Yeah, I said the 5-letter word we’re not supposed to say about teams and players, but the Colts choked!
The Colts came out and played right into the hands of New England by running the ball and shooting it short. They didn’t stretch the field like they have all year and could have exploited the Patriots’ defensive weakness. For whatever reason, they decided to play close to the vest and get the win.
When the hell did that become his offensive game plan? Who the hell decided to try and do this against the defending champions? Sure, Manning would have taken a few standing shots in the pocket longer, but you have to do what he brought you to the dance. If they had extended the field, the running lanes and shorter passing routes would have opened up and then you could have saved Manning from potential sacks.
The Colts seemed to run the ball on first and second down on every possession and then on third down they had too many dropped passes in the first half. They looked good running the two-minute drive late in the first half and should have rushed out to open the third quarter. By the middle of the third quarter, New England’s defensive backs were sitting on all short routes and throwing big hits to receivers.
Yes, the Patriots are an amazing team and deserve everything that comes their way, but they should send a lot of thank you cards to the Colts for playing the Patriots type of game. The Colts should have gone out and played like they have all year. Then when the snow settled and if they had lost, at least they would know they gave it their all and the handicappers behind them wouldn’t feel so bad.