With another remarkable come back, this time against the Texans, the Colts advanced to 11 – 0. And, with some help from the San Francisco 49ers in their win over Jacksonville, the Colts also clinched the AFC South with 5 games yet to be played.
The first half against the Texans was a little tough to watch. The Colts were simply unable to get the Texans off the field, and they methodically marched up the field. I don’t know when the Colts scarred me so deeply, but on some level, despite some fairly sustained success, my mental image of the Colts’ defense is one that consistently lets the opposition march slowly up the field, typically with a lot of 3rd and 2 or 3s that the defense can’t stop. On offense, things looked a little sloppy, and the Colts didn’t score at all in the first quarter.
The second half was a completely different story, thankfully. The Colts poured it on. The defense was getting pressure, and causing turnovers – notably Clint Sessions’ pick 6 and Robert Mathis’ strip of Matt Schaub. The Texans collapse was pretty dramatic. It wasn’t as epic as last year’s Rosencopter episode, but still notable. I almost feel bad for the Texans – not so much because they are losing to the Colts, but the defeat-from-the-jaws-of-victory manner of the losses.
So, the Colts are going to the playoffs for an 8th straight season. How spoiled are we? Since Manning arrived, I think there have been 2 seasons the Colts missed the playoffs – his rookie season in 1998 and that awful 2001 season. And, they’ve won 6 out of the last 7 divisional titles. Remarkable stuff.
My theory on the Colts is that since they are a bunch of very smart players, and are also not as physically strong as others, they must rely on winning through brainpower.
Now, every team that they play will have new stuff when they face the Colts. Since the Colts can’t stand toe to toe on brawn alone, they get spanked at the beginning of the game.
However, the whole time, the Colts are watching every play, listening to every audible, and watching every player as they make their plays. By the time they get to the 4th quarter, the Colts have them outsmarted through adapting their tactics.
I’m not just giving credit to the coaches alone, but the also players. I think each one just learns as much as they can and becomes more effective over the course of the game. Other players that rely on their strength or speed just get tired as the game goes on.
It reminds me of the Mel Gibson version of the movie “Maverick”, where he promises to lose every hand for the first hour he plays. While he loses, he learns their tells and then goes on to take their chips after the hour is up.