Football is a game of adjustments. The team that wins is usually the one that can re-craft their game plan to the new conditions. That was on full display in Indianapolis during the AFC Championship game. After a lackluster first half the Colts rattled off 24 unanswered points to tame the upstart New York Jets 30-17 and earn a spot in Super Bowl XLIV.
Peyton Manning was terrific, completing 26 of 39 passes for 377 yards and 3 TD, lighting up the top-ranked defense in the NFL which surrendered just 153 passing yards per game during the regular season. Manning entered the game knowing that he’d have to utilize all of his receiving threats with Darrelle Revis lining up across his top threat Reggie Wayne all day long. Revis did his job, but the rest of the Jets defense fizzled.
Colts receivers Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie saved their best performances of the season for the big game. Garcon caught 11 passes for 151 yards, while Collie tallied 7 receptions for 123 yards. Both scored a touchdown each. Their effectiveness nullified a shutdown performance by Revis that took away half the football field for Manning to work with.
The unheralded Colts defense came up big as well. Overlooked by the media all week, the Colts solid rushing defense won the battle on the line of scrimmage, bottling up the top-rated running attack by holding Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene to just 86 yards. A far cry from their average of 172 rushing yards per game during the regular season. Colts cornerback Kelvin Hayden sealed the victory with a late 4th quarter interception of Mark Sanchez.
Momentum in the game shifted just before halftime as the Colts blew down the field on 4 plays for 80 yards in just 58 seconds. That drive ended with a blown defensive assignment that left Collie alone in the end zone for a touchdown catch. The Colts kept it going on the first possession of the second half, going down the field with relative ease again, ending with a Garcon touchdown catch.
The Jets defense, particularly the defensive backfield, often times appeared clueless. There were multiple blown assignments that proved costly. With Revis shutting down Wayne with man-to-man coverage, the defensive lapses were inexplicable and squandered an early lead the Jets offense spotted them.
The Colts were taken by surprise in the first half as they stacked the box to challenge the Jets to pass. Sanchez took advantage of a great play action fake, nailing Braylon Edwards in stride for an 80-yard touchdown pass. The Jets followed that up, shocking the overly aggressive Colts with a wildcat formation pass from Brad Smith to Jerricho Cotchery for 45 yards that setup a 9-yard touchdown pass from Sanchez to Dustin Keller.
Peyton Manning and the Colts now look forward to a matchup in two weeks against the NFC champion. Manning will look to become the first NFL regular season MVP to win the Super Bowl since Kurt Warner completed the trick during the 1999 season. Coach Jim Caldwell will attempt to become just the 3rd rookie coach to win the Super Bowl.
No matter who they play, either the Vikings or Saints, it will be an exciting Super Bowl.
There is only one thing that is a certainty in today’s AFC Championship Game, there will be a first-year NFL coach leading one of the team’s in Super Bowl XLIV. Either the Indianapolis Colts’ Jim Caldwell or the New York Jets’ Rex Ryan will earn the opportunity to possibly become just the third coach in NFL history to win the Super Bowl in their rookie coaching season.
Manning Focused On Another Super Bowl
After that, its anyone’s guess how this game will play out.
The AFC Championship game pits two teams with extremely contrasting styles. The Colts are a pass-happy squad that plays with finesse on both sides of the ball. The Jets are a grind-it-out running squad that plays with a smash-mouth attitude for sixty minutes.
These teams met during Week 16 of the season in an infamous game in which the Colts pulled Peyton Manning and other key starters to ensure their health for the playoffs rather than shoot for an undefeated season. Manning was relieved with the Colts up 15-10, but the Jets would run off 19 unanswered points to end the Colts perfect season.
Thanks to their decision to “forfeit” the game, the Colts catapulted the Jets into the playoffs, leading to a rematch with the top-rated defense in the NFL.
Before leaving the game, Manning was on fire, completing 66% of his passes and accumulating 192 passing yards in just a little over two quarters. His performance was the most successful of the season by an opposing quarterback against the Jets. But his removal has sparked lots of questions of whether Manning would have continued that dominance to the end of the game.
The offensive game plan of these two teams are completely predictable. The Colts will pass the ball. The Jets will run the ball. The winner will be decided by which team will deliver its game plan on defense.
What happened in Week 16 is meaningless.
The Jets defense led the NFL by allowing just 153 yards passing per game during the regular season, stunting its opponents with a solid pass rush and terrific man-to-man pass coverage led by All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis. The Colts offense rated second in the NFL in passing offense despite comfortably winning many of its games during the regular season.
While the Manning to Reggie Wayne combination still rated as tops in the NFL, it was the emergence of newcomers Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon that defined their successful season. With an expected Revis-Wayne matchup leaning to the Jets, Collie and Garcon must step up in the spotlight to ensure the Colts success on offense.
When the Jets have the ball, they will look to establish the NFL’s top-rated running attack with force. While the Colts rated 24th overall against the run, their per game 127 rushing yards against is a bit deceiving. In the two final games when the Colts rested their starters, they gave up 450 rushing yards. Subtract those two outings, they held opponents to 98 yards per game, good for 8th in the NFL. And this includes five games against AFC Pro Bowlers Chris Johnson, Maurice Jones-Drew and Ray Rice.
The AFC Championship game will no doubt be a battle of wills. Finesse versus Toughness. Execution versus Attitude.
Expect the Colts to come out on top. The difference maker will be the seen at the quarterback position. If the Colts can get out to an early lead and push the Jets to pass the ball, expect Mark Sanchez to finally show that he is a mistake-prone rookie and the Colts will cruise to victory.
The NFL has been under fire this week after Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell decided to bench his starters, including Peyton Manning, during a loss to the Jets in Week 16. Caldwell followed suit again this week and the Colts got beaten even worse in a snowstorm marred game in Buffalo. Every talk show out there hammered Caldwell for the decision to abandon trying to complete an undefeated. Was his decision wrong?
Welker Likely Out For Playoffs
During the New England Patriots and Houston Texans matchup today, Caldwell’s decision was proven to be the right one. With nothing to gain, the Patriots played their starters and watched as Pro Bowl wide receiver Wes Welker went down to a major knee injury. Early reports are that Welker sustained an injury to his ACL and MCL, ending his season.
The Eagles took risks today playing its starters deep into a game that was clearly lost. At least they had something to shoot for…a first round bye. Major contributors in DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek all got shaken up during the game and had to leave the field. No doubt these guys will be on next week’s injury report and the unnecessary hits may impact their play for the playoffs. And Donovan McNabb took his worst beating of the season behind a porous line that was unable to slow down the Cowboys rush.
The fortunes of an NFL team can sway from one week to the next, with injuries being a huge factor. Every team has a few players that are irreplaceable. In Indianapolis, his name is Peyton Manning. His head coach made the right decision. The goal is to win the Super Bowl, not go undefeated in the regular season.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stuck his nose in this week, opening up debate on how to encourage teams to play their players in every game regardless of consequences. He plans to open discussion during the offseason to deter teams from taking what is a smart strategy. The regular season is about earning a spot in the playoff and jockeying for a seed. It makes no sense to meddle with this and it will only serve to hurt the game.
Lets leave well enough alone Mr. Goodell. The NFL is not broken and a rule change diminishes the hard work of players. The bellyaching comes simply from people playing fantasy football and getting upset over the fact that the Peyton Manning coattails could no longer be ridden to a “fantasy” championship.
The Colts and Peyton Manning pulled off another victory in the fourth quarter as they defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 35-31 in a back and forth game Thursday night. The Colts fell behind four times before Manning worked his magic on a 65 yard touchdown strike to Reggie Wayne with 5:23 left in the game that turned out to be the game winner, and the only scoring of the fourth quarter. This has become a habit for this team and this quarterback. The Colts have won seven games this year when trailing at one point in the fourth quarter. This team just knows how to get the job done with the game on the line.
How much will Jim Caldwell play Peyton and Co to stay perfect?
Manning completed his first thirteen passes and ended up 23-30 with 308 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. The Colts were playing for pride and a perfect regular season. This team just has a infectious way of winning a football game. Jacksonville was playing for a chance for a Wild Card playoff position, so the Colts beat a opponent that has something on the line.
The Colts have two more opponents left on their schedule. They have the Jets at home and finish up in Buffalo. It will be interesting how much Jim Caldwell will play his starters in these last two games being they already have the home field advantage clinched in the AFC. I hope he gives it a real shot and makes the Colts a perfect 16-0. Maybe he will not want to finish perfect and get a loss out of the way and not end up like the New England Patriots did a few years ago. The next few weeks will tell the story.
Peyton Manning was terrific, completing 26 of 39 passes for 377 yards and 3 TD, lighting up the top-ranked defense in the NFL which surrendered just 153 passing yards per game during the regular season. Manning entered the game knowing that he’d have to utilize all of his receiving threats with Darrelle Revis lining up across his top threat Reggie Wayne all day long. Revis did his job, but the rest of the Jets defense fizzled.
