Colts at Falcons: After Further Review
The Colts were able to pull out an ugly win on the road against the Falcons.
It was a fairly sloppy game for both teams on both ends, but the Colts were able to comeback and win the game. Matt Hasselbeck played alright, throwing two touchdowns, and two interceptions, but yet again it was Adam Vinatieri‘s leg that saved the Colts.
As always a win is a win, and the Colts were able to stay in first place in the AFC South. Let’s talk takeaways, shall we?
Takeaway number 1: Indianapolis may be the luckiest team in the NFL
There is absolutely no pun intended with the above statement, because nobody despises Luck puns like me. Anyway, I’m still unsure if the Colts are lucky or if they’re actually winning because of skillful football. It might be a mix of both, but I would say more luck than skill based on what I’ve seen.
Although both of Matt Hasselbeck’s turnovers were bad reads on his part, he was unable to really get in a rhythm all day. The offensive line did an atrocious job of protecting him. A lot has been made of how bad the Colts offensive line is, and they have not looked all that bad the past few weeks. Today, however, the Colts offensive line looked terrible, and it’s especially disheartening considering the Falcons have one of the worst pass rushes in the league.
In all honesty, the Colts offense looked pretty terrible today. It took them almost three full quarters to figure out how to attack an atrocious Atlanta defense. In fact, it was the defense that kept the Colts in game, and if it wasn’t for D’Qwell Jackson‘s pick six they probably would not have won.
That’s where I think the Colts get a little lucky, because they’re offense has been relatively ineffective all season. They rely on their defense to make “lucky” plays to make up for their shortcomings. Yes, the defense has been impressive at times, but at some point they will no longer be able to make-up for the offense’s inability to get anything going.
Takeaway number 2: Clayton Geathers could become a star
Geathers, the rookie, was thrown into a starting safety spot in place of the injured Mike Adams, and he made an immediate impact. The way that guy tackles, and the way he can read plays reminds a lot of Bob Sanders. He does need to improve on his down field coverage, but hey, he is just a rookie!
Now I’m not saying the Geathers hype train is full speed ahead, especially after one game. All I’m saying is that he has some star potential, and currently his hype train is boarding.
Takeaway number 3: The Colts are in for a battle with Houston
Despite the mediocrity, the Colts are still atop the AFC South. Now a few weeks ago I would’ve said the Colts would still take the division, easily. However, the Texans are now making some noise, and after beating the Jets, they are 5-5 as well.
Both teams are relying on back-up quarterbacks going forward, the Colts with Hasselbeck and the Texans with T.J. Yates. It is crucial for the Colts to at least win their divisional games, and quite frankly they almost need to win all of their games while Andrew Luck is out. With Luck out until mid-December, it would be awfully convenient for him to return on December 20th versus the Texans.
The Colts will have a day or two to enjoy this win, but they are faced with another NFC South opponent in week 12. They will face Tampa Bay who is coming off a dominant win in Philadelphia. I just hope the Colts don’t take the Bucs too lightly, because they need this game.