So just as I did with the Tampa Bay Monday night game a couple of years ago, I gave up too early on today’s game. I went home (I watched at a bar — no TV hookup at the new place yet) when Peyton was sacked on the 1, with about eighty seconds left. Vanderjagt’s fast becoming the Scott Norwood of the 00s. He’s just about perfect during the regular season. But that’s three game-ending, game-deciding field goals he’s missed in the playoffs, now.

As for the rest of the game, I was worried that the team would come out rusty after not having played a meaningful game in over a month. I think that’s what happened. We didn’t get untracked until the fourth quarter. Which is why I think you continue to play to win. Even when you have home field locked up. An offense like the Colts thrives on timing patterns, chemistry, and rhythym. You can’t just click that on after four-plus weeks. It takes a while to find the groove. And in the divisional playoffs, you simply can’t spot your opponent three quarters and expect to pull out the game in the fourth.

That doesn’t excuse the loss, of course. And every year Peyton goes without a Super Bowl makes the next year even more difficult. 13-0 next year won’t mean anything. Peyton ended the game with pretty good numbers. But his lack of coordination with his receivers in the first half was killer. And what happened to the o-line? Geez. They just crumbled. One of the most reliable lines in the league over the last five years has really had some problems in the last several games that mattered. The sacks were brutal, as were the really poorly-timed false starts.

The d-line is the only unit that earned their paychecks today. The secondary was dreadful at the beginning of the game, and was responsible for the 14-0 hole. But the d-line consistently pressured Rothlesberger, and made some key stops late in the game, when Pittsburgh usually ices a lead with its running game.

It’s a pretty disappointing loss. But at least they made it interesting. And yeah, I know. It was a bad call. Clearly an interception. But given all the bad breaks Indy sports teams have been dealt over the years (including the bizarre missed false start penatly that extended the Pittsburgh drive), I’m not apologizing for anything.

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 15th, 2006 at 5:11 pm by Radley Balko and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.