Congrats to the Saints. They deserve full marks for the win as the better team. The bolder team.
The Colts? Timid.
The Colts looked timid all game. Didn't take shots down the field, didn't challenge or gamble with deep throws into coverage or unconventional playcalls. Even with the clock ticking down the final minutes in a two-touchdown game, Peyton Manning was taking quick check-downs and running dive plays.
Even at the end of he first half, where the Colts and Manning had gouged their opponents in earlier rounds, the Colts seemed satisfied with a dormant drive and limping to halftime - the Saints called timeouts to take the ball and momentum they would never surrender.
On defense, Freeney was a non-factor in the second half but the Colts seemed unwilling to break from their base defense that relies on him so heavily. Special teams were nothing special.
And this blogger is willing to point the finger at coach Jim Caldwell.
At 14-0 and with an undefeated season in the works, Caldwell pulled the plug on his own team by pulling his multi-million dollar offense off the field in the 3rd quarter of a close game at home. This timidness characterized the Colts for the remainder of the season - it may have been advantagous against a Jets team that the Colts outclassed in pure talent and did not need to take the game from - but the Saints exposed the Colt's reluctance on the biggest stage in the sport.
Commenter shout-out: Franks called out this cowardice long before this blog recognized it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
If it were another team that had pulled the tactic, I would have been less offended. But for a team like the Colts (or Pats for that matter) who have basically accomplished everything there is to accomplish over the past 10 years, why not take the run at being completely and utterly special by attempting to go 19-0? Heck, even if they would have won the Superbowl yesterday, they still finish as the "2nd best team of the decade". They already had the title locked up, so why not go for more?!?
ReplyDeleteI will add one more thing, as it does promote my decade-long agenda...
ReplyDeleteThis is from Coldhardfootballfacts.com:
For the last 10 years, the Colts DEFENSE has often been criticized for being the reason Peyton doesn't have more titles. However, in 18 playoff games, Manning is 9-9. In those 9 LOSSES, he's put up an average of 14 ppg. Pretty darn tough to blame the defense in those losses, wouldn't you say?
The guy is a marvelous QB (and appears to be a heck of a good guy, along with surprisingly funny to boot!). He's surrounded with every weapon a QB could ask for (to the detriment of that same defense), and will likely retire with nearly every record imaginable for a QB. But at some point, his playoff record has to be taken into account when compared among the greats of all time. We're still talking about a guy who's only won 50% of the "do or die" games he's ever played in...
I don't know if I buy the "everything else accomplished" argument if in the same breath you (and many others) are questioning Peyton as a winner, the Colts are nowhere near the dynasty the Pats had/have going.
ReplyDelete