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profootballweekly
Buffalo lays the blueprint for how to beat the Colts
By Nolan Nawrocki
Nov. 13, 2006
When Peyton Manning is on his game, scouts say no one can beat Indy. Manning is too good, but he was on his game Sunday and the Colts almost tripped up. They may still be undefeated, but they showed some chinks in their armor vs. the 3-6 Bills, who nearly put together a plan to blemish a perfect season.
To beat the Colts, teams have to control Manning, and the best way to control him is to keep him off the field, which the Bills effectively did for much of the game by accomplishing another goal — running the ball vs. what was the league’s worst run defense entering the game.
Behind an average offensive line, Anthony Thomas was able to pick up chunks of yardage with his north-south, hard-charging running style. To be effective, teams need to control the line of scrimmage and knock Indy’s undersized front out of its gaps. The Bills could have done it a lot better, but Thomas does not possess the extra gear to get very far even when lanes opened.
Colts GM Bill Polian built the team to play fast indoors, and their offense is built around a timing, high-tempo passing game that creates mismatches with two dynamite receivers. The league has not seen a tandem as savvy and effective after the catch as Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne since Jerry Rice and John Taylor were dominating in Bill Walsh’s offense in the early 1990s.
The Bills attempted to keep them in check by doubling up outside and trying to eliminate the Colts’ big plays. The plan was effective, as Manning only completed one deep pass all day — for 23 yards across the middle to TE Dallas Clark — and continually checked down.
As long as Manning is able to continue dissecting defenses, the Colts will have a chance every week, but a team that can pound the ball and play smashmouth football will give the Colts trouble down the stretch, like the Steelers did a year ago. Despite their unblemished record, scouts don’t fear the Colts. Manning may create headaches, but their defense is not good enough, giving up too many big plays. If a team can establish a lead and force Manning to pass every down, he often gets out of rhythm and loses his effectiveness
profootballweekly
Buffalo lays the blueprint for how to beat the Colts
By Nolan Nawrocki
Nov. 13, 2006
When Peyton Manning is on his game, scouts say no one can beat Indy. Manning is too good, but he was on his game Sunday and the Colts almost tripped up. They may still be undefeated, but they showed some chinks in their armor vs. the 3-6 Bills, who nearly put together a plan to blemish a perfect season.
To beat the Colts, teams have to control Manning, and the best way to control him is to keep him off the field, which the Bills effectively did for much of the game by accomplishing another goal — running the ball vs. what was the league’s worst run defense entering the game.
Behind an average offensive line, Anthony Thomas was able to pick up chunks of yardage with his north-south, hard-charging running style. To be effective, teams need to control the line of scrimmage and knock Indy’s undersized front out of its gaps. The Bills could have done it a lot better, but Thomas does not possess the extra gear to get very far even when lanes opened.
Colts GM Bill Polian built the team to play fast indoors, and their offense is built around a timing, high-tempo passing game that creates mismatches with two dynamite receivers. The league has not seen a tandem as savvy and effective after the catch as Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne since Jerry Rice and John Taylor were dominating in Bill Walsh’s offense in the early 1990s.
The Bills attempted to keep them in check by doubling up outside and trying to eliminate the Colts’ big plays. The plan was effective, as Manning only completed one deep pass all day — for 23 yards across the middle to TE Dallas Clark — and continually checked down.
As long as Manning is able to continue dissecting defenses, the Colts will have a chance every week, but a team that can pound the ball and play smashmouth football will give the Colts trouble down the stretch, like the Steelers did a year ago. Despite their unblemished record, scouts don’t fear the Colts. Manning may create headaches, but their defense is not good enough, giving up too many big plays. If a team can establish a lead and force Manning to pass every down, he often gets out of rhythm and loses his effectiveness
