Colts At Broncos: Why The Colts Were a Shade Better On This Day
The Indianapolis Colts came to the Mile High City to play their (seemingly) annual game against the Denver Broncos and left with a 27-13 win.
On a day when the temperature was over a 110 degrees on the field in the rarefied Rocky Mountain air, Peyton Manning and the Colts kept their cool and schooled Josh McDaniels on why Manning will probably go into Canton as the all-time best QB in NFL history.
He was on his game today, but had to work harder than a lot of people thought he would to beat the Broncos.
But there are several reasons in addition to Manning that cost Denver this game.
Peyton Manning: A Win But He Paid For It
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Even though it was well over 100 degrees on the field, it wasn't a day at the beach for Manning or the Colts.They worked for every yard and every point they got.
Even though the bumps and bruises aren't as painful when you win, I am sure Mr. Manning will spend some time in the training room recovering from this game.
He was harassed and was hit at least five times, and hurried several passes due to the pass rush and the down field Bronco coverage. He wasn't sacked but you could see the frustration on his face from time to time, and saw him get in the face of his offensive linemen on some missed assignments.
But with all that harassment and physical pounding, his statistical line was 27-for-43 on 325 yards, zero INT, three TDs, and a passer rating of 109.2.
Oh, and he did this with only two of his starting WRs, as his No. 3, Pierre Garcon was inactive. But not to worry, his replacement, rookie Blair White, starting his first game as a professional, had three catches and a TD.
And then there was WR Austin Collie, who played like a thoroughbred, be it a dog or a horse. Finishing the game with 171 yards on 12 receptions, and two TDs. Woof Woof!
Not a bad day's work
Kyle Orton: A Career Day But No Win
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Kyle Orton had a very bittersweet afternoon, having his best day as a professional statistically, but no W.
He moved the team up the field all day long, but could not finish the drives. The team was about 1-for-6 inside the redzone, and that was only a field goal. His lone TD was a beautiful 48-yard rainbow to Brandon Lloyd, which should dispel any issue about Orton's ability to get the ball downfield.
With few exceptions, he made the correct read, threw with authority and looked like the leader on the field.
He did throw an INT that was either a bad read or a WR, possibly rookie Demaryius Thomas, running a wrong route.
His statistics were gaudy but not productive on the scoreboard:
37 -for-57, 476 Yards, one INT, one TD, and a QB rating of 89.5.
He will likely end up Week 3 as having the most passing yards in the NFL, but a record of 1-2.
DJ and Company Puts The D Back In The Denver Defense
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Denver's defense played inspired football for much of the game, virtually shutting down the Colts run game. Joseph Addai had 29 yards on 13 carries and Donald Brown had 12 yards on seven carries.
Overall, Denver held them to 40 yards net rushing for a 1.8 Yard average. They swarmed to the ball and had very few missed tackles which was a problem in the first game against Jacksonville.
LBs Mario Haggan, D.J. Williams, Robert Ayers, and Nate Jones combined for 21 tackles and as a LB group, played the best game any Denver D has played in quite some time.
And with a few exceptions, Denver's coverage was very good, especially Champ Bailey, who was a game-time decision due to an injury. He virtually took Reggie Wayne out of the game, holding him to one catch for two quarters, and he finished with four catches for 65 yards and no TDs.
Rookie CB Perrish Cox made some great, instinctive plays, but was also beat for a touchdown and had a costly muffed punt, setting up one of Indy's scores. He has all the tools to be a great player as he gains experience.
Broncos' Running Game: They Can't Run and They Can't Hide
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Watching the third chapter of this inept part of the Broncos offensive game plan, was, well...truly offensive.
When you rush for 47 yards on 18 attempts, and average less than three yards per carry, you basically stink, rushing-wise.
Couple that with having first-and-goal inside the three, and not being able to make those yards is mind-boggling.
Laurence Maroney and Correll Buckhalter were carrying the load with Knowshon Moreno missing another game with a hammie injury. But I don't think it would have made a difference even if Moreno was in this game. This offensive line can't run-block and these running backs can't run the ball with authority.
Where oh where is Peyton Hillis when you need him most? Oh, yeah, he is running like a bull in Cleveland (144 yards on 22 carries today).
.
Brandon Who?: Broncos WRs Doing Just Fine, Thank You
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The trio of Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney, and Eddie Royal had a field day yesterday, between the 20's.
Add in some nice work by rookie Demaryius Thomas, and you have two 100-plus yard receivers (Gaffney, Lloyd) and a total of 476 yards, but only one TD.
But I do like what I see from this group and their chemistry with Orton. And this will only get better throughout this season.
Throw in more throws to Thomas and integrating his fellow rookie Eric Decker, and this will be one of the most potent passing games in the NFL.
Tim Tebow: Inactive and Not Earning The Confidence Of Josh McDaniels, Yet
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For all those "Tebow First-Bronco Last" people, this should have been a wake-up call.
Orton showed absolute mastery of this offense, and did everything he could to win this game. The plays inside the redzone were uninspired, were not well thought-out and weren't executed well enough to win football games against teams as good as the Colts.
Could Tebow have made a difference? Absolutely! He would have probably thrown three or four INTs and/or got knocked out of the game on a daring run that ended badly when he met Dwight Freeney head-to-head.
Let's face it, he doesn't have the experience, knowledge of the playbook or the mechanics to be a starting QB on this team yet. Will he some time in the future? Who knows, but to have people continue to harp on him starting is a sign of lack of knowledge of the game and of this team.
And even Mr. Tebow would very likely agree with that assessment. Because he, unlike so many of his blind followers, is about team first.
Josh McDaniels: Great Between The 20's, In the Redzone, Not So Much
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The play-calling and intricacies of this offense can march the ball up and down the field and amass huge passing statistics. But once inside the redzone, it seems to stall out.
Some of this can be attributed to the lack of a true power back, and some to a line that still hasn't figured out how to be nasty and take people out on those tough dive plays close to the goal.
But I also feel there is a lot to be desired in the plays called in that situation. When you are on the 15-yard line, you have shortened the field for the defense and the spread as Josh had designed it, all of a sudden doesn't have the same success as it does in the open field.
Maybe turning the play-calling over to his brother inside the 20 might not be such a bad idea.
Are you listening, Brothers McDaniels?
Probably not.
The Future Does Look Bright But I Still Don't Need My Shades
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I saw enough improvement in the special teams coverage, in the WRs and in the defense to feel good about the rest of the season.
Are the Broncos going to the Super Bowl in JerryLand this year? Not without buying tickets, but they will be competitive and they will be fun to watch.
I also see this team as a work in progress that is still missing some critical pieces, and they will have to come in the draft and some more judicious free-agent signings.
And there has to be LESS MISTAKES! These are back-breakers against a team as talented as the Colts. Some of that is from so many young players on the field in place of injured veterans, and some of that is due to coaching. But I do believe this team is on the right track.
I have said in an article written previewing this game that Denver had a chance to win but would have to play FLAWLESS football, which they did not. Am I a fortune-teller? No, just seeing reality as it truly is.
Oh, and do you think maybe these young ladies can work on Knowshon's hamstring flexibility?
Just one Denver fan(atic)'s opinion.
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