Drive Charts

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Drive Charts

Written by Nate Dunlevy

Sunday, 07 February 2010 22:17

DRIVE ONE: 12 plays, FG

DRIVE TWO: 11 plays, TD

DRIVE THREE: 3 plays, punt. Garcon drops sure first down on third down.

DRIVE FOUR: 3 plays punt. Three stupid run plays to end the half.

DRIVE FIVE: 10 plays, TD

DRIVE SIX: 11 plays, missed FG

DRIVE SEVEN: 8 plays, INT

DRIVE EIGHT: 10 plays, turnover on downs

When you only get eight possessions in a game, you can't afford to piss one away with crappy runs at the end of the half. You also can't afford to let one end with lame unmakeable field goal attempt. I'm sure Manning will take all the blame for this game, but personally, I felt like the coaching, the wide receivers (Wayne and Garcon), and the lack of a second half pass rush did the Colts in more than one bad throw. The pick six sucked, but it should never have come to that. I guess I don't feel bad about it, because it felt like the game was already over. A TD there, and the Saints still get the ball last. There was no way they weren't going to score.

Sean Payton essentially stole two Indianapolis possessions. By going for it on fourth down at the end of the first half, he baited the Colts into wasting their prime two minute drive. He lost nothing and got the Colts to punt without Manning ever throwing. Then he stole another with the onsides kick. At a moment when Indy could easily have stretched the lead to 20 or 24-6, his coaching turned it into at 13-10 game. That's just brilliant.

Take notes Caldwell. Aggressive wins. Passive loses. It's the way it works in the modern NFL.

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The game changed
written by gizzardfanny, February 07, 2010

With Garcon's drop.

I can't believe we didn't even try to get a good drive going to end the 2nd half. That is where Manning thrives. That just showed how unusual conservative we went.

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written by diogenes, February 07, 2010

Really feeling depressed right now. Trying to think what roster additions the Colts could use for next year besides a linebacker who can successfully blitz, pressure and sack the other team's QB.

I can suggest some useful subtractions to the roster:
Hank Basket Case, Tim Jennings.

...
written by 35er, February 07, 2010

I think we need add depth to our OL, DT, and corner. That's what I see, at least. I'm sure DZ will have a good write up about this come draft time.

Anyone know how many possessions the Saints had?

Onside kick was the game
written by mjpmvp11, February 07, 2010

As soon as the Colts didn't recover the onside kick I thought it was over. It was definite when the Saints scored. As you said it went from a 20-6 or 24-6 game to 13-10. Also the field goal at end of the half was big. Smart coaching by Sean Payton. He was the MVP of the game. I agree the pick 6 didn't matter. Either we tie and maybe go to OT or Saints drive for the win. Plus I think Wayne was more to blame for the pick as he was slow on the route and allowed Porter to jump the route.

On the whole Caldwell didn't call a bad game but i do feel we were too passive & the offense didn't take enough chances or try deep routes until the game was over.

you prepared to loose
written by the colt "iowa"fan, February 07, 2010

Giving the jets a pass gave the Saints the victory. The lesson, Coach get you S%&%^T together, if you are going to play a game, YOU PLAY TO WIN!!!! This loss is a direct reaction of giving away a game.

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written by DZ, February 07, 2010

That was the most nonsensical comment of all time.

So SO depressed right now
written by npb1985, February 07, 2010

Defense? What defense? 2nd quarter on it didn't exist. Coaching? HA!!!! Caldwell coached so cowardly it wasn't even funny. Addai? You did great my man? Peyton? Great job, but TERRIBLE pass at end, but one man doesn't win a super bowl. Great game overall by you.

18to88 has said all along that if a game had to be decided by a long field goal.....ugh....you do the math. It happened.

Should we be depressed? Uh...f***ing yes!!!! Should we be disappointed? Maybe a little. But remember. Freeney: severely hurt. Bob: out for season. Powers: played twice in almost a month in a half. Jackson: Out for season.

Guys....Peyton is great, IMO, the best ever, but even HE can't overcome EVERYTHING and ANYTHING. Peyton is one man. Caldwell coaches all of these men. He failed miserably tonight. Leslie Frazier sounds to me like a damn good replacement. Oh, and um.....you better make a good living off of Kendra, Baskett, because you are worthless and a huge waist of a jersey. Thanks for those hands, there, chief.

Also the Defense
written by mjpmvp11, February 07, 2010

The defense had chances particularly early to get some turnovers. As they were flying around and the Saints seem rattled by the spotlight early. Plus the Garcon drop as you said was huge. It might have been a TD. Could have put the game away.

Oh well time for next year. Colts will definitely bounce back and be back in the Super Bowl! With a great new coach, #18 Peyton Manning, young WR's and an improving defense.

...
written by unclebengi, February 07, 2010

Thoroughly out-coached. I don't think you can blame Wayne, he was hurt and had an undesirable matchup. Other than one drop Pierre played great.

You HAVE to be prepared for an onside kick at halftime (even if I wasn't). You can't allow Peyton to throw downfield on 3rd and 11 when picking up 4 or 5 yards gives you a makeable FG...Hope for yds after the catch.

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written by matuag, February 07, 2010

There is a conservative coaching philosophy called Marty Ball. There will very soon be another one - Caldy Pass smilies/cry.gif

Don't blame Caldwell
written by WayneMane, February 07, 2010

The Colts had their chances. Caldwell was not responsible for the pick 6. However, we should have tried to score at the end of the half. Other than that, the inability to get off the field on 3rd down that happened all season hurt us. Garcon drops, and he didn't lose the game either, hurt us. Reggie Wayne's drop hurt, he had done that a little all year. We just lost. The whole team is to blame

Caldwell doesn't deserve all the blame
written by John Gibson, February 07, 2010

The team did have chances but let's not pretend like Caldwell didn't coach scared.

Throwing away the possesion at the end of the half was inexcusable and attempting a FG clearly outside of Stover's range was inexcusable. He doesn't deserve all the blame but he certainly deserves some of it for his bad decisions. Payton coached to win the game, Caldwell coached not to lose. As DZ rightfully points out... Aggressive wins. Passive loses

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written by David Etheredge, February 07, 2010

Couldn't agree with you more about the lack of aggressiveness. The 51 yard field goal, the decision not to attempt to drive for points before the half even though Manning had already led the Colts on the longest (tied) TD drive in Super Bowl history earlier in the game, the conservative game plan on defense even after the Saints started gashing the Colts and it became clear that gameplan wasn't going to work any longer - all signs that Caldwell was out coached. And I believe it all stems from the Jets game when Caldwell / Polian sat the starters. Conservative to a fault.

It just was not a particularly good game
written by Bob M, February 07, 2010

Addai had a very good game. The OL had a good game. Peyton had a good game, or average for him. Clark was good.

On D, Brackett had a million tackles and Freeney got constant pressure despite the DTs and saved 4 pts with his sack. Aside from that, we let a couple potential picks go, missed a lot of tackles, and on ST were outcoached. So the D was below average and the ST (I include the poor choice to kick a 50+ FG) were below average.

Coaching was too mild.

All in all, a game that would have beaten 26 other teams, been a tie with 4 other teams, and lost to the SB winners.

Next year we have a matured WR corps, a matured and maybe healthy D backfield, and maybe added depth to the OL (new starters? Ours did fine in the post-season.), DL, and LB corps. I don't see why we should regress, aside from other teams improving more than we do (simply because they have more room to improve).....

Next year
written by Chris S., February 07, 2010

Hey, Bobman. I agree with you. We'll have a good team next year.

I vehemently disagree with Mr. Etheredge, though. The Jets game had nothing to do with this. Caldwell has, in previous games, done some aggressive clock management with TOs. He's gone for it on 4th down when he should have. Today, he didn't make some good decisions. He should have been aggressive right before halftime instead of playing for a 10-3 halftime lead. Had it been 4th and 6, he probably goes for it instead of sending out Stover. He should still have just gone for it, but the down and distance kind of overwhelmed him I think. But to say that the Jets game had anything to do with this is silly.

If anything, I think that the way the season turned out was an advertisement for the "sitting starters" status quo. With the Welker injury, and the Colts coming out firing on all cylinders in their first two playoff games, resting looked good. Then, Freeney sustained an injury while finishing off the Jets. And we lost the Super Bowl.

Health matters. Husbanding and guarding players' health is important. The regular season Jets game had nothing to do with this one.

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written by DZ, February 08, 2010

Nothing goes back to resting the starters. Come on. I honestly believe that had we played out the last two weeks, we never would have been healthy enough to MAKE the Super Bowl. We certainly weren't healthy enough on defense to win it even with rest.

That game showed why rest was the right call, not the wrong one.