these guys the ball deep, I don't have much confidence in those fill in players the Colts have playing.
Edge easily goes to the Jets here, no question.
Overall it looks like it should turn out to be a good game to watch, with the possibility of a very high score. But Colts fans should not expect to see the same type of win as last year's AFC Championship game victory. I believe it's going to be really close tonight, but I'm saying the Colts prevail 31-28.
Kickoff is at 8:05 PM, and you can watch it on NBC.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Hey Rex Ryan, Stick a Foot In It!: Jets' Coach Has No Reason To Talk
When the Indianapolis Colts play the New York Jets on Saturday, in a rematch of last year's AFC Championship game, they will get yet another opportunity to shut up the loudest mouth in the entire league again.
It' no secret that the Jets head coach, Rex Ryan, likes to talk a lot, and most the time it's a lot of hot air in my opinion.
Last season, his bold press conferences and interviews took the NFL by surprise, and it was a nice change of pace from the normal old boring coach comments, cue Bill Belichick. But Ryan is a tired act now and needs to tone it down, especially since his team hasn't and is not close to accomplishing the goal he said they would achieve this season, and that's to win the Super Bowl.
He said they were going to win it all once they were in the playoffs last season, and the Colts put an end to that dream, beating the Jets 30-17, and Indy will have another chance to shut Rex up this weekend.
Speaking of the Colts, here's what rambling Rex had to say about them: "With Peyton Manning it’s like, ‘I want to beat him,’' Ryan said Monday. 'I don’t know when I’m going to beat him, but I want it to be Saturday. Is it personal? Yes. Is it personal against him, Reggie Wayne, all these guys; (Dwight) Freeney and (Robert) Mathis, and all those other dudes? Absolutely.'
Speaking about Peyton Manning and the AFC Championship game last year: "You lose a playoff game, it's devastating," he continued. "I want to put the shoe on the other foot. I know this team does too. We want him to experience it this time."
Yeah, well that's all fine and good Rex, but Peyton Manning is 5-1 against teams that you coached the defense for, so he obviously has your number and until you beat him in the playoffs, you have no room to talk about him, or anybody else for that matter.
So I will be rooting for the Colts on Saturday, not just because I'm a fan, but also because I simply don't respect the way Ryan handles himself off the field and it would be funny to watch him fall through on his Super Bowl guarantee he made in the preseason.
As for the Colts, who enter their record tying ninth straight postseason, they go about their business with complete professionalism and speak with their actions on the field, and that is generally what every other team in the NFL does too. So why can't the Jets?
Well, you can ask Rex Ryan that, but until his team wins a Super Bowl like he says they will, Rex needs to stick a foot in it and just shut up.
It' no secret that the Jets head coach, Rex Ryan, likes to talk a lot, and most the time it's a lot of hot air in my opinion.
Last season, his bold press conferences and interviews took the NFL by surprise, and it was a nice change of pace from the normal old boring coach comments, cue Bill Belichick. But Ryan is a tired act now and needs to tone it down, especially since his team hasn't and is not close to accomplishing the goal he said they would achieve this season, and that's to win the Super Bowl.
He said they were going to win it all once they were in the playoffs last season, and the Colts put an end to that dream, beating the Jets 30-17, and Indy will have another chance to shut Rex up this weekend.
Speaking of the Colts, here's what rambling Rex had to say about them: "With Peyton Manning it’s like, ‘I want to beat him,’' Ryan said Monday. 'I don’t know when I’m going to beat him, but I want it to be Saturday. Is it personal? Yes. Is it personal against him, Reggie Wayne, all these guys; (Dwight) Freeney and (Robert) Mathis, and all those other dudes? Absolutely.'
Speaking about Peyton Manning and the AFC Championship game last year: "You lose a playoff game, it's devastating," he continued. "I want to put the shoe on the other foot. I know this team does too. We want him to experience it this time."
Yeah, well that's all fine and good Rex, but Peyton Manning is 5-1 against teams that you coached the defense for, so he obviously has your number and until you beat him in the playoffs, you have no room to talk about him, or anybody else for that matter.
So I will be rooting for the Colts on Saturday, not just because I'm a fan, but also because I simply don't respect the way Ryan handles himself off the field and it would be funny to watch him fall through on his Super Bowl guarantee he made in the preseason.
As for the Colts, who enter their record tying ninth straight postseason, they go about their business with complete professionalism and speak with their actions on the field, and that is generally what every other team in the NFL does too. So why can't the Jets?
Well, you can ask Rex Ryan that, but until his team wins a Super Bowl like he says they will, Rex needs to stick a foot in it and just shut up.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Colts Are 2010 AFC South Champions!
The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, and in doing so have become the AFC South Champions for the second straight year and for the seventh time in eight years.
Dominic Rhodes fumbled the ball away with a little under two minutes remaining, but Titans QB Kerry Collins did the same with a minute and a half left to go in the game.
After a series of first downs, Adam Vinatieri booted a 43-yard field goal as time expired to give the Colts the 23-20 victory.
The Colts did not need to win the game to capture the AFC South crown, as Jacksonville had already lost to Houston, but none of the Colts players or coaches were allowed to know that score. So they played to the end.
The Colts have now reached the playoffs for the ninth straight year, tying the Tom Landry's Cowboys for most consecutive years in the postseason.
Congatulations to the Indianapolis Colts on their division title and record tying day.
Dominic Rhodes fumbled the ball away with a little under two minutes remaining, but Titans QB Kerry Collins did the same with a minute and a half left to go in the game.
After a series of first downs, Adam Vinatieri booted a 43-yard field goal as time expired to give the Colts the 23-20 victory.
The Colts did not need to win the game to capture the AFC South crown, as Jacksonville had already lost to Houston, but none of the Colts players or coaches were allowed to know that score. So they played to the end.
The Colts have now reached the playoffs for the ninth straight year, tying the Tom Landry's Cowboys for most consecutive years in the postseason.
Congatulations to the Indianapolis Colts on their division title and record tying day.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Indianapolis Colts Vs. Tennessee Titans: Everything You Need To Know
The Indianapolis Colts take the field on Sunday with an opportunity to clinch the division and possibly improve their playoff seeding.
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans come into Lucas Oil Stadium with relatively nothing to play for other than to try and hurt the Colts, but don't let Herm Edwards hear you say it doesn't matter.
But in all reality, the Titans look like a demoralized team that has quit on their coach, and that is truly a shame because Jeff Fisher is a well respected coach around the league, not to mention the longest tenured coach in the NFL as well.
NBC's Sunday Night Football analyst Rodney Harrison went as for as to say this "Tennessee quit last week, and their going to quit again this week."
Their season has been a disaster, from the Vince Young drama to their offensive coordinater, Mike Heimerdinger, being diagnosed with cancer. Nothing has really gone their way, and I think that the entire organization is happy that 2010 is now over.
Indianapolis Colts and Playoffs
As for the Colts, they are hoping to clinch the division crown and reach the playoffs for the ninth consecutive year, a stretch that would draw them even with the Cowboy's NFL record nine year playoff run in the late 80's and early 90's.
The Colts can clinch the division with a win or a Jacksonville loss to the Texans on Sunday. And if they do win, then Colts fans should be rooting like crazy for the Oakland Raiders to beat the Kansas City Chiefs, which would give the Colts the number three seed in the AFC playoffs.
Why is that significant? Well, if the Colts are the three seed, and win in the first round of the payoffs, they would have to either play at Pittsburgh or Baltimore, while the fourth or fifth seed would have to play at New England. Which would you prefer?
But that is all to far ahead, the Colts should be focused on winning this week and then worry about who they play next, and I think that has been their exact mindset for the past three weeks, just keep winning.
Records and Milestones
Sunday's game also could be a milestone game for several Colts' players.
When Peyton Manning takes his first snap, he will surpass Gene Upshaw's record of 207 consecutive games played to start a career. He is also three touchdowns shy of 400 for his career, and on a lesser note, he is two interceptions shy of 200 for his career. And if he were to throw for 122 yards, he would set a new career high for most passing yards in a single season.
Reggie Wayne will be looking to catch his 69th career touchdown, which would put him above Colts hall of famer Raymond Berry on the all time touchdown receptions list. Reggie could also set a single season high for most receptions, should he make three catches on the day.
Injury Report
The Colts should see LB Clint Session return after practicing all week, this would be his first game action since week eight against Houston. However, the Colts will likely be without CB Kelvin Hayden for the fifth straight week, as he recovers form a neck injury.
Don't expect to see Dan Muir play, but Eric Foster, Charlie Johnson and Mike Hart should be available.
The Titans have no significant injuries and all players listed on their injury report are probable.
It is important to note that the Jacksonville Jaguars (the only other team that could win the division) will be without starting QB David Garrard and RB Maurice Jones Drew, so they will be at an extreme disadvantage in a must win for them against the Texans.
Prediction
The only way the Titans win is if Kerry Collins leads them to victory, especially the way the Colts defense has been stopping the run game recently. And I don't believe Collins has the capability to lead a pass-heavy offense any more, I'm saying the Colts win 28-17 and clinch the AFC South Division.
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans come into Lucas Oil Stadium with relatively nothing to play for other than to try and hurt the Colts, but don't let Herm Edwards hear you say it doesn't matter.
But in all reality, the Titans look like a demoralized team that has quit on their coach, and that is truly a shame because Jeff Fisher is a well respected coach around the league, not to mention the longest tenured coach in the NFL as well.
NBC's Sunday Night Football analyst Rodney Harrison went as for as to say this "Tennessee quit last week, and their going to quit again this week."
Their season has been a disaster, from the Vince Young drama to their offensive coordinater, Mike Heimerdinger, being diagnosed with cancer. Nothing has really gone their way, and I think that the entire organization is happy that 2010 is now over.
Indianapolis Colts and Playoffs
As for the Colts, they are hoping to clinch the division crown and reach the playoffs for the ninth consecutive year, a stretch that would draw them even with the Cowboy's NFL record nine year playoff run in the late 80's and early 90's.
The Colts can clinch the division with a win or a Jacksonville loss to the Texans on Sunday. And if they do win, then Colts fans should be rooting like crazy for the Oakland Raiders to beat the Kansas City Chiefs, which would give the Colts the number three seed in the AFC playoffs.
Why is that significant? Well, if the Colts are the three seed, and win in the first round of the payoffs, they would have to either play at Pittsburgh or Baltimore, while the fourth or fifth seed would have to play at New England. Which would you prefer?
But that is all to far ahead, the Colts should be focused on winning this week and then worry about who they play next, and I think that has been their exact mindset for the past three weeks, just keep winning.
Records and Milestones
Sunday's game also could be a milestone game for several Colts' players.
When Peyton Manning takes his first snap, he will surpass Gene Upshaw's record of 207 consecutive games played to start a career. He is also three touchdowns shy of 400 for his career, and on a lesser note, he is two interceptions shy of 200 for his career. And if he were to throw for 122 yards, he would set a new career high for most passing yards in a single season.
Reggie Wayne will be looking to catch his 69th career touchdown, which would put him above Colts hall of famer Raymond Berry on the all time touchdown receptions list. Reggie could also set a single season high for most receptions, should he make three catches on the day.
Injury Report
The Colts should see LB Clint Session return after practicing all week, this would be his first game action since week eight against Houston. However, the Colts will likely be without CB Kelvin Hayden for the fifth straight week, as he recovers form a neck injury.
Don't expect to see Dan Muir play, but Eric Foster, Charlie Johnson and Mike Hart should be available.
The Titans have no significant injuries and all players listed on their injury report are probable.
It is important to note that the Jacksonville Jaguars (the only other team that could win the division) will be without starting QB David Garrard and RB Maurice Jones Drew, so they will be at an extreme disadvantage in a must win for them against the Texans.
Prediction
The only way the Titans win is if Kerry Collins leads them to victory, especially the way the Colts defense has been stopping the run game recently. And I don't believe Collins has the capability to lead a pass-heavy offense any more, I'm saying the Colts win 28-17 and clinch the AFC South Division.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Indianapolis Colts Wednesday Injury Report: Updates On Hayden, Session, Others
Wednesday injury reports don't always have the biggest meaning in the overall gameday picture, but they do give us an update on how some of the players are progressing, so here's the Colts Wednesday injury report.
Full Participation: Mike Hart and Clint Session.
Limited Participation: Eric Foster.
Did Bot Practice: Al Afalava, Dwight Freeney, Kelvin Hayden, Charlie Johnson, and Dan Muir.
First and foremost, this probably one of the smallest injury reports for the Colts that I have seen all season, so that is certainly a welcomed sight.
As for the players in the report, lets start with the good news.
Clint Session practiced in a limited role all of last week and even went as far as to say that he expected to play on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.
Well, he did not play last week, but seeing him fully participating is good news for Colts fans, and I fully expect him to play this Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, as the surging Colts defense looks to shut down another premiere running back for the third straight week.
Mike Hart might be back at full strength, but even if he is, I don't believe he will much of an impact in a suddenly crowded Colts backfied, with Joseph Addai, Dominic Rhodes, and Donald Brown all being c above Hart in the pecking order right now.
Now to the bad news, and that is starting CB Kelvin Hayden still not practicing. He has not practiced in three weeks and has missed the Colts last four games with a neck injury. The Colts need to get him healthy, and this could simply be another week of rest for him, to insure that he is ready to go in the playoffs, provided the Colts make the playoffs. But if this injury is still serious;y hampering his playing ability, then the Colts could be very weak if they run into a pass-heavy offense.
Two others that I would like to point are Dan Muir and Eric Foster, who are both quietly having good seasons, but are both hurt now and could leave a gaping hole in the middle of the Colts defensive line, which would put a lot of pressure on second year-player Fili Moala to fill the gap between the bookends Freeney and Mathis.
Speaking of Dwight Freeney, no worries, he is just getting his customary day off.
The Colts take on the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium this Sunday with a chance to win the AFC South. Kickoff is at 4:05 PM.
Full Participation: Mike Hart and Clint Session.
Limited Participation: Eric Foster.
Did Bot Practice: Al Afalava, Dwight Freeney, Kelvin Hayden, Charlie Johnson, and Dan Muir.
First and foremost, this probably one of the smallest injury reports for the Colts that I have seen all season, so that is certainly a welcomed sight.
As for the players in the report, lets start with the good news.
Clint Session practiced in a limited role all of last week and even went as far as to say that he expected to play on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.
Well, he did not play last week, but seeing him fully participating is good news for Colts fans, and I fully expect him to play this Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, as the surging Colts defense looks to shut down another premiere running back for the third straight week.
Mike Hart might be back at full strength, but even if he is, I don't believe he will much of an impact in a suddenly crowded Colts backfied, with Joseph Addai, Dominic Rhodes, and Donald Brown all being c above Hart in the pecking order right now.
Now to the bad news, and that is starting CB Kelvin Hayden still not practicing. He has not practiced in three weeks and has missed the Colts last four games with a neck injury. The Colts need to get him healthy, and this could simply be another week of rest for him, to insure that he is ready to go in the playoffs, provided the Colts make the playoffs. But if this injury is still serious;y hampering his playing ability, then the Colts could be very weak if they run into a pass-heavy offense.
Two others that I would like to point are Dan Muir and Eric Foster, who are both quietly having good seasons, but are both hurt now and could leave a gaping hole in the middle of the Colts defensive line, which would put a lot of pressure on second year-player Fili Moala to fill the gap between the bookends Freeney and Mathis.
Speaking of Dwight Freeney, no worries, he is just getting his customary day off.
The Colts take on the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium this Sunday with a chance to win the AFC South. Kickoff is at 4:05 PM.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Hawaii Four-O: Indianapolis Colts Have Four Pro-Bowl Bound Players
The NFL announced the 2011 Pro Bowl players today, and the Colts have four players that are headed to Hawaii for their performance this year. The four would be QB Peyton Manning, WR Reggie Wayne, DE Dwight Freeney, and DE Robert Mathis.
For Peyton Manning this will be the 11th time he has been named to the team, which ties him with DE Gino Marchetti for most Pro Bowl nominations in Colts franchise history. This also marks Peyton's ninth consecutive Pro Bowl nomination.
Manning has thrown for 31 touchdowns and 4,436 yards this year, connecting on 423 of 638 passes. Overall it has been a tough year for him, but after losing All-Pro TE Dallas Clark, WR Austin Collie, and being without starting RB Joseph Addai for seven weeks, he has still turned in a tremendous performance that just might lead the Colts to the Playoffs, and possibly to even greater heights beyond that.
He will be behind starting QB Tom Brady and then Phillip Rivers this year, one of the few times that you could say Peyton Manning is a third string QB.
Manning's favorite target since Marvin Harrison left will also be accompanying him to the Pro Bowl. Reggie Wayne was named to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl and he will be a starter along with his former University of Miami teammate, Andre Johnson.
Wayne has reeled in 102 receptions this year for 1,287 yards, including five touchdown receptions. The stat that impresses me the most is his 68 first down receptions this year, which is second most in the NFL. He also ranks second in receptions and third in receiving yards in the NFL this season.
The best defensive end tandem in the game today and maybe ever, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, will also be heading to the Hawaii for yet another season of outstanding pass rushing.
Freeney has recorded nine sacks this year and 17 quarterback hurries, along with a team high five forced fumbles in 2010. Freeney has continued to wreak havoc on opponents offensive linemen and QB's this year, and since entering the NFL in 2002, his 93 sacks and 41 forced fumbles lead the league.
Freeney's partner in crime is nearly as good as him, and Robert Mathis will be starting on the other side of the defensive line for the AFC just as the two bookend defensive ends have all year. This will be the third consecutive nomination for Mathis, who leads the team with 11 sacks this year, and if he were to get just one more sack this week against Tennessee he would have a new single-season career high.
Combined, Freeney and Mathis have registered an amazing total of 167 sacks during their careers, which to me makes them the best DE duo in league history.
The Pro Bowl will be played a week before the Super Bowl again this year on January 30th, but it is back in Hawaii after last year's was played in Miami
For Peyton Manning this will be the 11th time he has been named to the team, which ties him with DE Gino Marchetti for most Pro Bowl nominations in Colts franchise history. This also marks Peyton's ninth consecutive Pro Bowl nomination.
Manning has thrown for 31 touchdowns and 4,436 yards this year, connecting on 423 of 638 passes. Overall it has been a tough year for him, but after losing All-Pro TE Dallas Clark, WR Austin Collie, and being without starting RB Joseph Addai for seven weeks, he has still turned in a tremendous performance that just might lead the Colts to the Playoffs, and possibly to even greater heights beyond that.
He will be behind starting QB Tom Brady and then Phillip Rivers this year, one of the few times that you could say Peyton Manning is a third string QB.
Manning's favorite target since Marvin Harrison left will also be accompanying him to the Pro Bowl. Reggie Wayne was named to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl and he will be a starter along with his former University of Miami teammate, Andre Johnson.
Wayne has reeled in 102 receptions this year for 1,287 yards, including five touchdown receptions. The stat that impresses me the most is his 68 first down receptions this year, which is second most in the NFL. He also ranks second in receptions and third in receiving yards in the NFL this season.
The best defensive end tandem in the game today and maybe ever, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, will also be heading to the Hawaii for yet another season of outstanding pass rushing.
Freeney has recorded nine sacks this year and 17 quarterback hurries, along with a team high five forced fumbles in 2010. Freeney has continued to wreak havoc on opponents offensive linemen and QB's this year, and since entering the NFL in 2002, his 93 sacks and 41 forced fumbles lead the league.
Freeney's partner in crime is nearly as good as him, and Robert Mathis will be starting on the other side of the defensive line for the AFC just as the two bookend defensive ends have all year. This will be the third consecutive nomination for Mathis, who leads the team with 11 sacks this year, and if he were to get just one more sack this week against Tennessee he would have a new single-season career high.
Combined, Freeney and Mathis have registered an amazing total of 167 sacks during their careers, which to me makes them the best DE duo in league history.
The Pro Bowl will be played a week before the Super Bowl again this year on January 30th, but it is back in Hawaii after last year's was played in Miami
Monday, December 27, 2010
All Rhodes Lead To The Playoffs: Running Game and Defense The Key To Success
The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Oakland Raiders yesterday 31-26, but the score doesn't tell the whole story of the game, at least not the story you would expect to hear if you just saw that score.
A person who didn't watch the game would probably assume that Peyton Manning passed for about 300 yards with a couple touchdowns, and the Colts defense came together and stopped Oakland on their final drive to hold for the win.
Well, Manning did throw three TD's, but that's about it. He actually had a sub par day, as far as Manning standards go. He threw two interceptions, and only passed for 179 yards, completing 16 of 30 passes. Certainly not the typical day at the office for him, but it was good enough to get the job done.
That would mean the Colts running game had to ave had a big day, and they really did. They rushed for a 2010 team-high 198 yards against the Raiders. Joseph Addai did return this week but his 45 yards were second to Dominic Rhodes' 98 yards. Donald Brown chipped in with 28 yards, but the longest run of the day was for 25 and belonged to, that's right, get ready for it, Peyton Manning!
The Colts have finally found a running attack and it is helping out greatly, and this gives them back to back 150+ rushing yard games for the first time all year. As mentioned before Dominic Rhodes was the star, and if he can continue to grind out performances like this, we could be looking at a deep playoff run if the Colts win next week.
I'm sure most of you Colts fans out there remember the 2006-2007 Super Bowl winning team, and the playoff games leading up to that victory. The running game was a big part of those games and the two running backs were none other than Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes.
But I'm not going to get too carried away, because the Colts still are not in the playoffs yet, needing a win against the Titans or a Jaguars loss on Sunday to get in.
Back to the game though, and let's talk about the defense. One would assume that the defense had a bad day when they see 28 points on the board, but really the defense had a good day.
You have to take into consideration that the Raiders ran the opening kickoff back for a TD, and got three points off of Manning's two interceptions.
So the Colts defense did well on Sunday, and what impressed me the most was the fact that they held Darren McFadden to only 45 yards. This makes it two weeks in a row that they have held a dominant running back to under 50 yards in a game, including Maurice Jones Drew a week ago.
The Raiders actually only scored one offensive TD on the day, relying heavily on Sebastian Janikowski, who kicked four out of five field goals, including a booming 59-yarder from mid-field. And while we are on the kicking game, Adam Vinatieri did have a field goal yesterday, making him an impressive 23 for 25 this year.
So overall the defense played well, and the win was a great team effort, which is certainly good to see because that's what it will take for this team to go the distance and win it all.
The Colts conclude their regular season schedule next week at home against the Tennessee Titans, where if the win they are AFC South Division champs once again, they can also lose the game if the Jaguars lose at Houston and still win the division.
A person who didn't watch the game would probably assume that Peyton Manning passed for about 300 yards with a couple touchdowns, and the Colts defense came together and stopped Oakland on their final drive to hold for the win.
Well, Manning did throw three TD's, but that's about it. He actually had a sub par day, as far as Manning standards go. He threw two interceptions, and only passed for 179 yards, completing 16 of 30 passes. Certainly not the typical day at the office for him, but it was good enough to get the job done.
That would mean the Colts running game had to ave had a big day, and they really did. They rushed for a 2010 team-high 198 yards against the Raiders. Joseph Addai did return this week but his 45 yards were second to Dominic Rhodes' 98 yards. Donald Brown chipped in with 28 yards, but the longest run of the day was for 25 and belonged to, that's right, get ready for it, Peyton Manning!
The Colts have finally found a running attack and it is helping out greatly, and this gives them back to back 150+ rushing yard games for the first time all year. As mentioned before Dominic Rhodes was the star, and if he can continue to grind out performances like this, we could be looking at a deep playoff run if the Colts win next week.
I'm sure most of you Colts fans out there remember the 2006-2007 Super Bowl winning team, and the playoff games leading up to that victory. The running game was a big part of those games and the two running backs were none other than Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes.
But I'm not going to get too carried away, because the Colts still are not in the playoffs yet, needing a win against the Titans or a Jaguars loss on Sunday to get in.
Back to the game though, and let's talk about the defense. One would assume that the defense had a bad day when they see 28 points on the board, but really the defense had a good day.
You have to take into consideration that the Raiders ran the opening kickoff back for a TD, and got three points off of Manning's two interceptions.
So the Colts defense did well on Sunday, and what impressed me the most was the fact that they held Darren McFadden to only 45 yards. This makes it two weeks in a row that they have held a dominant running back to under 50 yards in a game, including Maurice Jones Drew a week ago.
The Raiders actually only scored one offensive TD on the day, relying heavily on Sebastian Janikowski, who kicked four out of five field goals, including a booming 59-yarder from mid-field. And while we are on the kicking game, Adam Vinatieri did have a field goal yesterday, making him an impressive 23 for 25 this year.
So overall the defense played well, and the win was a great team effort, which is certainly good to see because that's what it will take for this team to go the distance and win it all.
The Colts conclude their regular season schedule next week at home against the Tennessee Titans, where if the win they are AFC South Division champs once again, they can also lose the game if the Jaguars lose at Houston and still win the division.
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