Complete 180

The Indianapolis Colts were forced to leave Houston with the taste of defeat, and were looking to get rid of that lasting taste with a sweet victory against the New York Giants. In a battle that was headlined by the battle of the Manning’s, the Colts were able to put all distractions aside and come out firing. Peyton Manning was nothing less than spectacular, and he finished the first half 13-18 with 154 yards and two touchdowns. To go along with Manning’s outstanding performance, the Colts received a great one-two punch from their pro bowl defensive ends. Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis were able to keep pressure on Eli Manning the entire night, and the Colts showed just how dangerous they can be when they get a lead.

Although a pass rush and stellar passing game have become somewhat expected by Colts fans, coach Caldwell threw another pleasant surprise at fans by implementing a consistent rushing attack. Joseph Addai finished with 92 yards on 20 carries and Donald Brown chipped in 69 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries. The two backs stepped-up big in Sunday night’s game, and much of the offensive production can be attributed to their efforts. Moving forward the two will need to continue contributing for the offense, as their production allows the defense to maintain their stamina and open up the play action game for Manning.

With the Texans moving to 2-0 today with a victory over the Washington Redskins, the Colts felt the pressure of moving to 1-1, opposed to 0-2. Tonight’s victory was a solid win over a quality NFC East opponent on the national stage. The Colts proved that although they have some flaws, as long as the have number 18 under center they will be able to win ball games.