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It's difficult to decipher the identity of the Indianapolis Colts.
Sometimes they look like the dazzling offensive squad from years past, as they did in eviscerating St. Louis and Tennessee. Or are they now a scrappily opportunistic team that spits in the face of unconventional tactics, as they did against ball-hogging Miami?
Sometimes they just look predestined for victory – had Bill Belichick not gambled on fourth down, New England might have defeated Indianapolis.
Sometimes, the defense even looks dominating.
Perhaps the Colts' identity is not to have a particular identity.
During Sunday's 17-15 victory over Baltimore, the Colts looked anything but their supposed selves. They didn't pass the ball particularly well, as Peyton Manning was intercepted twice. Their defense didn't allow a touchdown. The linebacking corps, normally the Achilles' heel of this squad, won the game by coming up big down the stretch.
The Ravens had first-and-goal from the 1-yard line but got only a field goal and a 15-14 lead, after runs were stopped by defensive tackle Daniel Muir and linebackers Gary Brackett and Clint Session.
After the Colts got a field goal of their own from Matt Stover, Brackett's interception with 2:42 remaining essentially sealed the victory.
Admittedly, the Ravens shouldn't have been passing on third-and-seven at the Indianapolis 14-yard line, not when a field goal would have put them ahead on a day the Colts were struggling offensively. Not when Baltimore's kicker, Billy Cundiff, had made 5 of 6 attempts.
Not when the Ravens had the great Ray Lewis and Ed Reed itching to get on the field to try to win the game.
But the Colts did what they always seem to do this season. They got a big play at the right time.
Positioned in the middle of the field, Brackett picked off an ill-advised Joe Flacco pass and the Colts improved to 10-0.
"We got their worst today," Ravens (5-5) running back Ray Rice said of the Colts. "Peyton Manning threw two interceptions, and they fumbled the ball on the goal line. We have to score on the 1-yard line. … That (Colts) team should've been playing from behind today."
It seems every week that the Colts' opponents are left pondering missed opportunities. At some point, you have to concede that the common denominator is the Colts' ability to gut out wins.
The NFL's other undefeated team, the New Orleans Saints, has been decidedly prettier. But the offensively charged Saints may lack the savvy of the Colts. Indianapolis morphs into a different team every game, and it's overcome so many game plans it's tough to imagine what the remaining teams on the schedule will even try at this point to best them.
"I can show you some defenses from New England and from Baltimore that I would say aren't normal. They would not be in your Defense 101, first-day-of-training-camp installation," Manning said. "We're seeing different looks and certainly getting everybody's best shot. Sometimes, we have to understand it's not going to be picture-perfect from start to finish. You're going to have to kind of fight through the storms."
No team does it better than the Colts. That's why they're so good.
