Broncos Vs. Colts: The Game Plan

Good ideas.

I would also iso Barrett on Dallas Clark, move doom all over the line, and blitz off the corner. Additionally, I would stay in Nickel most of the game to prepare for the no-huddle, which is coming.

So we figure they scored 20 less points in 4 games against Jacksonville, SanFrancisco, Houston and Baltimore. Solid but not great defenses except possibly Baltimore. Alright, what did these defenses do to keep the Colts offense out of the endzone? Man coverage? Zone coverage? Heavy blitzes?

In the Jacksonville game Manning threw for 301 yds, while Reggie Wayne received 162 yds. A good day for both, yet the Colts only scored 14 pts. Why? With a 1:59 left in the game Jacksonville went for on 4th down (sound familiar?) on their own 37 yd line. Trailing by 2 they could have tried a 54 yd field goal to go ahead 15-14 with just under 2 minutes left. Would not go for it knowing Mannings strength in a 2 minute offense. The Jags lost 14-12. Too bad, Anthony Gonzalez was lost for the year with a knee injury.

In the SF game the Colts won 18-14 in a thrilling game at Lucas Oil Stadium. San Francisco was just 2 of 10 on third down, including 0 for 7 in situations of third-and-10 or longer. The 49ers’ inability to convert on key situations hurt their chances to win. Colts WR Reggie Wayne had 147 yards on 12 receptions, which tied a career high. Wayne’s 22-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter put Indianapolis ahead for good. WAyne again in tight situations.

In the Colts first outing against the Houston Texans the Colts had a milestone to think about (Hmm, think about it), Manning was coming up on 40,000 yds in a decade and it seemed like the head coach was all for getting it for him against a division rivalry. Manning threw the ball 40 times in the first half alone, 25 in the 1st qtr setting an NFL recond since those stats were kept in 1991. The Colts 20-17 win came on the back of Dallas Clark who caught 14 passes for 119 yds and made tough receptions in traffic for (first downs throughout the game)

.Despite playing well at times, Houston was undone by its own mistakes. The Texans drew 13 flags for 103 yards and three of Indianapolis’ four scoring drives were aided by penalties.

The Colts beat the Baltimore Ravens 17-15 when QB Joe Flacco threw an INT to LB Gary Beckett deep in Colts territory and on one last try Ed Reed’s lateral on a punt return was ruled a fumble and it sealed their fate. Manning was held under 300 yds barely (299)

Despite playing well at times, Houston was undone by its own mistakes. The Texans drew 13 flags for 103 yards and three of Indianapolis’ four scoring drives were aided by penalties.

The Colts defense held the Texans to 5 field goals, never letting them enter the endzone. That’s pretty remarkable come to think about it. So, the Broncos will have their hands full trying to stay ahead (if they ever get ahead) of Peyton Manning and his weapons. Good luck Boys, we’re going to need it.

Peyton Manning, and Gary Brackett

ok, with that out of the way a few other things.

2.5 of the 3 sacks against the Niners were given up by Mike Pollak who was benched after that game and is usually inactive for the games now.

The Colts pass-heavy first half in the first Texas matchup had nothing to do with record chasing and everything to do with countering the strategy that the Niners had used successfully against them the previous week. The Niners had refused to show their D until late in the playclock, so the next week Colts cut down on the presnap adjustments and ran a 2 minute O on the Texans for much of the 1st half.

The Jacksonville situation isn’t similar to the Pats situation you’re alluding to because the Jags were trailing, not leading. They were on their own 37 so the FG would have been 80 yards not 54. There was nothing odd about going for it on 4th down there.