Colts defense up to task
BALTIMORE – The Indianapolis Colts took a page right out of the Baltimore Ravens’ playbook.
The Colts’ defense answered every Ravens challenge, and proved more stout and more opportunistic than the league’s best-ranked unit in a game of field goals that sent Indianapolis into next week’s AFC Championship game with a 15-6 win at Baltimore on Saturday.
“We knew their defense was going to come out and put a lot of pressure on our offense, and we decided that we were going to pressure them, too,” Colts safety Bob Sanders said. “We knew we had to get them stopped on third down and, for the most part, we did that.”
Indianapolis will visit San Diego or host New England in the conference championship game next Sunday.
Most figured the Colts’ beleaguered defense would prevent it from making this kind of postseason run. That may not be the case any longer.
Energized by Sanders and motivated by Baltimore’s usually brash talk, Indianapolis limited the Ravens (13-4) to only two field goals and allowed them to convert just 2 of 11 third downs in a second straight dominating performance.
Worlds apart during the regular season, the teams’ defenses looked remarkably similar Saturday. The Colts (14-4) repeatedly hit Steve McNair and forced the Ravens quarterback into several uncharacteristic mistakes, and held Jamal Lewis in check.
“We’re just having fun,” linebacker Cato June said. “It doesn’t matter what anybody else says as long as we’re playing fast, intense and together.”
A week ago, the Colts held one of the league’s best backs, Kansas City’s Larry Johnson, to 32 yards rushing. They were nearly as impressive Saturday against a Baltimore team that relies even more on the run.
Lewis carried 13 times for 53 yards, only squirting free for a couple of big gains, and the Ravens finished with 20 carries for 83 yards.
“I’m not sure if we’ve ever won one before in the nine years I’ve played without scoring a touchdown,” Manning said. “My guess is no.”
Manning was wrong. The Colts actually did that in the 2003 season opener against Cleveland, a 9-6 win.
Indianapolis’ defense played so well that Baltimore didn’t convert a third down until 4:21 was left in the third quarter.
And when the Ravens did have scoring chances, the Colts snuffed them out.
Antoine Bethea intercepted McNair at the Colts 1 in the second quarter, preventing the Ravens from making a tying field goal.
The Colts offense responded with a 65-yard drive that led to a 51-yard field goal that ricocheted off the crossbar to make it 9-3.
Then, with Indianapolis clinging to a 12-6 lead and Baltimore moving at the Colts 39, Nick Harper stepped in front of Demetrius Williams for another interception.
Finally, after Adam Vinatieri’s fifth field goal made it 15-6 with about a minute left, Robert Mathis broke free to sack McNair and strip the ball. Mathis recovered the fumble.
Manning has one touchdown and five interceptions in the playoffs this season, yet strangely is one win from making his first Super Bowl appearance.
There’s only one reason: the defense.
“It’s win or go home,” Bethea said. “We don’t want to go home yet. Hopefully, we can do the same thing next week, too.”