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Below's a good (long) article by Colts writer re Indy loss to the Cowboys. Ended up essentially saying they can't make the many mistakes they did against a good team like the Cowboys and win the game. Enjoy
Monday, November 20
BURNED IN BIG D
By John Oehser - Colts.com
Colts Lose to Dallas, 21-14, in Texas Stadium
IRVING, Texas – Tony Dungy saw it very simply.
Too many mistakes.
Too many turnovers.
Too many lost opportunities.
“When you play a good team, mistakes are going to cost you,” the Colts Head Coach said.
And on Sunday, they cost the Colts big-time.
The Colts, who entered the weekend as the NFL’s last remaining unbeaten team, became the last team in the league to lose in the 2006 regular season Sunday, losing to the Dallas Cowboys, 21-14, in front of 63,706 at Texas Stadium.
“Everybody knows it’s not the end of the world, but at this point, no one likes to lose, especially when you didn’t play your best and didn’t go out there and get the job done,” Colts linebacker Cato June said.
The Colts (9-1), who lost for just the fourth time in their last 35 regular-season games, committed four turnovers, two lost fumbles and two interceptions, one of which was an interception returned for a 39-yard touchdown early in the second half.
They also dropped at least one interception, and late in the game, had an interception reversed because of a defensive holding penalty.
They were uncharacteristic errors, Dungy said, but they were the kinds of mistakes the Colts have made a bit more in recent weeks.
In the past few games, the Colts overcame those errors.
On Sunday, they couldn’t.”
“We’ve had some of this show up in the past,” Dungy said. “We’ve been able to dodge bullets. Today, we couldn’t dodge a bullet.”
The Colts, with their nine consecutive victories to start the season, became the first team in NFL history to start consecutive seasons with 9-0 records.
“We have to go back and get another streak started,” Dungy said.
“I don’t think this game had much to do with the other games,” said Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who completed 20 of 39 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions for a season-low passer rating of 67.7.
“This was about Dallas out-executing us. They made more plays than we did. We got some turnovers defensively, but it was kind of off-set by the turnovers we had offensively. You can’t turn it over that many times on the road against a good team like Dallas.
“You’ve just to give them credit. They just outplayed us.”
Particularly in the second half, a half that began with a 39-yard interception return for a touchdown by Cowboys linebacker Kevin Burnett and a half in which Dallas outscored the Colts, 21-7.
After holding the Cowboys scoreless in the first half, a half in which they allowed just 134 total yards and seven first downs, the Colts’ defense allowed 14 second-half points and 208 total yards.
The Cowboys outscored the Colts 14-0 in the fourth quarter, with running back Marion Barber capping two long touchdown drives with runs of 5 yards and 1 yard.
His five-yarder with 11:36 remaining tied it 14-14.
His 1-yarder with 6:00 remaining was the game-winner.
“There were some plays to be made and we didn’t make them,” Colts defensive tackle Anthony “Booger” McFarland said. “In this type of game, if you don’t make those plays, you’re not going to win.
“I don’t care who you are. You can’t win with mistakes – offense, defense, special teams. You just can’t win. You have to be able to limit your mistakes. I don’t care if you’re 9-0 or 0-9. You
have to not make mistakes, and you have to be able to make the swing plays in the fourth quarter.
“Today, you have to take your hats off to the Cowboys. They made them and we didn’t.”
The Colts now lead the AFC South by three and a half games over Jacksonville. The Jaguars play host to the New York Giants Monday night.
“Fundamental football still wins in this league,” Dungy said. “You can’t do the things we did today and win. We’ve had some of this show up in the past and we’ve been able to overcome it, but you’re playing with fire.
“Today, the fire caught us.”
For the Colts, the turnovers started early. They fumbled three times in the first quarter, losing two. The Cowboys recovered fumbles by Manning and wide receiver Marvin Harrison as the Colts managed 42 yards offense in the quarter.
The Cowboys couldn’t take advantage because Indianapolis forced Dallas into mistakes, too. On the Cowboys’ first series, Indianapolis defensive end Dwight Freeney sacked Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, forcing a fumble that linebacker Cato June recovered.
Later in the quarter, Colts cornerback Nick Harper intercepted a deep pass from Romo at the Cowboys 9.
The Colts got a late touchdown pass from Manning to wide receiver Reggie Wayne just before the end of the second quarter and entered halftime with a 7-0 lead.
“We felt pretty good,” Dungy said. “We had a seven-point lead and we were getting the ball to start the second half. We felt like if we could get up two scores, we could put some pressure on them and force them into a throwing game.”
Instead, the Cowboys tied the game, 7-7, when linebacker Kevin Burnett returned an interception 39 yards for a touchdown on the Colts’ first possession of the second half.
“It was that type of game,” Dungy said.
The Colts failed to score on their next drive, but late in the third quarter, they drove for a touchdown that gave them a one-touchdown lead.
After a Dallas punt, the Colts drove 80 yards on 10 plays, with Colts quarterback Peyton Manning throwing four yards to tight end Dallas Clark for a touchdown and a 14-7 Indianapolis lead.
The Cowboys tied the game with a 68-yard, 15-play drive that ended with Barber’s 5-yard run. After the Colts failed to pick up a first down on the ensuing drive, Dallas used seven plays to drive 80 yards, taking its first lead on Barber’s one-yard run.
The Colts, who rallied for come-from-behind fourth-quarter victories against Tennessee, Denver and the New York Jets this season, drove 62 yards to the Dallas 8, but on 4th-and-2 – after an incomplete pass to tight end Ben Utecht on third down – Manning’s pass to the back of the end zone was also incomplete.
“We’ve been in similar situations in the past where we had made plays,” Manning said. “Today, we didn’t.”
Said Clark, “You just can’t make those mistakes and you’ve just got to execute better against opponents like that. They made the plays they had to.”
“It’s always disappointing when you don’t win, and this was a very disappointing game,” Dungy said. “I thought Dallas played very well. They came out with a lot of energy. They were very physical and they came out hitting. It was that type of game, where you were going to have to play fundamental football. We weren’t able to do that today. . . . “They made the plays and we couldn’t today.”
Monday, November 20
BURNED IN BIG D
Colts Lose to Dallas, 21-14, in Texas Stadium
IRVING, Texas – Tony Dungy saw it very simply.
Too many mistakes.
Too many turnovers.
Too many lost opportunities.
“When you play a good team, mistakes are going to cost you,” the Colts Head Coach said.
And on Sunday, they cost the Colts big-time.
The Colts, who entered the weekend as the NFL’s last remaining unbeaten team, became the last team in the league to lose in the 2006 regular season Sunday, losing to the Dallas Cowboys, 21-14, in front of 63,706 at Texas Stadium.
“Everybody knows it’s not the end of the world, but at this point, no one likes to lose, especially when you didn’t play your best and didn’t go out there and get the job done,” Colts linebacker Cato June said.
The Colts (9-1), who lost for just the fourth time in their last 35 regular-season games, committed four turnovers, two lost fumbles and two interceptions, one of which was an interception returned for a 39-yard touchdown early in the second half.
They also dropped at least one interception, and late in the game, had an interception reversed because of a defensive holding penalty.
They were uncharacteristic errors, Dungy said, but they were the kinds of mistakes the Colts have made a bit more in recent weeks.
In the past few games, the Colts overcame those errors.
On Sunday, they couldn’t.”
“We’ve had some of this show up in the past,” Dungy said. “We’ve been able to dodge bullets. Today, we couldn’t dodge a bullet.”
The Colts, with their nine consecutive victories to start the season, became the first team in NFL history to start consecutive seasons with 9-0 records.
“We have to go back and get another streak started,” Dungy said.
“I don’t think this game had much to do with the other games,” said Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who completed 20 of 39 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions for a season-low passer rating of 67.7.
“This was about Dallas out-executing us. They made more plays than we did. We got some turnovers defensively, but it was kind of off-set by the turnovers we had offensively. You can’t turn it over that many times on the road against a good team like Dallas.
“You’ve just to give them credit. They just outplayed us.”
Particularly in the second half, a half that began with a 39-yard interception return for a touchdown by Cowboys linebacker Kevin Burnett and a half in which Dallas outscored the Colts, 21-7.
After holding the Cowboys scoreless in the first half, a half in which they allowed just 134 total yards and seven first downs, the Colts’ defense allowed 14 second-half points and 208 total yards.
The Cowboys outscored the Colts 14-0 in the fourth quarter, with running back Marion Barber capping two long touchdown drives with runs of 5 yards and 1 yard.
His five-yarder with 11:36 remaining tied it 14-14.
His 1-yarder with 6:00 remaining was the game-winner.
“There were some plays to be made and we didn’t make them,” Colts defensive tackle Anthony “Booger” McFarland said. “In this type of game, if you don’t make those plays, you’re not going to win.
“I don’t care who you are. You can’t win with mistakes – offense, defense, special teams. You just can’t win. You have to be able to limit your mistakes. I don’t care if you’re 9-0 or 0-9. You
have to not make mistakes, and you have to be able to make the swing plays in the fourth quarter. “Today, you have to take your hats off to the Cowboys. They made them and we didn’t.”
The Colts now lead the AFC South by three and a half games over Jacksonville. The Jaguars play host to the New York Giants Monday night.
“Fundamental football still wins in this league,” Dungy said. “You can’t do the things we did today and win. We’ve had some of this show up in the past and we’ve been able to overcome it, but you’re playing with fire.
“Today, the fire caught us.”
For the Colts, the turnovers started early. They fumbled three times in the first quarter, losing two. The Cowboys recovered fumbles by Manning and wide receiver Marvin Harrison as the Colts managed 42 yards offense in the quarter.
The Cowboys couldn’t take advantage because Indianapolis forced Dallas into mistakes, too. On the Cowboys’ first series, Indianapolis defensive end Dwight Freeney sacked Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, forcing a fumble that linebacker Cato June recovered.
Later in the quarter, Colts cornerback Nick Harper intercepted a deep pass from Romo at the Cowboys 9.
The Colts got a late touchdown pass from Manning to wide receiver Reggie Wayne just before the end of the second quarter and entered halftime with a 7-0 lead.
“We felt pretty good,” Dungy said. “We had a seven-point lead and we were getting the ball to start the second half. We felt like if we could get up two scores, we could put some pressure on them and force them into a throwing game.”
Instead, the Cowboys tied the game, 7-7, when linebacker Kevin Burnett returned an interception 39 yards for a touchdown on the Colts’ first possession of the second half.
“It was that type of game,” Dungy said.
The Colts failed to score on their next drive, but late in the third quarter, they drove for a touchdown that gave them a one-touchdown lead.
After a Dallas punt, the Colts drove 80 yards on 10 plays, with Colts quarterback Peyton Manning throwing four yards to tight end Dallas Clark for a touchdown and a 14-7 Indianapolis lead.
The Cowboys tied the game with a 68-yard, 15-play drive that ended with Barber’s 5-yard run. After the Colts failed to pick up a first down on the ensuing drive, Dallas used seven plays to drive 80 yards, taking its first lead on Barber’s one-yard run.
The Colts, who rallied for come-from-behind fourth-quarter victories against Tennessee, Denver and the New York Jets this season, drove 62 yards to the Dallas 8, but on 4th-and-2 – after an incomplete pass to tight end Ben Utecht on third down – Manning’s pass to the back of the end zone was also incomplete.
“We’ve been in similar situations in the past where we had made plays,” Manning said. “Today, we didn’t.”
Said Clark, “You just can’t make those mistakes and you’ve just got to execute better against opponents like that. They made the plays they had to.”
“It’s always disappointing when you don’t win, and this was a very disappointing game,” Dungy said. “I thought Dallas played very well. They came out with a lot of energy. They were very physical and they came out hitting. It was that type of game, where you were going to have to play fundamental football. We weren’t able to do that today. . . . “They made the plays and we couldn’t today.”
