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Wednesday, Oct 8, 2008
Battered Steelers learn the Colts can beat you any way you want to play.
Nov 29, 2005 | Did you get the idea that Monday night's game was over when Peyton Manning hit Marvin Harrison for an 80-yard touchdown on the Indianapolis' Colts first play from scrimmage?
I did, and it looked like Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher did too. Though the Steelers hung with the Colts for the rest of the half on the scoreboard thanks to a slew of Colts penalties and a 7-yard touchdown drive that followed an interception, Cowher, down 16-7, called a desperation play to start the second half.
He ordered an onside kick, which the Colts recovered at the Pittsburgh 37. Seven plays later Manning hit Bryan Fletcher for a 12-yard touchdown and a 23-7 lead. Goodnight, everybody. Your late local news is next.
The Colts improved to 11-0, five wins shy of the first undefeated regular season in the NFL since the Miami Dolphins went 14-0 in 1972. So they're about a third of the way there. I wrote a few weeks ago that you're halfway to 16-0 when you're 14-0. Monday night Al Michaels said on ABC that you're halfway there at 13-0. Either way, long way to go.
But against two of the best teams in football the last two weeks, the Colts have started to look like the New England Patriots of the last few years, or a better comparison would be the San Antonio Spurs. They can beat you playing their game, but they can also beat you playing yours.
Want to try to outrace and outgun 'em? Colts 45, Cincinnati Bengals 37. Want to slug 'em in the mouth, rough 'em up a little? Colts 26, Steelers 7.
That used to be the way to get to the Colts, as the Patriots repeatedly showed in the playoffs. Mug them. They're known as a finesse team -- a football code word meaning they're a bunch of sissies who listen to show tunes in the locker room if you know what I mean -- that will wilt if physically challenged.
Not anymore. After Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor made the colossal mistake of biting on a fake handoff on that first play, allowing Harrison to race past him for the easy catch and score, he went to the next page in the playbook, trying to rough Harrison up.
Harrison, always a Lady Byng Trophy candidate, fought back, even earning a personal foul penalty around the goal line that pushed the Colts back from second and goal at the 7 to second and goal at the 22, possibly costing them a touchdown. They settled for a field goal and a 10-0 lead, which, as it turns out, was all they'd need.
The message was clear. This is a different Colts team than those earlier editions. And if Marvin Harrison didn't get the message across, the Colts defense did.
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