Indianapolis Colts vs. Denver Broncos: Full Report-Card Grades for Indianapolis
Heading into Sunday, everyone thought that the Indianapolis Colts were going to need to play a perfect game to take down the Denver Broncos. However, they didn't need to, as the Colts came away with a convincing 24-13 win to advance to the AFC Championship Game.
Starting out, it looked like it was going to be a long day for the Colts. After a three-and-out on their opening drive, the Broncos drove all the way down the field and scored a touchdown after a roughing-the-passer penalty from Arthur Jones kept the drive alive.
However, the Colts then started to turn things around in the second quarter. Daniel Herron ran in a six-yard touchdown to cap off a 73-yard drive to tie things up. After that, rookie Jonathan Newsome got a strip-sack on Peyton Manning, giving the Colts the ball and allowing them to take the lead after a three-yard pass from Andrew Luck to Dwayne Allen, putting them up 14-7.
Connor Barth was able to get a field goal just before halftime, but the Colts had the momentum heading into the locker room.
It was the Colts defense that kept up the pressure in the second half, constantly forcing the Broncos into three-and-outs. Meanwhile, the Colts were able to take a two-possession lead when Luck threw a dart to Hakeem Nicks for a 15-yard touchdown to go up 21-10.
Both sides exchanged field goals in the fourth quarter, but the Colts had the drive of the game to seal the win. With over 12 minutes on the clock, the Colts chewed eight minutes and drove down the field before sealing the win with a 30-yard field goal with just over four minutes left to play. After that, Manning couldn't get anything going, giving the Colts the win.
They didn't play perfect, but the Colts were certainly close. They'll be taking on the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game next week, but before we get there, let's look back at this terrific performance from Indianapolis with complete grades for each unit.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Although he didn't try to go deep often in the first half, it was still a very strong start for Luck. He checked down often and avoided making bad decisions with the ball. His only bad mistake came just before halftime, trying to go deep to Donte Moncrief but throwing an interception to Bradley Roby instead.
Other than that, Luck looked very poised early on. He completed 16 of his 24 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown to go along with that interception. The third-year quarterback did have another interception that was essentially a punt, but those two picks were on third down with Luck just trying to take a shot deep while accepting the possibility of an interception deep down the field.
Luck continued to make smart decisions, and his accuracy was impressive all day long. Perhaps his best throw of the day came on his 15-yard touchdown to Nicks in the third quarter. While rolling to the right, Luck threw a dart to Nicks, getting plenty of zip on the ball and placing the ball in a tight window where only Nicks could grab it.
Overall, the numbers didn't look good for Luck, going 27-of-43 with 265 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. In fact, his passer rating was just 76.2, but the numbers don't do justice for Luck, who made the right decisions and didn't force anything that he didn't have to.
Grade: A
Running Back
2 of 10
Daniel Herron played through some obvious pain in this one, but that didn't keep him from running as hard as possible.
Like last week, Herron was productive in both the running and passing games early on. In the first half, Herron carried the ball 11 times for 43 yards and a touchdown while adding another 25 yards on six receptions.
The running game didn't exactly open up for Herron, finishing with 63 yards on 23 carries, but this was a game in which the Colts were determined to air it out. Zurlon Tipton made the most of his two carries, running for 14 yards while helping the Colts chew clock near the end of the game.
Expectations weren't high for the running backs going against a stingy front seven, but Herron and Tipton held on to the ball and made some positive plays, which is really all this team could have asked from them.
Grade: B
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
After a very rough game last week, T.Y. Hilton got off to a much better start against Denver. In the first quarter, he caught two passes for 43 yards, making some nice moves out of the slot to get open against Aqib Talib. The third-year receiver finished with 72 yards on four receptions, and while he did have one obvious drop, Hilton wasn't intimidated going against Pro Bowlers like Talib and Chris Harris Jr.
Hakeem Nicks wasn't great at the beginning of the season, but he's shown up lately in games, and he did so once again on Sunday. He finished with just two receptions for 24 yards, but both were crucial, especially the 15-yard touchdown. Rookie receiver Donte Moncrief also had a couple of nice receptions, catching two passes for 32 yards.
The tight ends also made some clutch catches, but Coby Fleener might have had the best one of the game. Surrounded by Broncos defenders, Fleener made a crucial 32-yard catch in traffic on third down to keep a drive alive. He finished with 49 yards on three receptions. Dwayne Allen caught four passes for 30 yards and a touchdown, while Jack Doyle also added 14 yards on three catches, with Luck consistently looking at his big men.
There were some plays that were left on the field by this unit, and Reggie Wayne was nonexistent with zero catches and just one target. However, there were also some big plays made by some of the depth guys like Nicks and Doyle, and that should be noted by the fans.
Grades: B+
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
With the same starting lineup on the offensive line from last week, many were curious to see if this unit could protect Luck once again. Through the first half, they definitely succeeded, allowing some pressure but not letting Luck get sacked once through the first two quarters.
The offensive line continued to hold up, giving Luck plenty of time in the pocket every time he dropped back to pass. Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware were completely nonexistent rushing the passer despite those two combining for 24 sacks during the regular season.
On the ground, the Colts averaged just 3.5 yards per carry as a team. The offensive line also dealt with multiple penalties, but those can slide when Luck isn't constantly getting hit.
It can't be overstated just how important the offensive line play was to the win on Sunday. The Colts planned on passing all day long, and the offensive line made sure Luck had the time to do so in what might have bee the best performance from this unit all year.
Grade: A
Defensive Line
5 of 10
Veteran Cory Redding and Josh Chapman stepped up early, blowing up a run from C.J. Anderson on the second play of the game for the Broncos. Both were crucial in stopping the run, helping hold the Broncos to just 89 yards rushing on 20 carries.
Arthur Jones was stuffing run lanes, but the play that will be remembered from him was the roughing-the-passer penalty on the opening drive on third down. That kept the drive alive for Denver, and they eventually capitalized with a touchdown. Fortunately, that play didn't end up costing his team in the long run.
It's hard to judge the effectiveness of a defensive line when the opponent is forced to start airing it out while playing from behind. However, this defensive line won the battle in the trenches, pushing opponents back on run plays and occasionally helping collapse the pocket when Manning dropped back to pass.
Redding is one of the emotional leaders on this defense, and he made a statement with his play early, helping set the tone for the rest of the defense.
Grade: B+
Linebacker
6 of 10
D'Qwell Jackson hasn't been the most reliable linebacker this year, but you could tell that he was playing with some extra motivation on Sunday. He was shooting through gaps much more effectively and getting running backs down before they could break away. Jackson finished with 10 total tackles, making big stops in the run and wrapping up receivers as soon as they caught the ball.
Jerrell Freeman wasn't the game-wrecker that he was last week, but he still had another very good game. Like Jackson, he was aggressive against the run, even picking up a tackle for loss. Freeman also helped in pass coverage, and he'll need to keep that up when the Colts have to take on the Patriots and Rob Gronkowski next week.
Rookie Jonathan Newsome might have had the game-changing play of the game. In the second quarter, Newsome jumped the snap beautifully and was able to get to Manning, stripping the ball away from him before he could pass. That turnover led to a touchdown, putting the Colts ahead. That wasn't the only play Newsome made, either, as he showcased his potential to become a fearsome pass-rusher in Indianapolis.
He may have only had one tackle, but Erik Walden did a better job setting the edge than he did last week. His one tackle came in the backfield, and he helped turn back running backs as they attempted to break to the outside.
This linebacker unit has been inconsistent, but it has come together in recent weeks. If Newsome can continue to pressure opposing quarterbacks and the inside linebackers can keep playing well, they should keep getting strong grades.
Grade: A
Secondary
7 of 10
Manning must have come into Sunday's game prepared to pick on LaRon Landry, because he targeted whomever Landry was covering early on. On Denver's opening drive, Manning threw at Landry twice, resulting in a big gain from Julius Thomas followed by a touchdown on a goal-line fade from Demaryius Thomas.
Landry kept having an up-and-down game. He would make a stop in pass coverage, then miss an open-field tackle, then wrap up a receiver on a screen before he could break away. Fortunately, Landry looked like the only player in the secondary who struggled.
Vontae Davis has played some of his best games against the Broncos, and Sunday was no exception. Along with seven solo tackles, Davis had three pass deflections. Many were worried that he was injured before halftime after going down, but he was able to return in the second half and kept shutting down his assignments.
On the other side, Greg Toler might have had the best game of his career. Along with some great open-field tackles to keep receivers from breaking away, he also made a great play on third down in the third quarter, pushing Emmanuel Sanders out of bounds before he could get his feet down on a pass down the sideline. Even Darius Butler had a good game, picking up a tackle for loss and pass deflection.
Thanks to great play from the secondary and some bad throws from Manning, the Broncos couldn't do anything in the passing game. Manning went just 25-of-45 for 187 yards and a touchdown, averaging just 4.2 yards per attempt.
They've already shut down one future Hall of Fame quarterback, now the secondary just has to do it again against Tom Brady next week and they could be heading to the Super Bowl.
Grade: A+
Special Teams
8 of 10
Adam Vinatieri had only missed one field goal in the regular season, but he already matched that in the playoffs. The 42-year-old kicker went 1-of-2, missing an early field goal that would have made it a two-possession game but making the 30-yard attempt.
Pat McAfee didn't have his best day punting, averaging just 42.3 yards per punt with a longest of 46 yards and pinning just one of his four tries inside the 20-yard line. It could have been worse, and you can be sure that McAfee will turn it around next week.
The return game will hurt this week's special teams grade because of the bad decisions from Josh Cribbs. The man seems determined to never call a fair catch, returning three punts for just seven yards. One return was almost disastrous, with Cribbs getting hit as soon as he caught the ball, nearly fumbling away to Denver. He'll need to be more careful next week, or else he could risk giving the ball away.
This wasn't the best performance from the special teams, but considering how well this unit has played all year, I expect them to fix whatever went wrong next week.
Grade: B
Coaching
9 of 10
Since the playoffs started, the coaching staff has looked like geniuses. Perhaps they were waiting to start making adjustments until it really mattered, but regardless, they've had this Colts team playing at an extremely high level.
The decision to put Trent Richardson on the inactive list was the right move before the game began. It appears that the coaches have finally given up on trying to get him going, and it has helped prevent the offense from stalling.
Chuck Pagano deserves credit for whatever he did this week to get his team focused. The Colts looked like the significantly better team compared to Denver on Sunday, and they played with a lot more emotion. Now it's up to Pagano to get the Colts that dialed-in again next week.
Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton had some strange play calls in the first half, calling numerous screen plays that went nowhere. However, Hamilton did a good job adjusting, and eventually his play-calling helped the Colts consistently move down the field.
On the other side, Greg Manusky seemed to know what to do to shut Denver's offense down. He made sure to focus on covering the middle of the field and the flats while trusting Toler and Davis to cover the sidelines. The strategy worked, with Manning struggling to pass the ball all game long.
This coaching staff is getting the Colts locked in at exactly the right time. If they can keep this up, the Colts have a shot at winning against the Patriots next week.
Grade: A+
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Position | Final Grades |
| QB | A |
| RB | B |
| WR/TE | B+ |
| OL | A |
| DL | B+ |
| LB | A |
| Secondary | A+ |
| Special Teams | B |
| Coaching | A+ |
| Cumulative Grade | A- |
Fans were prepared for a rebuilding process after Manning left before the 2012 season. Even the most optimistic fans likely weren't prepared for three straight playoff appearances, a trip to the AFC Championship Game and a win over the quarterback that brought the Colts to glory in just three years.
This Colts team is still far from perfect, but the pieces are in place for this team to be a legitimate AFC contender for years to come. Once Manning and Brady retire, the AFC will be wide open for Luck and the Colts to take over once again.
Looking ahead to the future is exciting an all, but the Colts are more interested in going to the Super Bowl right now. The Patriots present a major obstacle, however, with big mismatches in Gronkowski and their running game, which picked up 246 yards and four touchdown in their Week 11 meeting. The Colts will be underdogs for that game, but then again, they were also expected to lose on Sunday.
Whatever expectations the Colts had at the beginning of the year have been exceeded. Anything else that happens now is just icing on the cake.
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