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INDIANAPOLIS – Can the Colts bottle this until Jan. 16? Will it keep?
The top seed in the AFC is locked up, thanks to a mostly dominating 28-16 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Sadly, coach Jim Caldwell will shut it down now, whether he’ll admit to it yet or not.
He’s a Tony Dungy disciple. Playing it safe comes with the territory. That means you can look forward to a big dose of Curtis Painter-to-Hank Baskett down the stretch.
I sure hope you didn’t overpay for your late-season tickets because Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and Dwight Freeney probably won’t sniff the field beyond the first quarter until the divisional round of the playoffs in five weeks.
Enjoy the wait.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that we’ll be ready to play and well oiled. We’re going to have momentum and all those sorts of things,” Colts owner Jim Irsay said. “But the biggest component, as everyone knows, is health.”
Don’t blame the Colts (13-0) if they rest people. Most rookie NFL coaches wouldn’t have the moxie to put Manning in harm’s way. And it would feel less like a retreat if the undefeated New Orleans Saints weren’t out there claiming they’ll keep going for it.
The Colts’ starters are split on whether they should ride the momentum or ride the bench. Whatever happens, they must hope that when they do next play a meaningful game, they have the same passion and productivity they did Sunday.
There were some hiccups against the Broncos. Brandon Marshall reeled in an NFL-record 21 receptions for 200 yards and two touchdowns. Manning was intercepted three times, though two of them were tipped and basically dumb luck.
But the Broncos (8-5) still looked overmatched, which goes to show you just how good the Colts are when it matters most.
After the Broncos had made things interesting, cutting the lead to 21-16, Indianapolis went on a 14-play, 80-yard drive that took 7:19. Rookie receiver Austin Collie evaded tacklers for a 23-yard gain. Seldom-used running back Mike Hart showed great heart in battling for a first down to set up tight end Clark’s third touchdown catch.
All game, the Colts ruled on the pivotal third and fourth downs.
On an early third-and-goal from the 5-yard line, Manning had what seemed like an eternity to find Collie for a touchdown. On the Colts’ next drive, running back Joseph Addai dashed to the right sideline on third down, got behind the coverage and snagged a 25-yard pass to set up a Clark touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
On a fourth-and-4 play from the 34-yard line, Manning calmly pump-faked then delivered a 22-yard pass to Clark, who got behind safety Brian Dawkins to set up another touchdown.
Denver was 6 for 17 on third downs and 0 for 3 on fourth downs with running back Knowshon Moreno dropped by blitzing linebackers on each of those plays.
“I’m not certain I’ve seen a better defensive effort than the one our guys put forth today,” Caldwell said.
The Colts are formidable on offense and defense. They’ve got the momentum. They’ve won an NFL record 22 consecutive regular-season games. Their youngsters are learning on the fly. Shutting it down could stifle that, just like it did in 2005 and 2007, when the Colts lost their playoff openers.
But the Colts will likely lock up the stars in the vault. It’s life in the NFL.
They’d just better hope they don’t lose what they had Sunday.
“I don’t think there is a right answer,” Manning said. “Whatever plan Coach Caldwell decides, it’ll be the right one and that’s what we’ll carry out.
“Either way, you’re opening yourself up for second-guessing.”
