UNDER REVIEW: Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts

Jan 4, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (13) is congratulated by teammates after scoring the winning touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth quarter during the 2013 AFC wild card playoff football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis defeats Kansas City 45-44. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Incredible. Unreal. Rediculous. Unfathomable.

Thoughts going through my head as the Indianapolis Colts rallied against the Chiefs.

And another one: Maybe they can get to the Super Bowl.

Make no mistake, that offense, which was largely a product of circumstance, could get the Colts to New York next month. The no-huddle, spread attack is dangerous and can put a lot of points on the board.

The near historic comeback by the Colts was a sight to behold. It was a game second only to the comeback against the Patriots in the ACF Championship game back in 2007, I’m sure you remember the one.

The second half play on both side of the ball was amazing. This is exactly how the team should play every week from here until the end of Andrew Luck’s career. Pep Hamilton should call more games like that and we need to skip ahead to a point where Luck gets three plays and picks one at the line of scrimmage, Peyton style.

We (myself, and all the other Colts writers) have talked all season about how the offensive philosophy of Chuck Pagano is flawed. This isn’t a run first, pound the ball league anymore. If it were, Adrian Peterson would be the highest paid player in the NFL. Its driven by quarterbacks.

Compare the number of rules in place that protect QBs and wide receivers versus running backs. There’s even a rule that prevent running backs from leading with their head. The NFL loves its marquee quarterbacks, and does everything it can to protect them. Anytime there is a big hit, I assume a flag is incoming.

If the league wants you to pass the ball more, and skews the rules to promote that, why wouldn’t you build a pass based offense?

I agree that the Colts should be more balanced, and not rely too heavily on the QB but you should still emphasize your team’s strengths. For Indianapolis, that’s Andrew Luck and TY Hilton. Pagano says that he’ll never change his philosophy, but he needs to at least amend it.

The concept of time of possession and ball control are silly. The whole point of the offense is to score as many points as it can. Time doesn’t matter until the final minutes of the fourth quarter. This team is going to need a lot of points too, because you never know what the defense is going to give you.

What did the offense do on Saturday? Score a ton of points, very quickly and they won the game.

Here’s what stood out to me:

• Fast Luck. In the second half, Luck did an excellent job of getting the ball out of the pocket quickly. There have been times this season when he’s simply held on to the ball for too long and taken a sack. The Chiefs were still getting pressure, but he did a great job moving around just enough to avoid it or getting the pass out before they could land a sack.
• Taking the Win. Kansas City didn’t lose this game, the Colts took it from them. Despite two second half turnovers from Luck, the Colts offense (five touchdowns) and defense (13 points) dominated the game. Big comebacks are apparently a thing for the Colts now, but 28 points is an insane number to overcome.
• Illegal. What Hilton did to the Kansas City secondary is considered illegal in all 50 states. If this game had taken place in Missouri, the authorities would have taken him away in handcuffs. In all seriousness, Hilton was unreal. His route running was incredibly precise, almost like a former pro-bowler was coaching him up in recent weeks.
  • La’Von Brazill and Da’Rick Rogers were also very good, and did a lot to help Hilton get open. Having two fast, large, physical receivers running deep routes allowed Hilton to get open underneath and make big plays with his legs. There were a few plays that keyed off the comeback, Rogers 46 yard catch that set on a Donald Brown TD was one of them.
• What can Brown do for you? Hopefully fans have forgiven all his follies and let go of their hatred. Brown has been incredibly valuable to this team, especially in the wake of the Trent Richardson trade. Let’s be real, Richardson has been a bust. He’s not a very good running back and Brown is far superior. He’s faster, better at blocking, has better vision, and is better in space. 55 yards rushing, four catches and 47 yards receiving and two touchdowns. Hard to argue with a day like that. Richardson? One carry, and a fumble (because he was switching hands in traffic, a running back 101 no-no).

The Colts head back to New England this weekend to face their longtime nemesis the Patriots. This is the kind of game that makes everyone in Indianapolis a little queasy.

We’ll preview that game tomorrow.

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