A Few Things that could beat the Colts.

[El Tejano]

1st, they know Ron Dayne can make things happen on them. However now we have a one two punch with Ahman Green. There really needs to be an Ahman and Ron Show this Sunday. That will free up the coverages and limit Bob Sanders to making any plays. It also will limit the risk of Matt Schaub getting sacked.

Our receivers need to step up. I believe if Jacoby wants to show what he did in preseason is no fluke he needs to make it happen this week and Walter needs to show why he is the no. 2 receiver. Some might not like this but Davis needs to play over Mathis. Why? Because our preseason showed Davis getting open more than Mathis did. Mathis had an improved offseason but Davis is a proven veteran who can read coverages and get open.

Defensively I think we need to almost let Indy run the ball well. Sounds funny? Jeff Fisher has said over and over again that is how they play Indy to a point where they can beat them. What it does is take the ball out of Manning's hands and it also keeps the score low. When you get the ball though you have to score.

[infantrycak]

No way Jeff Fisher ever said let the Colts run well. It doesn't matter how well the Colts are running, Manning is going to take his shots down field.

[El Tejano]

No way Jeff Fisher ever said let the Colts run well. It doesn't matter how well the Colts are running, Manning is going to take his shots down field.

Um...yes he did. I heard it over the radio the other day when he was talking with Dan Reeves who was going to be commentating on that game. He basically said that you have to give Indy the idea that they are running well against you. That doesn't mean just let them open up the wholes and run free, but to not play lanes so aggressively.

[mister_doodi]

Jeff Fisher was stacking the line and daring Manning to throw yesterday. He must have fed Dan bad info on purpose maybe, they are our division rivial.

[Colts Addict]

That is absolutely what Fisher said. Most teams, with the exception of Cincy... play their safeties deep, taking away the deep ball. Peyton doesn't miss much, so if he has single coverage on anyone of our receivers, he will take that shot. In regards to what Fisher said though... basically is to not get sucked in like NO did. They played their safeties deep, until we started to run all over them in which case caused one of their safeties to cheat up... giving Reggie a one on one with David (who hasn't quite made the conversion from Cover 2 to man DB).

Thing is... in order to do this successfully, your front has to be able to limit the run and your LB core has to be able to cover the middle for the check downs and slot receivers.

[Colts Addict]

Jeff Fisher was stacking the line and daring Manning to throw yesterday. He must have fed Dan bad info on purpose maybe, they are our division rivial.

Thats actually not true. He did blitz and he did stack occassionally... but more often than not, he played safeties deep in a cover 2 or nickle package.

[Indy Skinnz]

see when you play indy you HAVE TO PLAY the pass first...so in return yes your run defense may struggle...but when they get into the redzone you tighten up and that limits them to fg's....but its so hard to go from playin run first to pass first...therefore most teams struggle

The common theme that most defensive coordinators have tried over the last few years is to play 2 deep zones against Manning and force him to run the ball and dink his way down the field. The Colts ran the ball very well against the Saints and forced them to bring a safety up. The end result was 3 long TD's over the top. I don't expect many teams to use that strategy any longer.

Problem is that they are pretty good at running the ball and the fact that the Colts have more talented offensive weapons than most teams. Most defenses don't have enough talent to match up.

[mister_doodi]

Thats actually not true. He did blitz and he did stack occassionally... but more often than not, he played safeties deep in a cover 2 or nickle package.

When it mattered near the 2min the colts could have just ran it and let them burn a TO and burn about 40 more seconds. But P-Money just threw the ball.

[Freative]

When it mattered near the 2min the colts could have just ran it and let them burn a TO and burn about 40 more seconds. But P-Money just threw the ball.

I have to wonder if maybe that last minute loss last year came back and played any role in those decisions. Maybe wanting to put a "lid" on it, so to speak. I don't know why they managed it the way they did, but I will take the w.

[El Tejano]

Thing is... in order to do this successfully, your front has to be able to limit the run and your LB core has to be able to cover the middle for the check downs and slot receivers.

Good thing is...our defense has currently been able to do just that.

[Griz]

The only way to beat the Colts is to really pressure Manning. The way Pitsburgh did year before last in the playoff game.

[Colts Addict]

The only way to beat the Colts is to really pressure Manning. The way Pitsburgh did year before last in the playoff game.

Thats not the only way, but it certainly is one of the ways. Pittsburgh was so successful because of its easy to disguise 3-4 Defense. Peyton had a hard time identifying the MIKE, as well as who was dropping in coverage and who was blitzing. Pittsburgh did an excellent job of lining up the same way over and over again with different schemes and tactics.

But yeah... you pressure any QB constantly and its going to be hard for him to get the ball off successfully.

[Indy Skinnz]

Good thing is...our defense has currently been able to do just that.

But not against the Colts. I don't say this flippantly or to come across as an arrogant Colt fan because I am not here to troll. But the Colts are so much more offensively than the Chiefs & Panthers. They attack differently, have better & more weapons, and are orchestrated by the best QB in the game. I am sure I am not telling you something that you don't already know, but the Texans have a much different opponent coming to Houston than what they have seen in the first 2 weeks.

[HJam72]

There's what Pittsburgh did with pressure on Manning, and then there's what we did last year by running, running, and running some more.

We're going to have to do some of both Sunday. It should be really interesting.

[mister_doodi]

Colts offense will make the Texans pass more eventually. Also they have proven that they can grind it out by the way they played the chiefs and the ravens last post season. Peyton's offense will adapt. I don't the Texans will miss Andre though. The cover 2 Colts run will limit those big plays. Owen might have a really good game sneaking into the holes cover 2 has.

[mister_doodi]

I'd say line up in a 4-4 in certain short yardage situations and come with an All Out Blitz and take Joseph Addai's head off.

Then that leaves Marvin or Reggie on man on man and one of the two doubled up. Clarke wide open and Addai out on the flat. If they go single back then someone has to cover Speedy Gonzales.

[HydrOshocK]

There are only two things that I see that will beat the Colts....relentless pressure on Manning and sustained drives on offense.

Peyton has proven to make questionable decisions (although rare) when he's being pressured and knocked around. He will rush throws when the pocket collapses on him. We will need to be in his face all game long. If we can't sack him we have to hit him and make him feel the pressure.

We will have to do this with our front 4 because we can't afford to be bringing extra players on too many blitzes because he will exploit that every time. We have a very good D-line and the coaches do a great job of rotating them to keep them fresh for a full 4 quarters. I believe we can have some success in this area.

If we are able to force Manning into a few drive killing mistakes or 3 and outs then we put the ball back in Schaub's hands. When we get our chances on offense we have to capitalize on it. Sustained ball-control drives will be the key for us on offense. As crazy as it sounds, we really can't afford to score too quickly on this team. The best strategy will be sustained drives that chew up the clock and keep Peyton on the sideline, just like last year.

I think we stand a good chance against the Colts but we will have to play mistake free football.

[Indy Skinnz]

No no...I'm not that dumb. The 4-4 would only be run on obvious running downs...4th and goal...3rd and 1. Colts don't seem to go PA that often, so I don't think it'd be too big of a risk.

I am sorry, but this is just an incorrect statement. The Colts are the best play action pass team in the league. Manning makes the run fake better than any QB in the league, bar none. And this is the Colts - in normal down & distances, there are no obvious run downs or passing downs with them. They will pass or run at any time.

2 Instances - passed the ball on 1st & 2nd down with 2 minutes left in the game against the Titans. Conventional thinking is to run there and force Tenn to use timeouts. Did not work for the Colts but will buck trends. Another instance - they ran the ball on 3rd & goal from the 10 in the Super Bowl. Almost worked too, but they settled for a field goal.

[Colts Addict]

No no...I'm not that dumb. The 4-4 would only be run on obvious running downs...4th and goal...3rd and 1. Colts don't seem to go PA that often, so I don't think it'd be too big of a risk.

I am sorry, but the bolded part of your statement is incorrect. Peyton is a PA specialist. Just wanted to point that out, since I am sure your not watching my team as much as I am... vice versa.

Actually, that is why I am here. They didn't show your games here, so I am curious as to what your tendacies are... your strengths and weaknesses. To be honest, I always gave Carr a pass, thinking it was the O-line. I was apparently wrong in that regard. Hopefully we can both educate each other this week on our respective teams.

[Colts Addict]

I am sorry, but this is just an incorrect statement. The Colts are the best play action pass team in the league. Manning makes the run fake better than any QB in the league, bar none. And this is the Colts - in normal down & distances, there are no obvious run downs or passing downs with them. They will pass or run at any time.

2 Instances - passed the ball on 1st & 2nd down with 2 minutes left in the game against the Titans. Conventional thinking is to run there and force Tenn to use timeouts. Did not work for the Colts but will buck trends. Another instance - they ran the ball on 3rd & goal from the 10 in the Super Bowl. Almost worked too, but they settled for a field goal.

HAHA... You beat me by seconds. :)

[BIG ERN]

Do not worry.BSPN was telling everyone that it was the offensive line.Everyone on ESPN are avoiding talking about us so they don't have to eat crow.

[Indy Skinnz]

If I had to point out one negative thing it's that we have a tendency to lose focus during certain key points in ball games (getting down early, etc.). I'm concerned that if we get down early to the Colts there's going to be no coming back. Your thoughts?

Not directed at me, but I'll chime in. Getting down early to the Colts is an absolute recipe for disaster. First off, aside from Sanders the strength of Colts D are the rush ends. Freeney & Mathis will have a field day if they are put in a position where they do not have to worry about the run. Secondly, the Colts offense will not stop trying to score. Just because they are up, they will still try to step on the opponents neck. It cannot be assumed that all of the sudden they will go conservative and just run the ball.

[3andOUT]

The ONE key for us or anyone playing Indy is to RUN THE BALL. Nothing else really matters. I'm sure you have all heard it time after time that you have to keep that offense on the sideline. Obviously being able to successfully run the ball hinges on a couple of things.

1) Push up front (I think we can handle pretty much any front 7 in the league enough to get solid yardage, especially Indy)
2) Making the defense honor the pass (This is CRITICAL for this particular game. We are going to have to open up the run by throwing early. Somebody, whether it's Daniels, Jacoby, Davis or Mathis is going to have to get open and make some catches)

We have to run the ball and we have to hit on some screen plays (which Ahman is highly skilled at) to keep a little hesitation in their pass rush getting up the field.

[HydrOshocK]

Another thing that I left out that could possibly help us beat the Colts is our Speacial Teams. We have one of the best ST units in the league and they've been a big factor in each of our games. Walter's fumble recovery for a TD against the Panthers was a huge boost, and Turks punting nailing those two punts inside the 5 was awesome......Chad who?? ;)

I have a sneaking suspicion that we'll need our ST unit to come through for us again this week. We'll need to make the Colts play a long field and force them to make up a lot of ground. They'll be able to move the ball on us in large chunks so the farther they have to go the better.

On the flip side, it will be a big advantage for us if our ST can shorten the field for our offense. We all know Mathis and Jones both have the ability to take it the distance on returns, but even when they're not they have been putting us in some nice field position. I'd really like to see one of them bust one for a score though......we'll need all the points we can get so that would be huge.

[ib4texans]

The only way to beat the Colts is to really pressure Manning. The way Pitsburgh did year before last in the playoff game.


No, the only way to beat the Colts is to keep Manning's arse of the field.

[ib4texans]

Not directed at me, but I'll chime in. Getting down early to the Colts is an absolute recipe for disaster. First off, aside from Sanders the strength of Colts D are the rush ends. Freeney & Mathis will have a field day if they are put in a position where they do not have to worry about the run. Secondly, the Colts offense will not stop trying to score. Just because they are up, they will still try to step on the opponents neck. It cannot be assumed that all of the sudden they will go conservative and just run the ball.


I agree 100% it's not in Peyton's nature, he wants to be out their running the offense all out. It really pisses him off if they get conservative. I think Tony D would rather let Peyton do his thing than to have Peyton ticked off like last years Christmas Eve game. I remember he was all kinds of mad for not getting to stay on the field on a fourth and short.

[mister_doodi]

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/4660/capturesm1.jpg

Colts rushed way above normal when the Texans beat them last year compared to the previous game. It wasen't all Texans rushing that kept Manning on the sidelines. I don't know what their game plan was but they ran at will against the defense.

[Colts Addict]

If I had to point out one negative thing it's that we have a tendency to lose focus during certain key points in ball games (getting down early, etc.). I'm concerned that if we get down early to the Colts there's going to be no coming back. Your thoughts?

Well, as someone just mentioned above... that is a recipe for disaster. You don't want to get too down, too early. The key is to keep it close going into halftime.

As for us... our ST is not great. I just read somewhere (maybe this thread) that your ST unit is very good. That is a recipe for disaster for us as well. I am not sure what the problem is with our ST, but they can't seem to tackle anyone. (its been like this for years) I am one of those people (probably in the minority of football fans) that thinks ST is the MOST important unit on the field. I am a defensive person as well... but feel that ST is key. It determines field position and can put our Defense in some very bad circumstances that they can't always and haven't always overcome. This could very well be a determining factor in this game.

In addition... although, he has looked very well thus far, we have a new left tackle in Ugoh. I have noticed at times we are putting Addai on that side for some extra help... or Clark to chip as he goes by. Ugoh is a very very good run blocker and has done 'ok' thus far in pass blocking... so we will see how that pans out as well.

[Colts Addict]

Colts rushed way above normal when the Texans beat them last year compared to the previous game. It wasen't all Texans rushing that kept Manning on the sidelines. I don't know what their game plan was but they ran at will against the defense.

Probably because your Defense was protecting against the pass and letting us have the run...

[HydrOshocK]

Well, as someone just mentioned above... that is a recipe for disaster. You don't want to get too down, too early. The key is to keep it close going into halftime.

As for us... our ST is not great. I just read somewhere (maybe this thread) that your ST unit is very good. That is a recipe for disaster for us as well. I am not sure what the problem is with our ST, but they can't seem to tackle anyone. (its been like this for years) I am one of those people (probably in the minority of football fans) that thinks ST is the MOST important unit on the field. I am a defensive person as well... but feel that ST is key. It determines field position and can put our Defense in some very bad circumstances that they can't always and haven't always overcome. This could very well be a determining factor in this game.

In addition... although, he has looked very well thus far, we have a new left tackle in Ugoh. I have noticed at times we are putting Addai on that side for some extra help... or Clark to chip as he goes by. Ugoh is a very very good run blocker and has done 'ok' thus far in pass blocking... so we will see how that pans out as well.

I'll take credit for that.

If your ST unit is that weak in tackling then this could very well be the deciding factor in the game because we have two excellent returners in Jerome Mathis (kick off) and Jacoby Jones (punts). Mathis went to the Pro Bowl in '05 as a returner, and Jones ran two back for TDs in the preseason.

Not only can our guys return the ball, they are also very good at kick coverage. They created a turnover for a TD against the Panthers that was a key momentum boost for us.

Watch out for our ST unit this week for sure.

[Colts Addict]

I'll take credit for that.

If your ST unit is that weak in tackling then this could very well be the deciding factor in the game because we have two excellent returners in Jerome Mathis (kick off) and Jacoby Jones (punts). Mathis went to the Pro Bowl in '05 as a returner, and Jones ran two back for TDs in the preseason.

Not only can our guys return the ball, they are also very good at kick coverage. They created a turnover for a TD against the Panthers that was a key momentum boost for us.

Watch out for our ST unit this week for sure.

Well, Adam isn't known for his touchbacks... but in the NO game he was kicking them far out of the endzone. If your returners are that good, hopefully we will do that again.

[Sarg]

Another fun ST thing - In Week 1, our punter averaged 55.2 yards per punt. In week 2 his stat line was hurt by having to punt from midfield a couple of times, but both were downed on the 1 yard line.

[johnson]

Dont go by last sunday.The panthers no longer have the hungry they used to have.They was a time they used to be hungry just like your players are now but they are no longer like that. Everyone is worried about them.I will not take nothing from the Texans but they still have a long ways to go.

With that being said I expect the colts to kill the texans on sunday.You guys will not be able to come back on them when they geT A LEAD.