Brunt: Colts are who they were, not who we thought they were
By CLIFF BRUNT
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts are who they were.
Not who we thought they were.
And that’s OK.
They defeated the Raiders 21-17 on Sunday in another nailbiter. Andrew Luck made it happen again, scoring on a 19-yard run in the fourth quarter to give the Colts the lead that they had given away.
Some fans are disappointed and surprised that the game was so close. But this is what the Colts were last year, and will be until proven otherwise.
And in those close games, the Colts are very comfortable.
Why? Because their coach preaches consistency.
“Even when things are going well, just keep playing through it,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. “When they’re not, just keep playing through it. And ultimately put yourself in position, play hard, play hard for 60 minutes and when the play shows up, make sure you’re there to make it.”
The Colts went 11-5 last season but were outscored by 30 points. Almost every win was close. Though the team made offseason improvements, there weren’t enough of them to immediately expect Indy to start blowing teams out. I admit, I expected the Colts to have an easier time with the Raiders, but I’m not surprised it was close because the Colts don’t yet have that ability to step on an opponent’s throat before the fourth quarter. That is something to watch for this season.
The Colts get credit for showing commitment to the run game, actually running more than they passed. It was a point of emphasis under new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton. And Reggie Wayne was big again, scoring a touchdown and leading the team in receptions and yards.
Vick Ballard showed he’s not quite ready to give up his starting job. He ran 13 times for 63 yards, and although Ahmad Bradshaw played, Ballard was at least as good.
Pagano was pleased with both backs.
“Vick (Ballard) hit some holes, and you saw what Ahmad (Bradshaw) can do in limited amount of snaps and exposure,” he said. “But we knew coming in, and he’s just going to get better and better as he gets back in the mix. I thought our guys blocked these guys up.”
Also, credit goes to Oakland quarterback Terrelle Pryor for being much better than expected. He set a team record for rushing yardage by a quarterback with 112 yards, constantly keeping Indianapolis on its heels. The Raiders appear to have made the right move by making him their quarterback.
The Colts remained positive, even after some of the long runs by Pryor.
“It is the group that we have,” linebacker Robert Mathis said. “Nobody started pointing fingers or anything like that, we just stuck together. We know it was going to take all of us to get this guy under control. We were able to do that in the end.”
It looks like it will be another entertaining season in Indianapolis. It may be uncomfortable, but watching Luck work his magic every week is must-see TV. This run will be remembered years from now as one of the most impressive by a quarterback, and especially by a young one.
