Props to the Chargers
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2005 1:10 pm
The Chargers were able to do what only the Patriots have done in the last few years against the Colts and that is they just ran right over Indy's O-line. Right Tackle Ryam Diem had a horrible game against the Jaguars a week ago and I looked for him to bounce back this week. Not only did he not bounce back, he gave up a sack and then got injured. At that point my thought was, "Good, now maybe we'll get some protection from the right side." But then Merriman just pancaked Ryan Lilja at Left Guard and it seemed at that point that a long day was coming.
The Colts O-line is typically unpenetrable. But something was clearly wrong yesterday. In some cases, they were just beaten by guys like Merriman and props to them for that. But in others, guys made it through untouched and that NEVER happens.
The other big problem yesterday was the D and more specifically, the safeties. The big plays that were given up were complete blown coverages by the safeties. Bob Sanders specifically didn't do his job on three big plays. Both touchdowns were allowed by his lack of doing his job. Especially the 83 yard run to clinch it. Sanders wasn't even in the picture on that play.
One other issue that was odd about the Colts was the hands of the receivers. They let passes bounce off their hands yesterday that they typically pull in without any trouble. And both of the Chargers picks came off balls that bounced off the receivers' hands.
While I'm disapointed that they played the starters and lost, I know it's not the end of the season. The Colts have played poorly several times this season and every tim they have bounced back and fixed the problems they were having. In week 2 when the Jaguars held them to 10 points, one might have thought that J-ville had given everyone a blueprint on how to stop the Colts offense. Well, after week 14 they were still toward the top in scoring offense. After the Cincinnati game, one would have thought that the bengals had given everyone the blueprint on how to run the ball against the Colts D. The very next week, Pittsburgh with a healthy Jerome Bettis, Willie parker and Staley couldn't run for squat against them.
So in much that same fashion, the Colts will learn from their errors in this game and will bounce back. And I can guarantee the starters will be in there against the likes of Seattle and Arizona in order to get this thing back on track.
The Colts O-line is typically unpenetrable. But something was clearly wrong yesterday. In some cases, they were just beaten by guys like Merriman and props to them for that. But in others, guys made it through untouched and that NEVER happens.
The other big problem yesterday was the D and more specifically, the safeties. The big plays that were given up were complete blown coverages by the safeties. Bob Sanders specifically didn't do his job on three big plays. Both touchdowns were allowed by his lack of doing his job. Especially the 83 yard run to clinch it. Sanders wasn't even in the picture on that play.
One other issue that was odd about the Colts was the hands of the receivers. They let passes bounce off their hands yesterday that they typically pull in without any trouble. And both of the Chargers picks came off balls that bounced off the receivers' hands.
While I'm disapointed that they played the starters and lost, I know it's not the end of the season. The Colts have played poorly several times this season and every tim they have bounced back and fixed the problems they were having. In week 2 when the Jaguars held them to 10 points, one might have thought that J-ville had given everyone a blueprint on how to stop the Colts offense. Well, after week 14 they were still toward the top in scoring offense. After the Cincinnati game, one would have thought that the bengals had given everyone the blueprint on how to run the ball against the Colts D. The very next week, Pittsburgh with a healthy Jerome Bettis, Willie parker and Staley couldn't run for squat against them.
So in much that same fashion, the Colts will learn from their errors in this game and will bounce back. And I can guarantee the starters will be in there against the likes of Seattle and Arizona in order to get this thing back on track.