The Indianapolis Colts turned what was expected to be a shootout into an easy victory with a 31-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
The Colts put aside fears that a short week and trip to the West would result in their first loss of the season.
Quarterback Peyton Manning surgically tore apart Arizona’s secondary to the tune of 379 yards and four touchdowns.
Wide receiver Reggie Wayne topped the 100-yard receiving mark yet again and hauled in a touchdown pass.
This team certainly doesn’t look like it has missed a beat without head coach Tony Dungy.
Monday, September 28, 2009 at 8:34 pm by steve
In one of the strangest victories in Peyton Manning’s illustrious career, Manning led the Colts to a 27-23 victory on Monday night over the Miami Dolphins in a win that moves him past Johnny Unitas as the all-time Colts’ winningest quarterback.
What made the game strange was the skewed offensive statistics for both teams – the Colts won despite having the ball on offense for less than 15 minutes the entire game. Miami kept their offense on the field due to a strong run game with a healthy dose of Wildcat, which forced the Colts defense out on the field for 80+ plays.
However, with three minutes left in the game, Dolphins’ head coach Tony Sparano called for a run on 3rd and 6 near the Colts’ 30 yard line, a decision that sealed the Dolphins’ fate. While they had demonstrated considerable third down prowess in the drive up until that point (they had completed their most recent five third downs), Sparano played it safe to set up the easy field goal in the middle of the field.
But he also gave Manning three minutes in which to work, which proved to be far too long. With surgical precision, Manning sliced and diced the Miami defense, ultimately hitting WR Pierre Garcon with a 48-yard hitch route for the game winning TD.
On the final TD play, Manning recognized Miami’s defensive alignment and adjusted perfectly, calling an audible at the line of scrimmage. He hit Garcon on a quick route, but with six Dolphins blitzing, Garcon had few defenders between him and the end zone.
Manning kicked the game off with an 80-yard touchdown to TE Dallas Clark, who almost got taken down near the 50 before regaining his balance and galloping the rest of the distance to the end zone.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 9:36 pm by bryan
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez is expected to miss up to eight weeks after he sprained ligaments in his right knee during the season opener.
The team was counting on Gonzalez to really step up in his second year in the NFL and fill the void left by the departing Marvin Harrison.
Now the team may consider bringing Harrison back if the two sides can work out a contract given how long they may be without Gonzalez.
Head coach Jim Caldwell said the team is optimistic that he might only miss six weeks, and even mentioned the possibility of just two weeks of missed action.
To add some depth, the Colts have signed wide receiver Hank Baskett, who was just released by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Monday, September 21, 2009 at 5:08 pm by steve
In what has become an annual tradition, the Indianapolis Colts played the Jacksonville Jaguars in another close game and yet again came out on top.
This time around, the Colts were able to stop the Jaguars on a two-point conversion attempt midway through the fourth quarter and hold on for a 14-12 victory.
It was not a great day for quarterback Peyton Manning or the Indianapolis running attack, but they did just enough to come away with a win.
It was, however, a great day for wide receiver Reggie Wayne. Eager to rebound from a disappointing 2008 campaign, Wayne had 182 yards receiving and a touchdown.
It was also a good day for the defense, which really shut down the Jacksonville passing game and gave quarterback David Garrard fits all afternoon.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 4:27 pm by steve
