First off, it was Colts 34-3 when the Colts started to mail in the remaining ten minutes or so. If this game, and really this whole first quarter of the season, taught us anything about the Colts it is that the are looking like a juggernaut. They have the best offense in the NFL, and their defense, despite missing two of its stars, is getting better and better every week. Since this is the first one, I will make this kinda like a quarter-season review.
Offense
What Was Good:
- Peyton Manning. There is really no point of me stating this. That man is simply on a level that no one can match in the NFL. This is honestly, the best I have ever seen a QB play four games. The running game is not giving him tons of help (more on that in a minute), and he is still shredding teams. Honestly, I nearly tear-up watching that man play quarterback. He is throwing to Wayne and Clark sure, but also, after the loss of the Number 2 receiver, to a rookie fourth-rounder and a seventh-round pick out of Division Three. The man is sick, just sick. The pass blocking has been really, really good. They are giving him a pocket, and pushing the quick ends by, letting Manning step up, drive through and deliver strikes. The route combinations are not that difficult, but when Manning gets time, he is unstoppable.
- Pass Blocking: I covered it a little bit before, but it is a strength. The big issue of the preseason was when Caldwell benched top draft pick Tony Ugoh for Charlie Johnson. Johnson has been a really pleasant surprise. He has handled good ends, ridden them by, kept Manning clean and allowed this offense to gel. Health is a big factor. Having Saturday, Lilja and Diem healthy from day one, as they were not last year, has allowed the pass blocking of 2004-2007 to return. Also, Joe Addai may not be many things, but that man can pass block unlike any other back. He picks out the right man (with the exception of the Taylor sack in the Miami Game), and blocks him effectively.
- Young Wideouts: Every game, Garcon and Collie are getting better and better. Garcon, becuase of his penchant of making big plays, owning Domonique Rodgers-Cromartie and having a funny French name, gets more publicity, but Collie has been as impressive. People say he is in the Stokley mode, but Stokley made big plays. He reminds me of a young Dallas Clark, where every catch was in that 5-8 yard mode, he makes one man miss and picks up first downs. In this game, he made the huge TD, with a bueatiful Gonzalez-like route, but every catch was a first-down.
What Was Bad
- Run-Blocking: Notice I am leaving the running backs out of it. Brown and Addai has shown the ability to gain consistent yards when the line give them holds. This is about the pass blocking. Now, it has been better the last three weeks, but it is still a problem, and this problem goes to the right-side, even when they have the extra TE (Gijon, Tamme). Mike Pollak has to go. In the Arizona game, when they took Pollak out and put DeVan in they started to explode. This game they played rotating guard, and it showed again. What is noticable is that when Pollak was in, they kept the extra blocker TE on that side, and it still did not work. Running games are more changeable at guard, since the importance of the Tackle on the pass game outweighs the detriments in the run game, so I will leave the RT out of this. However, that right side of the line is lacking, and it is just that they cannot push ends and tackles off the line. They are athletic, but do not have the power that the left side does. It needs to improve, or this high I am on will not last.
Defense
What Was Good
- Pass Rush: Holy Damn, is it good. This has alot to do with the improvement of the tackles. I mean, Freeney and Mathis have been playing at this level for years, but it is at an all-time high (10 sacks in 4 games) becuase they cannot all just double team Freeney and Mathis like usual. The DT's need to be blocked effectively, so teams cannot just leave them and double the ends. Coyer has not been blitz-happy like I was afraid he would do in Denver, but each week his blitz calls (which still are much more frequent than in last year) become more and more effective. I can only count one time where Seattle got a huge gain (10 or more yards) when the Colts blitzed, and it came after we were up 28-3. Also, Mathis as perfected the strip sack, with two last week.
- Coverage: I'll note that this does not include Tim Jennings. This is more about Jerraud Powers and the unknown Lacey, and the continued ascent of Bullitt. Lacey is getting more play as Hayden heals and Jennings time is shortened (thank God). Lacey and Powers are perfect corners for this system. They are physical deep, and do not allow easy completions down the field (which also has to do with Bethea playing great FS), and tackle really well, which is a must in a Cover-2. Melvin Bullitt is the star here. This is why this team is not missing Bob Sanders yet. He is Bob Sanders against the run (maybe a little less), and Bethea against the Pass. He plays his medium zones really well, and has even begun to recognize deep zones and playing them better.
What Was Bad
- The Usual. 1 and 10, 2 and 7, 3 and 2, 1 and 10 repeat. That is the sequence we are all to accustumed to. It did not happen as much the past two weeks, as we shut down the run, but that sequence can happen a different way, through the pass. Short Passes kill this team, especially if the line can contain Freeney and Mathis for a little bit. The Run Defense has really improved, but not in the way that will help the sequece above. As in, they have become alot better against big runs, and are better in getting North/South penetration from the DTs. However, if teams run slants with Wham Blocking, and go a bit East/West there are openings. Nothing really can help this.
Everything Else
- Jim Caldwell is great. I have often compared him to George Seifert, who took over from Bill Walsh and went 98-30 in eight years with San Fran. Caldwell has added his stamp, like benching Tony Ugoh, making practice more physical, etc. However, he has kept the Dungy way of accountability and the "next-man-up" mentality.
- The Secial Teams coverage units have been exceptional. Pat McAfee was a great draft pick, as he is booming punts, and more importantly kicking tons and tons of touchbacks, which helps becuase the kick coverage units are not that great. This is an improvement from last year and I will take it. We still can't ever return a kick past the 25, but hell, I'll take half an improvement.
- Injuries. Why do the Colts and Patriots, who are probably the best run organizations of this decade (along with the Steelers), always have tons and tons of injured players? However, the Colts "next man up" mentality is been running to perfection. Hayden out, and rookies Powers and Lacey fill in admirably. Brackett out, Kieaho steps in admirably. This is getting ridculous. Sanders is out (what a surprise!!), and Bullitt is playing as well. Just imagine what will happen when this team gets Hayden and Brackett back. I would list Sanders, but at this point, who the hell cares? Whatever we get from Demond Sanders is gravy.
Overview
Great, great win last week. Essentially, with the starters in and caring, this team has won its past two games 65-13. They are clicking on nearly all cylinders, but there is room for improvement. Their running game, again which is more on the line than the backs, can get better. Their defense can get healthy. They can start putting drives away, as there have been some skittish drives ending in Field Goals. Either way, this is what great teams do, when they play mediocre teams, they go out and crush them. This game was much, much less closer than that score indicates.
