Here’s a look at what I thought would happen. And here’s a look at what did, based on the questions asked Saturday.
Question: Which team is more impacted by injuries?
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Answer: I thought it was the Colts, but can’t say that in the end that they were that impacted, mainly because they still had QB Peyton Manning. He trumps all. The Redskins used a lot of fast dime packages and I’m not sure how much Rocky McIntosh would have played in those. Colts LB Pat Angerer seemed to fit in fine for Gary Brackett and Aaron Francisco, their third starting strong safety, had an interception.
Question: Which loss would be bigger: McIntosh or Haynesworth?
Answer: Haynesworth, though, again it’s because of what the defense was doing. Yes, Haynesworth would have been hurt by facing a no-huddle; opponents have talked about that in the past. But considering how small the Colts’ line is, he would have helped. The Colts drove open some holes by getting to Jeremy Jarmon a few times; not his fault but he’s just undersized inside. Haynesworth, if he knows the game plan and his mind is right, would have helped. But that’s the problem; he still is learning the defense and for him to get the game plan a day later than others, I’m not confident he would have had it down. And in this defense, you must adhere to your role and know which gap you must hit. If not, huge plays follow.
Question: What is the concern if Haynesworth does play?
Answer: I thought it was the draw. Turns out it was still the run. Teams often let Haynesworth penetrate to a side and hit them the other way. But the Colts still ran well anyway. They caught Washington’s front moving around in disguises and hit them with some quick snap counts. Credit Manning for that; he controlled the tempo and it made a huge difference vs. Washington’s D.
Question: How much should they blitz Manning?
Answer: It wasn’t a whole lot. They did blitz some early, but they also tried to be creative with looks and were able to get one-on-one matchups by rushing three to one side and one to the other. They had to at least make Manning – or his line – uncomfortable. There were some times it appeared that might have happened, leading to a questionable throw or two. But overall Manning put on a clinic.
Question: Where must the defense shine?
Answer: I thought it would be in the red zone. They did OK down there, allowing two field goals and a touchdown. But the key was that they made only three trips (another one at the 21-yard line ended in a fumble). But the Colts scored 27 points – and they came in averaging 27.2 so it’s not like the Redskins were terrific in any area. They really weren’t.
Question: Where are the Colts vulnerable?
Answer: Well, they hadn’t run the ball well all season until Sunday night and they had some issues at tackle. But, again, Manning’s ability to check out of plays and into runs proved crucial. It wasn’t like the Colts just ran over them; they caught the Redskins in a defense designed to stop the pass. Manning made the smart call and forced the run. Give him credit.
Question: Can the Redskins stop Indy’s defensive ends?
Answer: They fared OK vs. them; Dwight Freeney was not dominant, though he did make some plays. He should; he’s a fantastic player. He had two quarterback hurries. Occasionally the Redskins used a tight end to block him, with LT Trent Williams behind them, ready to help. Robert Mathis got inside RT Jammal Brown for some pressure, but when the Colts used a four-man rush, RG Artis Hicks could help. Matthis, though, had 1.5 sacks, a tackle for a loss and two hurries. Not a bad night.
Question: How should they attack Indianapolis?
Answer: They knew they had to attack because the Colts score too much to do otherwise. Washington was patient as the Colts took away a lot of the deep stuff the Redskins covet. They gave them the middle of the field underneath. Washington also ran well vs. them, by taking care of the backside ends and opening some cutback lanes. Ryan Torain is not the fastest guy, but he did a good job of making guys miss in the backfield. He made the first defender miss a decent amount.
Question: How is Indy’s defense effective?
Answer: Still not sure after watching them. They made an ordinary running team look pretty good on the ground. They missed a lot of tackles. But they did cause enough problems up front to harass McNabb and that’s what they do best. Also, the Colts intercepted a couple passes and that helped. But this is not an elite defense. They can just pressure you when you’re behind. Their speed is pretty good, but that’s why the Redskins focused heavily on some backside cut blocks and taking care of the backside ends.
Question: Where else can Washington hurt them?
Answer: The Colts hadn’t been very good in punt coverage, allowing 14.9 yards per return entering the game. Brandon Banks managed two returns for a strong 33 yards, but that’s not what I was looking for. Thought he was going to break a lone one and, well, my hunch was wrong. There was one time when I thought Banks might have a chance as Pat McAfee boomed a 59-yarder, but Banks returned it 17 yards.
Question: Who will win?
Answer: Obviously we know that answer. I picked the Colts to win 27-23 and if Graham Gano had cooperated by missing the extra point, I’d have immediately gone out and played the Lotto. In the end it was too much Manning. He controlled the game like a future Hall of Famer who has played in one offense should. His defense did enough to help but it was really about him. It’s sort of amazing to see the difference between he and a guy like Donovan McNabb. Granted, McNabb is in his first year of a new offense and with a new team. But he’s not the surgeon Manning is.
