Watching the Colts-Jaguars game, I saw to truly outstanding players. Oh sure, there were lots of very good, even great players, but there were two who really were history makers – what the TV commentators call “game changers.” There was one on each side; and the better one won.
The champion of Jacksonville was none other than Maurice Jones-Drew. I won’t go into another tirade of how and why the Colts should have taken my advice and drafted him instead of Joseph Addai, although I was excruciatingly reminded of it every time I saw him drag guys in white shirts twice his size for extra yards. No, I won’t rhapsodize about MJD ... for now. Instead, I’ll look at the guys he embarrassed.
Actually, aside from the great Daniel Travanti Muir (left) – who is still surprising me with his stout play and durability – they all got handled. And I can’t really give Muir that much of a pass because he was usually facing some guy named Uche Nwaneri who has never done anything of merit. On the other hand, the Colts defenders facing better and more experienced Jaguars were mostly steamrolled. Everyone from big ol’ Antonio “Mookie” Johnson to the teensiest defensive back was pushed around. Keyunta Dawson – who’s supposed to be the run-stoppin’ end – looked particularly bad. But I’m not sure it was the Jags’ offensive line that had anything to do with it. To be honest, there’s some talent there (especially among the youngsters), but they’re not that good yet. I really think MJD did a lot of that on his own.While Eric Foster was one of the Colts defenders who basically laid down against the run, he was very impressive against the pass, getting David Garrard’s face with stunning regularity.
None of the linebackers did much of note. But none of them looked awful either.
The Jaguars’ receiving corps is unspectacular, but they looked good against the Colts’ DBs. Rookie Jacob Lacey looked very good – maybe because there were no 220-240-pound monsters to bash him up or a change. He saw that Garrard was overthrowing his guys all day and cashed in at 1:05 with a pick on a pass that sailed well over Mike Thomas’ upstretched hands to seal the win.
Other than that, there’s not so much to talk about. As is becoming alarmingly usual, Melvin Bullitt got pwned in coverage, and even Kelvin Hayden looked a bit shaky.
Turning to the Colts’ offense, we saw the only player on the field more capable of great things than MJD – Peyton Manning. Throw away his 134.4 passer rating – which was marred by an interception that occurred when tight end Dallas Clark tried to turn a drop into a catch and juggled the ball into Daryl Smith’s hands. What was shocking was how the Colts instinctively knew he’d take care of them when he got the ball back in his hands.
Aside from the interception he helped out on, Clark had a very nice day as a receiver. In fact, he redeemed himself with a long (27-yard) touchdown pass on what looked like the exact same play.
More impressive, though, was wideout Reggie Wayne (5-132-1), whose 65-yard score was a classic, It was a three-wide set with Austin Collie in the left slot, Wayne split wide left and Hank Baskett split wide right. Wayne blew past rookie corner Derek Cox and then won a footrace with safety Reggie Nelson. Although Nelson was credited (debited?) with giving up the score, it’s noteworthy that Cox didn’t play another down after that play.
The other receivers contributed a lot less on the stats sheet, but Collie gave slot corner Derek Middleton fits all day. And Collie’s touchdown reception was just another example of how well and fearlessly he works the middle. Pierre Garcon gets the lion’s share of media and fan attention for his long, highlight film touchdowns, but I think Collie’s had a bigger overall impact. It was interesting to see Baskett out there in the fourth. He ran some routes, but Manning never looked his way.
The Colts running backs were uninspiring again. In their defense, the Jags are harder than most to run against, but still. Addai gained 59 yards on 16 carries (3.69 average), backup Mike Hart had runs of 2, 5 and -4 yards (1.00 average) and Collie gained two on a trick play. Neither of the halfbacks was a big factor in the passing game as a receiver – Addai went 3-14-0 and Hart 1-11-0 – but both stood up fairly well against the blitz.
In fact, all of the Colts did a good job in a pass-pro. Not only was Manning not sacked, he was never hit. The left side of the line – ailing, out-of-position tackle Charlie Johnson and inconsistent guard Ryan Lilja – gave up a little pressure, but they spent a lot of time facing the Jags’ best rushers, linebacker Smith and natural-tackle-playing-end John Henderson. But the pass-rush has been Jacksonville’s Achilles Heel for as long as I can remember. Remember how Quentin Groves and Derrick Harvey were going to change that? Well, they were both easily managed by the Colts.
Remember fullback roulette? Well the marble landed in Foster’s slot this week, so he ran three plays on offense late in the game. He wound up getting a false start penalty and the Colts went three-and-out on the drive, so you could see Cody Glenn there next week. Considering that Foster played all five defensive line positions – yeah, on the nine plays the Colts played with a three-man line, he was the nose tackle on eight of them – and outside linebacker, maybe yet another position is just too much for him. He’s a smart kid, but c’mon ...
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Chad Simpson’s kick return for a score, but I also can't ignore his potentially disastrous end zone fumble. I’m still not a big fan. Pat McAfee had a rare rough day both punting and kicking off.
Preview
People underestimate the Jets. When Sanchez is on (and he will be a lot over the next decade or so), they are dangerous. They have lots of good players on offense, and can score from anywhere. But the Colts may just have caught a break. Nick Mangold, the Jets’ center, has fallen ill with flu. If he’s out, the Colts should have no problem with the Jets’ offense. See, Mangold is the Jets’ best player on offense at any position, and if Sanchez is pressured, he’s nowhere near as successful. I don’t mean to dis Mangold’s backup – Robert Turner, who is a pretty decent prospect in his own right – but if Mangold is out, the Jets are cooked. Like many a rookie quarterback, Sanchez is awful when under pressure. And if Mangold is out, Colts like Foster and blitz-maniac Gary Brackett could rain terror upon him. But illness is the strangest of injuries. If Mangold wakes up on Sunday and isn’t puking, it could be a long day for the Colts’ defensive line.
On defense, the Jets have no real pass-rush threats aside from middle linebacker David Harris. The inner three should be up to handling him, so Manning should be free to work his magic. The Jets have perhaps the best corner in football – oh, how I love this kid! – in Darrelle Revis, and they move him around to cover the opponent’s best receiver. He really could well neutralize Wayne, so look for Manning to target other receivers. And Kerry Rhodes, one of the league’s best safeties, will have Clark in his sights. Collie could have a very big day.
As far as running, the Jets are solid up the middle and vulnerable on the outside. Look for lots of stretch running plays and the occasional screen.
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